Why former QB doesn't 'love' Titans drafting Cam Ward with first overall pick

Now that it's known the Tennessee Titans will hold onto the first overall pick of the 2025 NFL Draft, it seems to be a lock that Tennessee will use that asset to select Miami quarterback Cam Ward. 

For a piece published by the NFL's website on Tuesday, former pro signal-caller and current analyst David Carr shared why he has concerns about the inevitable Ward-Titans marriage. 

"I don't love the fit," Carr said. "(Titans head coach) Brian Callahan runs a traditional system with the quarterback leading the offense at the line of scrimmage, which was why Joe Burrow was the perfect signal-caller for Callahan when he was the offensive coordinator in Cincinnati. Ward didn't operate that kind of offense in college, and I'd argue it's not what he excels at. The Titans' offensive coaching staff is likely going to have to reinvent itself with Ward under center."

Before the Bengals made Burrow the first overall pick of the 2020 draft, ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. ranked the LSU star second among the prospects in that year's class. To compare, Kiper has Ward sixth overall and ranked as the second-best quarterback available in the 2025 draft behind Colorado's Shedeur Sanders (fifth overall). Back on April 14, ESPN draft guru Matt Miller put Ward at 14th in his overall prospect rankings. 

Carr isn't the only analyst who thinks those currently running the Titans will regret not taking either Penn State pass-rusher Abdul Carter or Colorado wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter over Ward. Such a scenario would have involved Tennessee targeting a different quarterback later in the draft, such as Ole Miss' Jaxson Dart, Alabama's Jalen Milroe or Louisville's Tyler Shough.

However, the Titans essentially announced their draft plans when they failed to upgrade their quarterback room via free agency or a trade when names such as Sam Darnold, Justin Fields and Geno Smith were available in March. That said, one NFC quarterbacks coach recently told Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated that the Titans may want to consider giving 2023 second-round draft pick Will Levis an opportunity to start this coming September. 

"He’s got extreme arm talent, but he throws it low," that coach said about Ward. "He’s [6-foot-2] but throws it like he’s [5-foot-8] and, as such, might benefit from sitting for a year or two to avoid reinforcing those bad habits as he reworks some fundamental things."