The Tennessee Titans are about to select Cam Ward with the 1st overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft, transitioning past the Will Levis experiment into a new era. Levis remains on the team heading into the third year of his 4-year rookie contract, and the talk from Titans brass publicly has been they intend to keep him around. For a number of reasons, I'm not buying that one bit. I wrote all about why I don't believe Levis will be sticking around right here.
So the question is, when will he be moved? Right before the season? Over the summer? Shortly after Cam is brought in after the draft? I'm not ruling any timeline out. But I think a move before (or perhaps on) draft night is a strong possibility. Not only could it prove to be the perfect time to maximize a return for the Titans, but it could also create an immediate impact in their own draft.
Every team considering the depth of this QB draft class is going to be asking themselves the same question: does using this 3rd or 4th round pick on Tyler Shough, Quinn Ewers, or Will Howard make more sense than utilizing the pick to aquire somebody already in the league like Levis? And I don't think it's a stretch at all to think teams could lean towards a Levis over some of these rookie options. Coaches and front office personnel are notorious for their "I can fix him" mentality, and they tend to let their pre-draft evaluation of guys stick in their minds.
This is how we've seen former First Round pick Kenny Pickett traded twice for some surprising returns. The Steelers moved him in March of 2024 for a 4th/3rd round pick swap, with a pair of 7th round picks sent their way by Philadelphia as well. Then a year later in March 2025, the Eagles traded Pickett to the Browns for 5th plus QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson. You can read about other recent QB trades for reference right here.
There's no reason why this kind of value couldn't be gotten for Levis. And it could very well be the key to the Titans getting back into the 3rd round by swapping one of their two 4ths or 5ths. Going by the value on draft trade charts, a swap from the middle of the 5th into the middle/late 3rd is the equivalent value of a 5th round pick, which is a perfectly reasonable appraisal of Levis at this point. He was a 1st round talent on many team's pre-draft boards, and that pedigree sticks with you. Not to mention, it's clear to everybody how real his raw tools are. His only real deficiency is between the ears. If time and/or the right coach and system can break through to him in that regard, you've really got something.
So with the table now set, lets take a look at the teams who could theoretically trade for Levis:
Strong Candidates
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Perhaps they've flown under the radar in this regard, but on paper I think this could make a lot of sense. Baker Mayfield is playing the best ball of his career, but his career has already seem plenty of ups and downs. Perhaps he cements himself as the long-term franchise QB, but he only has two years left on his contract and is going to cost nearly $50M against the cap after this season. Behind him, they have nobody of note and they're paying them nothing. Levis could be their developmental upgrade at backup with actual upside.
- QB's under contract: Baker Mayfield, Kyle Trask, Michael Pratt
- 2025 Draft picks by round: 1-5, 7
Philadelphia Eagles: A portion of the teams listed in this article are automatic inclusions because of their reported involvement in the bidding for former Patriots QB Joe Milton last week, who was shipped to Dallas in a Day 3 pick swap. It stands to reason that if you were interested in trading for somebody like Milton, you're in this kind of QB market. The Eagles have long considered themselves a "QB factory" of sorts, intentionally spending more capital on the position that their peers. That's manifested itself in the draft as well as via trades, as we've most recently seen them take a swing on Kenny Pickett before trading him away again. Behind Jalen Hurts, they have a pair of low-upside young passers on rookie contracts. Both could easily be moved down the depth chart or moved off of entirely if they wanted to kick the tires on developing Levis.
- QB's under contract: Jalen Hurts, Tanner McKee, Dorian Thompson-Robinson
- 2025 Draft picks by round: 1-4, 5, 5, 5
Minnesota Vikings: I'm including the Vikings in the Strong Candidates tier because while I think a trade will be pursued by the Titans before we get past draft weekend, I'm certainly not ruling out a trade finally coming together later in the summer. There's still a world in which Levis finally moves on as late as the preseason. And while Minnesota's draft situation really prohibits them from making a trade with 2025 capital, I think they'd become the team to focus on if Levis is still on the roster in May. Everything about this landing spot makes sense besides 2025 available picks: the coach and scheme, their QB culture, their desire for more than what they currently have on the roster. It's a very good fit.
- QB's under contract: JJ McCarthy, Brett Rypien
- 2025 Draft picks by round: 1, 3, 5, 6
Possible Landing Spots
Cleveland Browns: It's hard to rule just about any QB going to the Browns at this point. Their well-documented QB finance situation with the Watson nightmare has them in a trickier position than most, and a young cost-controlled QB could be their off-ramp if they found one. That's why a move to kick the tires on Levis would make some sense. They did just bring back old man Joe Flacco on a 1-year deal, which lessens their immediate need. But they're far from set at the position. What (if anything) they do in the draft at QB will be telling. Oh, did I mention they have two 3rd Round picks?
- QB's under contract: Deshaun Watson, Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett
- 2025 Draft picks by round: 1, 2, 3, 3, 4, 6, 6, 6, 6, 7
Detroit Lions: Why not? Goff is steady and beloved in Detroit, but he's not getting any younger and his hard ceiling may eventually start to wear out his welcome. Meanwhile, the rest of the room is in total flux. There's Hendon Hooker on his rookie contract, who everybody in Detroit seems to openly dislike. Besides him, Allen and Fromm are on bargain basement contracts that are simple to move on from.
- QB's under contract: Jared Goff, Hendon Hooker, Kyle Allen, Jake Fromm
- 2025 Draft picks by round: 1-4, 6, 7, 7
Miami Dolphins: This QB situation seems like it's waiting for a tipping point. Tua is entering a portion of his massive contract where he begins to take up a very dramatic portion of the cap. And as serviceable as he is, his injury history and hard ceiling late in the year are a serious problem. Zach Wilson is the only other QB under contract, and he's similar to Levis in the sense that the Dolphins are taking a swing on somebody with developmental upside. At this point in their careers, however, it's more than fair to say Levis has a lot more theoretical upside left in the tank than Wilson. Miami has a pair of 4ths and 5ths that could facilitate a move here.
- QB's under contract: Tua Tagovailoa, Zach Wilson
- 2025 Draft picks by round: 1-3, 4, 4, 5, 5, 7, 7, 7, 7
Las Vegas Raiders: This is another team who was involved in the bidding for Joe Milton. They feel like a funny fit, considering they just traded for Geno Smith and signed him to a new contract. But sniffing around on Milton tells me that they aren't exactly set on a backup tandem of O'Connell and Bradley, so maybe this new regime has a soft spot for Levis and would make a swap.
- QB's under contract: Geno Smith, Aiden O'Connell, Carter Bradley
- 2025 Draft picks by round: 1-5, 6, 6, 6, 7
New Orleans Saints: This wasn't a team on the list until this past Friday, when it was reported that Derek Carr's 2025 availability is in question. He's contemplating surgery on a shoulder injury he's working through, and the team is uncertain what his timeline to return could be. This is a team that needs a historic tank season worse than probably any team has ever needed one. They're old, expensive, and in the 7th level of Cap Hell. But they're in this situation in the first place because they're very poorly run and don't do the wise thing. So I wouldn't put it past them one bit to go sniffing for a QB trade with some upside. Maybe they convince themselves to try out Levis as their young solution, even though they should probably hand the keys to Rattler and just see what happens.
- QB's under contract: Derek Carr, Spencer Rattler, Jake Haener
- 2025 Draft picks by round: 1, 2, 3, 3, 4, 4, 6, 7, 7
Don't Rule Them Out
Atlanta Falcons: I have no idea what the Falcons plan is with Kirk Cousins. It seemed like a no-brainer to move on already, but they have doubled and tripled down on keeping him as the most expensive backup ever. Perhaps they're waiting for a team to grow desperate for him late in the process to get the biggest return. In the case that they eventually move him, their QB room will need work. Penix needs a real backup, and Levis could be that guy.
- QB's under contract: Kirk Cousins, Michael Penix, Emory Jones
- 2025 Draft picks by round: 1, 2, 4, 7, 7
Jacksonville Jaguars: This one has almost everything to do with Liam Coen, who was the coach Levis had his best season in college under. With Mullins and Wolford backing up franchise QB Trevor Lawrence, maybe Coen decides to replace one of them with his guy from their Kentucky days. An in-division QB trade is unlikely, but not impossible.
- QB's under contract: Trevor Lawrence, Nick Mullins, John Wolford
- 2025 Draft picks by round: 1-7
Los Angeles Rams: The Rams make a ton of sense on paper for a Levis trade. They need a Stafford succession plan eventually. Garoppolo and Bennett aren't exactly set in stone financially to be the backups going forward. And the Rams are the type of team you'd expect to try to get the best out of a player another team couldn't develop. They even have a pair of 3rd Round picks! But the reason I think this could be a stretch is simply that I'm not sure Levis is a guy McVay would want. He's an offensive wunderkind who wants somebody who will simply execute his system. Stafford is of course a lot more than that, and his ceiling is what has carried them for years. But I'm not sure Levis is the right type of QB project for them.
- QB's under contract: Matthew Stafford, Jimmy Garoppolo, Stetson Bennett
- 2025 Draft picks by round: 1, 3, 3, 4, 6, 6, 6, 6
Seattle Seahawks: The Seahawks were at the very top of this list until they signed Drew Lock on Friday. They had a need, they have the draft capital, and the fit made sense. But now, they seem to have made their move.
- QB's under contract: Sam Darnold, Drew Lock, Sam Howell, Jaren Hall
- 2025 Draft picks by round: 1, 2, 2, 3, 3, 4, 5, 7, 7
New York Giants: The Giants are on the list because of their interest in Joe Milton and their general QB situation. They have three QBs on the roster, but nothing seems to be fully set in stone just yet. They're a wildcard to pay attention to on draft weekend.
- QB's under contract: Russell Wilson, Jameis Winston, Tommy DeVito
- 2025 Draft picks by round: 1, 2, 3, 3, 4, 5, 7
Pittsburgh Steelers: They're in the same situation as the Giants, except their QB room is even less settled. All eyes remain on Aaron Rodgers, who still refuses to pull the trigger and sign just yet. Keep an eye on them in the draft as well to see what direction they appear to be headed in.
- QB's under contract: Mason Rudolph, Skyler Thompson
- 2025 Draft picks by round: 1, 3-7
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