Heading into the 2025 NFL offseason, Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders looked like locks to be drafted in the top-3 of the forthcoming NFL draft by either the Tennessee Titans, the Cleveland Browns, or the New York Giants.
On paper, it makes sense, right? Quarterback is the most important position in the NFL, and identifying the right signal caller could be the difference between a trip to the playoffs or another draft pick in the top 10. Considering the 2025 class is light on true top-end talent, earning a shot at a top-2 arm would seemingly take priority over any other position, right?
Conventional wisdom would say yes, but in the opinion of ESPN’s Field Yates, that might not be the case, as he has the top two team in the draft bypassing the position in the first round, with the Titans instead going for a two-way unicorn in Colorado’s Travis Hunter.
“The Titans have made it clear they won’t force the quarterback issue at No. 1 if they don’t deem one of the passers worthy of the pick,” Yates noted. “Miami’s Cam Ward and Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders will be in the mix here, given Will Levis’ struggles, but Tennessee could go another direction. And that opens the door for a spirited debate in picking between Hunter and Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter.”
Is Yates on the money? Well, while most fans may not agree, general manager Mike Borgonzi did say that they wouldn’t bypass generational talent for a quarterback, and Hunter has the potential to be just that.
And as for the Browns? Well, they, too, have other needs and might just lose their best player, Myles Garrett, via a trade that could load up their coffer to an incredible degree. With multiple different avenues to attack the position, Yates sees Cleveland bypassing quarterback, too, instead selecting their new franchise edge rusher, Penn State’s Carter.
“The Browns — like the Titans — will do their homework on the top of the quarterback class, and I wouldn’t rule out one of Ward or Sanders going here,” Yates wrote. “But considering the recent trade request by Myles Garrett and Carter’s overall value as a prospect, the Browns might decide to sort the QB situation at a later pick or in free agency.”
So, if the Titans and Browns opt against taking Ward and Sanders, where could they end up? Well, Yates has Ward landing with the New York Giants – who may also opt to address their quarterback needs with a veteran in Matthew Stafford – while Sanders drops down to six to play for a Raiders team partially owned by the player Mel Kiper often compares him to, Tom Brady.
When creating mock drafts in February, the biggest issue is the specter of free agency. If the Titans and Browns leave March with Sam Darnold and Kirk Cousins, maybe they do bypass quarterback. But if they go for more stopgap options at the position? Then skipping quarterback in the NFL Draft would be a major eyebrow-raiser.
