Titans Could Shock NFL With No. 1 Pick

The Tennessee Titans have the No. 1 overall pick, but they could do something unexpected with it.

Jeremy Brener | Feb 1, 2025

Dec 31, 2024; Glendale, AZ, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions defensive end Abdul Carter (11) greets a referee prior to the game against the Boise State Broncos in the Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

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Tennessee Titans

The Tennessee Titans are on the clock with the No. 1 overall pick, and many are expecting them to target one of the top quarterbacks, either Shedeur Sanders from Colorado or Cam Ward from Miami.

However, that could be a smokescreen, allowing them to go after one of the top defensive players in the draft.

NFL.com analyst Eric Edholm predicts that the Titans will select Penn State pass rusher Abdul Carter with the No. 1 overall pick, shocking the rest of the league.

"I think this Penn State product is either going first or second overall. It really felt like Chad Brinker's "generational talent" comment boiled down to one of two players: Carter or Travis Hunter," Edholm writes.

While Carter may not be garnering the most attention at this point in the pre-draft process, he is certainly one of the best players in this year's class.

Carter recorded 12 sacks and 24 tackles for loss this past season at Penn State, proving that he has a knack for getting after the quarterback and living in opponent's backfields.

While pass rusher isn't exactly the biggest need for the Titans going into the draft, the team simply needs to take the best player available, and that could very well be Carter.

Any talent regardless of position will help the Titans, and Carter could become the next cornerstone of the franchise's defense moving forward. With him, Jeffery Simmons and T'Vondre Sweat as part of the team's front seven, opposing offenses will have fits all game long when they play against the Titans.

Carter will almost certainly be chosen in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, which is scheduled for Thursday, April 24 in Green Bay at Lambeau Field.

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Published Feb 1, 2025

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several On SI sites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid and resides in Central Florida. He graduated from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.