Ward is -3000 to go #1 overall, and the Titans canceled their private workout with Sanders. He's going #1 to the Titans. New regimes very often mean new QB's, especially if it's with the #1 overall pick and when the incumbent is Will Levis lol. As to what has changed, Carter has some injury concerns, and he's not a QB. Hunter is amazing as a two-way player, but in the conservative NFL, these teams are not going to play him heavy snaps on both sides. Ward is a QB, and if you don't have one of those, you don't have anything. Sure, he might bust, but he's a QB. It's just the way this tends to go.
Fair point on Starks.
I don't see Burden in the class of the other 3 WR's you mentioned, as a rather large percentage of his catches came behind the LOS and he might be a gadget player, think Malachi Corley, Parris Campbell, etc. A lot of those types don't end up hitting in the NFL. I'm sure he'll get drafted in the top 50 picks and maybe even in the 1st, but I have him lower than consensus.
Yeah, the books have the total WRs selected in the 1st RD number at 2.5. Burden's going in the top half of the 2nd RD. In his defense, I think he was misused at Mizzu. Talent-wise, he's a tier above the Jayden Higgins, Jaylin Noel, Jack Bech clump, IMO.
@Mr. Bitter Egbuka lasting until 35 to the Titans would be perfect for them, to give Ward a reliable receiver to pair with Ridley right away. I could see them going with Burden if Egbuka is gone. And though this might be early for him, I wonder if they'd consider Kyle Williams, since he played with Ward at Washington State in 2023. Hayden Winks likes him, though Lance Zierlein only views him as a team's WR3 at the next level.
I'd be surprised if Egbuka doesn't go in the 1st RD. He's such a clean prospect.
Kyle Williams makes sense for TEN. They have a Top 30 visit scheduled with him. Maybe trade down from 2.35 and still get him. SEA has two 2nd-rounders and two 3rd-rounders. Maybe they move up to 2.35 for Donovan Jackson or Tyler Booker if they don't go O-line in the 1st RD.
It's a weak WR class. Those recent WR classes have spoiled us. Most of the Day Two prospects are WR3s or raw projects like Dont'e Thornton Jr. and Savion Williams. A solid slot like Williams or Noel is probably the best TEN can hope for.
Current Vegas odds suggest a less than 4% chance that TEN drafts anyone other than Cam Ward at 1.01. I'm still going to stick with Travis Hunter right down to the wire. I honestly believe Hunter could be their guy. He's a truly special prospect. Ward is a highly-flawed, 2nd RD grade QB.
Not even a month ago, many were predicting a TEN/NYG trade. Others had TEN taking Abdul Carter or Hunter. What has changed? Is Cam Ward suddenly a lock at #1 just because of a meaningless Pro Day or a few patchwork O-line signings that TEN needed to make regardless of who's at QB in '25? Ward is only a near-lock because of what everyone is hearing. How do we know that what we're hearing isn't misdirection?
Ward just isn't a 1.01-level prospect. Ward is in the same tier as Shedeur Sanders, who everyone has tumbling down the draft board. None of it adds up.
I think TEN has been playing a game of chicken with the other QB-desperate top-10 teams from the get-go. "We're going to take Ward if you don't trade us the farm and come up and get him". The Raiders and Jets tapped out early. Schoen and Daboll went to Ward's pro day, then the Giants signed Russell Wilson the very next morning. The only potential dupes left are the Browns, and I don't think they'll bite either. It's going to be hilarious when the Titans take Hunter then the Browns choose Sanders over Ward.
Also: Not sure about Starks/ATL. He's a FS in the NFL. Kinda redundant with Jessie Bates III entrenched there. The Falcons need a safety that can roam, get downhill, get involved near the LOS. Starks is 197 lbs. Not his game.
With you on PIT/Egbuka. If he's there, I don't know how they pass on him. There's a pronounced value drop-off in this WR class after McMillan/Golden/Egbuka/Burden and PIT doesn't even have a 2nd-rounder. Jaylin Noel and Kyle Williams are the only other WR prospects with a chance to be early contributors, but they are much lesser prospects than Egbuka and may not be available to PIT at 3.83 anyway.
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Ward is -3000 to go #1 overall, and the Titans canceled their private workout with Sanders. He's going #1 to the Titans. New regimes very often mean new QB's, especially if it's with the #1 overall pick and when the incumbent is Will Levis lol. As to what has changed, Carter has some injury concerns, and he's not a QB. Hunter is amazing as a two-way player, but in the conservative NFL, these teams are not going to play him heavy snaps on both sides. Ward is a QB, and if you don't have one of those, you don't have anything. Sure, he might bust, but he's a QB. It's just the way this tends to go.
Fair point on Starks.
I don't see Burden in the class of the other 3 WR's you mentioned, as a rather large percentage of his catches came behind the LOS and he might be a gadget player, think Malachi Corley, Parris Campbell, etc. A lot of those types don't end up hitting in the NFL. I'm sure he'll get drafted in the top 50 picks and maybe even in the 1st, but I have him lower than consensus.