7. Tennessee Titans: Jalen Milroe, QB, Alabama
The way the Tennessee Titans approached the 2024 offseason was indicative that they felt like Will Levis was the guy, or that he very well would end up being the guy. You just don’t go make moves to steal players like Calvin Ridley from a division rival on a big-money deal, or sign Tony Pollard to a big-money deal otherwise.
Titans general manager Ran Carthon was part of the San Francisco 49ers front office before heading out East to Nashville, and he might be looking for a little bit of redemption with a 1st-round quarterback investment. Carthon was part of moving up and drafting Trey Lance in San Francisco and that pick was nearly disastrous for the franchise had they not stumbled upon Brock Purdy.
Carthon’s aggressiveness in pursuing an offensive-minded head coach means he knows there is urgency to get the head coach a quarterback of his choosing. Jalen Milroe is a tremendous dual-threat at the position who could really elevate the Tennessee offense with his legs while he develops as a passer.
8. Cleveland Browns: Mykel Williams, EDGE, Georgia
The Cleveland Browns doubled down on GM Andrew Berry and head coach Kevin Stefanski after what we saw last year when the team won 11 games and made some noise in the postseason despite Joe Flacco having to come off the streets to start for them.
The issue for this organization is obviously Deshaun Watson, whose contract is holding this team back tremendously. Not to mention, the king’s ransom of draft picks the Browns gave away to the Houston Texans have helped shape that team into a long-term contender in the AFC South.
The Browns bought into Watson despite his off-field issues, and it’s burning them. We’re going to start to see the effects of that as soon as this offseason when salary cap cuts have to be made. This franchise just needs to hope that someone like Jameis Winston will want to stick around as a bridge at the quarterback position. They should gut this roster as much as they can in 2025 and see if they can’t get in position for Arch Manning next year.
Adding to the pass rush opposite Myles Garrett should be considered essential after the team traded Za’Darius Smith to the Lions a handful of weeks ago.