Analyst: Titans Getting 'Too Cute' With Cam Ward

The Tennessee Titans are hoping that Cam Ward will amount to something after taking him with the No. 1 overall pick in this week's draft.

Ward is the first quarterback the team has taken in the first round since Marcus Mariota a decade ago, but the team has struggled to find a long-term franchise guy since Steve McNair.

Sports Illustrated analyst Conor Orr thinks that the move to take Ward smells a little like desperation.

"To me, this is a move that feels like a team in a difficult spot falling in love with a prospect because it benefits them beyond the immediate need for a quarterback," Orr wrote.

"The Titans need to call someone a franchise quarterback just as much as they actually need a franchise quarterback. Ward fits both needs, though his selection is also the after effect of the organization trying to get too cute at the position for too long after the decline of Ryan Tannehill."

This isn't to say Ward can't be a top-tier franchise quarterback, because he absolutely can. The issue lies in the fact that he is shrouded in uncertainty, which is the case for every rookie coming into the league regardless of position, but especially at quarterback.

The Titans need someone that can compete with Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson among the best quarterbacks in the AFC, and it appears that the team is trying to do that with Ward.

He may not be the best quarterback prospect coming into the league, but he is the best one for this year, and that's enough for the Titans to roll the dice on him.

The NFL Draft begins Thursday at 7 p.m. CT, where Ward is expected to officially be named the No. 1 overall pick.