NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — As NFL Draft week arrives, all eyes are on the Titans and the number one overall pick.
On Tuesday, Titans officials held their final pre-Draft media availability, and while new General Manager Mike Borgonzi stopped short of announcing who they’re taking, he made it clear they know what they’re doing.
"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."
The expectation is that the pick will be Miami quarterback Cam Ward. The ACC Player of the Year set the NCAA Division One's all-time passing touchdowns record while throwing for over 18,000 yards in five college seasons.
The Titans won't tip their hand on whether the selection is Ward or not, but Borgonzi, President of Football Chad Brinker, and head coach Brian Callahan all spoke favorably about the Texas native during Tuesday's press conference.
They've done their due diligence, visiting with him at the Combine, bringing him in for a Top 30 visit, and watching him throw at his Pro Day and at a private workout in Miami where he met the team's controlling owner, Amy Adams Strunk.
The Titans are locked in at number one, but it doesn't mean they didn't field calls about potentially trading the pick.
"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."
With the first decision made, the Titans can now focus on filling other holes with the rest of the Draft class. They currently hold eight picks, but only one between the start of the Draft Thursday night and no. 103 in the fourth round on Saturday.
Brinker knows that the Titans will have to find value wherever they make their picks.
"Like I said back in January, we're going to be a draft and develop franchise," Brinker said. "And this is our opportunity to really build the foundation of this football team through the draft, and the culture of our team will run through the draft. So this is a big weekend for us. We're ready to go."
