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2025 NFL re-draft validates Titans' Cam Ward selection
2025 NFL re-draft validates Titans' Cam Ward selection
When the Tennessee Titans selected Cam Ward with the number one overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, the move came with plenty of pressure. Franchise quarterbacks are expected to change the trajectory of an organization, and every top selection is immediately compared to the rest of the draft class.
One year later, Bleacher Report's Gary Davenport suggests the Titans would make the same decision if they had to do it all over again with what they know now. In his re-draft, Ward remained the first player selected, reaffirming Tennessee's belief that it found the right quarterback to build around. Here's his explanation:
Don't worry. There will be plenty of shakeups coming in this 2025 re-draft. But the first overall pick remains the same.
Cam Ward admittedly had an uneven rookie season on a bad Tennessee Titans team—the 24-year-old won just three starts, completed less than 60 percent of his passes, threw just 15 touchdown passes and posted a passer rating of just 80.2.
But it's not like Ward was playing on an offense that was exactly replete with passing-game weapons, and he showed some real flashes as the season wore on. Over half of Ward's touchdown passes (eight) were thrown in December, and Ward led the Titans to two games in that month.
It was the first time since 2021 that the Titans won multiple games in that month—and enough for the Titans to stand pat with their original selection.
For a franchise that entered a rebuild searching for a long-term answer at the position, the recognition serves as an encouraging sign. While it is still early in Ward's NFL career, his rookie season provided enough evidence for evaluators to keep him atop the draft board.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementWard remained ahead of his fellow QB Draft Class members
As expected, New York Giants QB Jaxon Dart and New Orleans Saints QB Tyler Shough were selected second and third in the re-draft. Dart was originally selected with the 21st overall pick, and Shough was selected with the 40th overall pick. Both players placed in the top five of the Offensive Rookie of the Year vote ahead of Ward.
However, it is fair to point out that Ward's weapons and offensive playcalling were more subpar than those of his draft classmates. Also, Ward played his best ball in the last two months of the season, indicating improvement despite his circumstances.
Regardless, not only did Ward show the Titans enough to trust as their franchise QB, but he also showed enough for pundits to believe he should've still been the first selection. If Ward continues developing at his current pace, Tennessee could look back on the 2025 draft as the moment the franchise changed its future.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThis article originally appeared on Titans Wire: Tennessee Titans: 2025 NFL re-draft validates Cam Ward selection