Tennessee Titans general manager Mike Borgonzi. Nicole Hester / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Titans GM downplays one potential concern about top prospect

By Clark Dalton | Last updated Feb 25, 2025 5:07 PM ET

New Tennessee Titans general manager Mike Borgonzi seems to believe a quarterback doesn't need a rocket arm to succeed in the NFL.

The Titans have the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft and could take Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders (6-foot-2, 215 pounds) to replace Will Levis, who went 2-10 in 12 starts in 2024.

On Tuesday at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, Borgonzi suggested concerns about Sanders' arm strength may be overblown.

"I think he has plenty of arm strength," Borgonzi said, per ESPN's Turron Davenport. "Some of the anticipatory throws make up for the lack of arm strength."

Mike Borgonzi said he doesn't feel arm strength is as big of an issue for Shedeur Sanders. Borgonzi pointed to anticipation as a trait that makes up for it. pic.twitter.com/4LAgT3dcS7
— TURRON DAVENPORT (@TDavenport_NFL) February 25, 2025

Titans head coach Brian Callahan seems to agree with Borgonzi. At the 2025 Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama, the coach told Davenport that Sanders' ability to make anticipatory throws is like that of Cincinnati Bengals QB Joe Burrow.

Callahan was the two-time Pro Bowler's offensive coordinator for his first four seasons with the Bengals.

Sanders displayed pinpoint accuracy in his final season with the Buffaloes, completing 74% of his passes in 13 starts, but he didn't push the downfield much.

Per Pro Football Focus, his average depth of target (8.1 yards) tied for 129th in the FBS (min. 129 dropbacks). ADOT measures how far a player is downfield when targeted.

"While Sanders is a very accurate deep-ball passer, his arm strength isn't elite," wrote PFF's Nick Akridge in a recent scouting report. "He lacks velocity, clearly visible on downfield passes that require extra juice to beat closing windows."

Sanders — who isn't working out at the Combine, via ESPN's Jeff Legwold — must mitigate concerns about his arm when he throws at Colorado's pro day in March.

It remains unclear whether the Titans will trade the top pick. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Borgonzi said Tennessee will listen to offers.

However, if the Titans keep the pick, they could still take Sanders. Tennessee doesn't seem too worried about his ability to let it fly.

Clark Dalton

Dalton is a 2022 journalism graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. He gained experience in sports media over the past seven years — from live broadcasting and creating short films to podcasting and producing. In college, he wrote for The Daily Texan. He loves sports and enjoys hiking, kayaking and camping.

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