NFL Draft: This prospect’s chances of becoming No. 1 soar after Titans say they won’t pass on generational talent

The Tennessee Titans’ reward for being the worst team in football last season is the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. The Titans will have three options with this pick: They can select the potential franchise quarterback they desperately need, they can trade the pick and collect additional selections or they can select the best player in the class – who doesn’t may not be a quarterback. This third option seems more realistic after this week.

At a press conference Wednesday, Titans president of football operations Chad Brinker told reporters they would not be passing on “generational talent” with the first pick in the draft. They will do their homework on all prospects, including quarterbacks.

The best prospect in the draft might be do-it-all receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter from Colorado. The 2024 Heisman Trophy winner was also a unanimous All-American, Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year and Fred Biletnikoff Award winner. You read that right, the best defensive player in the Big 12 was also the best receiver in the country. In 2024, Hunter has 96 catches for 1,258 yards and 15 touchdowns. He also recorded 35 total tackles, 11 passes defensed, one forced fumble and four interceptions. It remains to be seen what position Hunter will play at the next level, but regardless, he appears to be the best player in the draft.

After Brinker made his comments, Hunter’s chances of becoming the No. 1 pick skyrocketed. They went from +1400 Wednesday morning to +140, according to DraftKings Sportsbook.

Here are the best odds for the No. 1 pick (according to DraftKings Sportsbook):

What’s interesting about the Titans’ situation is that free agency could leak their draft plan. We may be able to decipher Tennessee’s plans at the top of the selection committee based on the Titans signing before April. If the Titans are heading for the fences by signing a top-tier quarterback, perhaps they will trade or select Hunter. If Tennessee doesn’t address the quarterback position in free agency, perhaps the Titans are eyeing Shedeur Sanders or Cam Ward. Then again, the Atlanta Falcons showed us last year that it’s impossible to predict what will happen in the first round.