What Titans Executive's Statement About No. 1 Overall Pick Could Mean for Giants

Could the door be open for the Giants to get one of two top quarterback prospects if the Titans go in another direction?
Jul 24, 2024; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen (left) and head coach Brian Daboll talks to media before the start of training camp at Quest Diagnostics Training Facility.
Jul 24, 2024; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen (left) and head coach Brian Daboll talks to media before the start of training camp at Quest Diagnostics Training Facility. / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
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With the Tennessee Titans and the Cleveland Browns sitting ahead of the New York Giants for the first-round order of the 2025 NFL Draft, the chances that the Giants will be able to secure their desired rookie quarterback of the future have been feeling slimmer. 

But what if they don’t have to be, and what if the Giants don’t fully know yet what could be up the former of those two teams’ sleeves with a little over three months left till the first name card is pulled?

Well, things certainly got a lot more interesting this week after the Titans President of Football Operations Chad Brinker made some eye-opening public remarks about the organization’s mindset with the No. 1 overall selection in their possession, ones that could impact the possibilities for New York two slots later.

Brinker, who was hired last offseason by the Titans alongside current head coach Brian Callahan, went onto a local radio show for 104.5 The Zone in Nashville and told them that the Titans are leaving no stone unturned when it comes to weighing all their options at the first pick and whichever way they go will be seeking a “generational talent.”

“We got to look at all the options, but the one thing I will say is that if there is a generational talent, you don’t pass that up,” Brinker said.

“You can’t pass that up, and if we feel there is a generational talent right there, at what we would call a blue player. A guy that is a franchise player, a player that tips the field in your favor every time they step into the field, you can’t pass that up.”

Brinker's comments seem to suggest that the Titans are open to a number of different scenarios and players once they go on the clock in April. One possibility is potentially trading the top selection to move down and acquire more draft capital for future picks, which would completely change the entire landscape of the first round.

At the same time, they do come off as a little strange, given that Tennessee is presumed to need a new quarterback after having had poor results this past season, with Will Levis and Mason Rudolph splitting work amid a 3-14 record. 

This may be just a smoke-and-mirrors show to keep the teams trailing them on their heels till the very end. The Titans could grab one of either Shedeur Sanders or Cam Ward, the two quarterback prospects that the Giants are eyeing, and cut New York’s chances in half by landing one of them. 

However, if the curious remarks do not signal a quarterback move and point towards a different player, such as Travis Hunter or Abdul Carter, and then Cleveland potentially grabs the other, the door would be wide open for the Giants at No. 3.

The Giants would have the complete freedom to pick whichever prospect they love more at the third pick and have the biggest need for a franchise arm locked down from the jump of the draft. In an ideal world, it feels like Sanders is the guy they’re coveting after they’ve spent much time scouting him, even before the real pre-draft process has begun. 

On the other hand, Ward is commonly deemed the perfect pairing for the Giants' offensive plans under head coach Brian Daboll next season. He has the arm and improved mobility that can work better in an explosive-style offense, but he needs to work on his more specific throwing techniques under pressure compared to Sanders.

Either way, if what Brinker said is true and the Titans have a broader scope than just the quarterback position, then this will be a huge development for the Giants’ impending draft choice, one that the regime needs to get right to both preserve their jobs and put the franchise back on a positive trajectory in the years to come. 

A lot more will likely happen or be said before Roger Goodell announces the first decision from Green Bay in a few months, but the scales are momentarily leaning in the Giants' favor and peaking the attention of the fanbase, who are living in the mock drafts for the time being.


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Stephen Lebitsch
STEPHEN LEBITSCH

“Stephen Lebitsch is a graduate of Fordham University, Class of 2021, where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Communications (with a minor in Sports Journalism) and spent three years as a staff writer for The Fordham Ram. With his education and immense passion for the space, he is looking to transfer his knowledge and talents into a career in the sports media industry. Along with his work for the FanNation network and Giants Country, Stephen’s stops include Minute Media and Talking Points Sports.