INDIANAPOLIS – Abdul Carter believes he should be the first pick in the draft. Travis Hunter too.
The top two quarterbacks, Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders?
Not so much.
Speaking simultaneously to the media throng at the NFL Scouting Combine, they both emphasized that the number of the pick doesn’t matter.
“We play around, we joke around with (who might go first or ahead of the other),” Ward said. “It really doesn’t mean nothing. The draft pick will never really mean anything. At the end of the day you’ve got to show whether you can prove it each and every Sunday. You can’t just do it one year. … You’ve got to do it every time you step on the field.
Said Sanders: “The number where you go don’t matter. That’s why I reference Tom Brady, because he was the best of the best in all categories., He didn’t go first. So the number getting picked don’t matter. I wasn’t the Tom Brady quarterback coming out of high school because there is a lot of exterior things that people like and they don’t like about me. And I’m realistic about my family and everything that people say it comes with.
Because the NFL foolishly scheduled the two headliners at the biggest position head-to-head, I had to prioritize and others did too.
So I was able to specifically ask Ward what he thought of Brian Callahan and the Titans’ offense.
Cam Ward: On Brian Callahan & #Titans’ offense #NFLCombine pic.twitter.com/KGzEBGdclE
— Paul Kuharsky (@PaulKuharskyNFL) February 28, 2025
Sanders emphasized how fit was most important. So he was asked how, given that his game seems to suit Callahan’s offense and the Titans have the top pick, if he might get both the fit and the top pick with the Tennessee. But he started with a broad answer and when the quarterback started to narrow it to the Titans, a new questioner interjected and the moment was lost.
There was one notable difference between the two: Ward willingly spoke about Sanders, their work together, and their collective promise, while Sanders said he was only at the podium to talk about himself. That seems a bit telling.
Cam Ward expects he and Shedeur Sanders will wind up ranking among the best QBs in the NFL. #Titans #NFLcombine pic.twitter.com/hdpeq0jy5u
— Paul Kuharsky (@PaulKuharskyNFL) February 28, 2025
But Sanders wants to be a change agent. That certainly seems positive as long as the team that takes him believes in the culture he’s bringing. He led the way for his father and coach, Deion Sanders, at Jackson State and Colorado.
“If you ain’t trying to change the franchise or the culture, don’t get me,” he said.
He also emphasizes that his game is about head-up, not head-down, which many coaches will say they want so long as a player meets the necessary physical standards.
Shedeur Sanders thinks his mental game is his top attribute and called himself “the ultimate cheat code.” #Titans pic.twitter.com/DiaUaqUeAD
— Paul Kuharsky (@PaulKuharskyNFL) February 28, 2025
The handful of non-Titans personnel people I’ve spoken with all told me they do not view either QB as worth of a No. 1 pick.
Mike Borgonzi said early this week the Titans will be disciplined and not force anything. Reporters from Cleveland (Tony Grossi) and New York (Connor Hughes) both said on The Paul Kuharsky Podcast they expect the Browns and Giants to draft signal-callers, making trades up to get their guy if they feel it’s needed.
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For a look at QBs in the draft beyond Ward and Sanders, head here.
