Mike Borgonzi makes bold statement in first NFL Draft as Titans GM after picking QB Cam Ward
All eyes on Tennessee
NASHVILLE — When general manager Mike Borgonzi was hired by the Tennessee Titans this January, it was unclear as to whether he would tie himself to a rookie quarterback in Year 1 on the job. Borgonzi did exactly that on Thursday night, selecting Miami quarterback Cam Ward with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
No point in slow-playing things, I guess.
Mike Borgonzi's Titans career is now tied to Cam Ward
Tennessee's GM kept it concise in a press conference immediately afterwards making the decision.
"I don't think you do it unless you're convicted," said Borgonzi of drafting Ward. "I felt like I was convicted."
Fair enough.
There is something to be said about not overthinking the opportunity to draft a franchise quarterback. Ward is a talented and productive player at the most important position with leadership qualities that would make any football executive fall in love. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the New York Giants called the Tennessee and offered pick No. 3, their first-round selection in 2026, and multiple other picks for this year's No. 1 draft choice.
New York tried desperately to do a deal for the right to draft Ward, but Borgonzi and the Titans brass stood by their evaluation.
Cam Ward must be the Titans franchise quarterback to prove Mike Borgonzi right
It is not clear what additional selections would have been included beyond the two first-round choices.
Borgonzi declined to mention any additional details regarding potential trades. Given the horrendous state of Tennessee's roster, however, and a deal that involved two first-rounders on the table, it was a bit surprising to hear that the Titans were not interested in the Giants offer. Borgonzi and Titans President of Football Operations Chad Brinker stated at Borgonzi's opening press conference that they had significant interest in adding as many picks in the Top 100 of their first three drafts as possible.
Passing on New York's package runs directly counter to that.
"I did want to listen because I think you have to do your due diligence and listen," Borgonzi said. "And I did that. But I think we came to a decision that we weren't going to move off that pick and we wanted Cam. I just think if you identify a franchise quarterback, there's really not a price you can pay for that, in my mind.
"Like I always said, that's the most important position in all of sports, and if you come to a consensus — and we did — that he has the potential to be that, like I said, he's a young quarterback and he still has a lot of things to work on, but I think the intangibles with him, his work ethic, his want-to to become better, we felt comfortable with that."
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