The Tennessee Titans intend to make the first overall selection in this year\'s NFL Draft rather than trading the pick, general manager Mike Borgonzi confirmed during Tuesday\'s pre-draft news conference.
\"We\'ve come to a consensus, the entire organization,\" Borgonzi said. \"The plan is to stay at that pick and I guess you\'ll find out Thursday night who we pick.\"
Borgonzi acknowledged that other teams had expressed interest in acquiring the top selection, but none of the offers were compelling enough to change the team\'s strategy.
\"I thought that was doing our due diligence, and going through the process to listen to those offers,\" Borgonzi said. \"And there were offers. I don\'t want to go into specifics on what the offer was or what the teams were, but there were offers.\"
While Tennessee has not officially announced its selection, multiple reports indicate the Titans are strongly considering Miami quarterback Cam Ward. According to The Athletic\'s Dianna Russini, Tennessee was \"blown away\" by Ward during Miami\'s pro day, both during his on-field demonstration and their dinner meeting with the 22-year-old prospect.
The Titans are looking to rebuild following a disappointing 3-14 season in which their passing offense ranked among the league\'s worst, finishing with the seventh-fewest passing yards (3,317) and second-most interceptions (21).
This marks the first time the Titans\' franchise will select first overall since 1978, when the team was still known as the Houston Oilers, as they picked running back Earl Campbell out of Texas.
If Ward is indeed the selection, questions remain about how the Titans will support their new quarterback and what the future holds for 2023 second-round pick Will Levis, who started several games for Tennessee last season.