The battle to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft will heat up this week.
The Tennessee Titans will host Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders, Miami (Fla.) quarterback Cam Ward and Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter for a visit this week, FOX Sports’ Jordan Schultz reported Sunday. Tennessee holds the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 draft.
All three players decided not to compete in drills or athletic testing at the NFL Scouting Combine over the weekend. Sanders and Ward opted to sit out, with both players expected to throw at their respective pro days in the coming weeks.
Carter, meanwhile, has been dealing with a stress reaction in his right foot. It was reported that he could need surgery to repair the foot, but Carter told reporters at the combine that he wouldn’t undergo an operation. He added that he felt around 90% and expects to be at full strength sometime in March.
Sanders, Ward and Carter are each expected to be top picks in the 2025 NFL Draft. FOX Sports NFL Draft expert Rob Rang projected all three players will be selected within the first six picks in his most recent mock draft, with the Titans picking Carter at No. 1. FOX Sports lead college football Joel Klatt had all three players being the first three picks in his mock draft, placing Sanders ahead of Ward in his ranking of the best quarterbacks in the 2025 NFL Draft.
The Titans have also been open to the possibility of trading the No. 1 overall pick, with the New York Giants as a possible candidate to land the selection, NFL Media reported. The Giants hold the third overall pick in the draft.
Sanders has been one of the top passers in college over the last couple of seasons. He transferred to Colorado and helped turn the Buffaloes around when his father, Deion Sanders, was hired as head coach in 2023. He threw for 4,134 yards, 37 touchdowns and 10 interceptions to go with four rushing touchdowns last season.
[Related: Shedeur Sanders states case to be No. 1 pick: ‘I know what I bring to the table’]
“That’s the plan. If that’s not what you’re trying to do, don’t get me,” Sanders told reporters at the combine about why he should be the top pick. “If you ain’t trying to change the franchise or the culture, don’t get me. So, you should know history repeats itself over and over and over, and I’ve done it over and over and over, so it should be no question why a franchise should pick me.”
Ward was one of the best quarterbacks in college football after transferring to Miami in 2024. The Heisman finalist threw for 4,313 yards, 39 touchdowns and seven interceptions to go with 204 rushing yards and four rushing scores. When meeting with reporters at the combine, Ward said that his “tape says everything” on why he should be the No. 1 pick.
[Related: How Cam Ward’s unorthodox rise shaped him: ‘I’m not worried about no spotlight’]
“I think just what separates me from everybody is the way I approach it, the mindset I have going onto the field each and every game,” Ward said. “And coming from my journey, not a lot of people can do that. So I just think it shows the world that I’m willing to put in — whether I go first round or second round, at the end of the day … it’s all about establishing yourself with each and every opportunity.”
As for Carter, he was arguably the best defensive player in college football this past season. He recorded 43 total tackles, 12 sacks and two forced fumbles to go with 66 pressures and a 22.6% pass-rush win rate, per Pro Football Focus.
Sanders and Ward have formed a bond and debated over which one of the two should be the No. 1 overall pick. But Carter has a strong chance to play spoiler.
“I feel like I’m the best player in the country, and the best player should be picked first,” Carter told reporters. “It’s the work I put in with my dad, who trained me, and all the sacrifices I made. I know I’m the best.”
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