Titans’ Cam Ward decision looks better after 2026 QB Class implodes

The 2026 NFL Draft is one month away, and the Tennessee Titans will be picking 4th overall after selecting quarterback Cam Ward with the 1st overall pick last year. After a promising rookie season in which Ward progressed with more experience, the Titans are confident their young QB is the franchise leader they have been searching for since Steve McNair left. With QB not being a need heading into this year's draft, the team can prioritize other positions of need to better support Ward.

That reality places the Titans in a good position to leap forward next season. However, the team's fanbase wasn't in agreement with their decision last season because of a projected loaded QB class in this year's draft. That loaded class didn't come into fruition, meaning the Titans were wise to select their franchise QB last year.

Tennessee Titans made the right QB move with Cam Ward last year Leading up to last year's NFL Draft, Titans fans debated on X (formerly known as Twitter) whether the team should trade back from the #1 pick for additional draft capital or select Cam Ward. There were rumors that the team received trade offers for the #1 pick before ultimately declining. Ward was the best QB prospect in what was considered a weak QB class, so trading back to plug other holes on the roster and selecting a QB in this year's draft felt intriguing at the time.

However, this year's QB class is shaping up to be exactly how last year's was, with Indiana's Fernando Mendoza as the top QB prospect and Alabama's Ty Simpson as the only other QB with a projection to be drafted in the first round. That sounds similar to last year's draft, which saw Jaxson Dart become the only other QB to be drafted in the first round after Cam Ward. Many of the QB prospects that were projected to be at the top of this year's class have either had their stock dropped or remained in school for the same reason.