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The Tennessee Titans have to be evaluating pass catchers in the 2025 NFL Draft. Wide receivers. Tight ends. The lot of them. It's an unmistakable need.
The NFL draft begins April 24, and the Titans head into it with Calvin Ridley and not very many other sure things as pass catching options. With eight picks at their disposal, including the No. 1 pick in the first round, the Titans could be considering receivers early and throughout. No one should be surprised, in fact, if the Titans target multiple receivers in this draft.
So, as the draft draws nearer, here are The Tennessean's rankings for the top 10 pass catchers the Titans could pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
DRAFT HISTORY: Want to know why 2025 NFL Draft means so much for Tennessee Titans? Start at the beginning
Spoiler alert: This won't be the only position ranking Hunter is at the top of. If there's any player with the skill, potential and sheer value to make the Titans not pick a quarterback first overall, it's Hunter. His ball skills, body control and knack for getting open are off the charts. He's a little undersized, but that might be the only quibble.
Golden is missing the high-end production that a player this high on a list should usually have. But the skills, traits and athletic abilities are all there. He plays well in space, he knows how to navigate all three levels and he's got the kind of game that translates to the pros.
Maybe the biggest knock on Warren is that he isn't Brock Bowers. But short of the expectation being coming into the pros and having the best rookie season for any tight end ever, Warren should live up to his hype. He plays all over the field, is no stranger to a highlight reel and creates matchup nightmares for linebackers, safeties and cornerbacks alike.
WHERE'S WARREN GOING: 10 strategies for Tennessee Titans to ace 2025 NFL Draft, including trades, players to watch
Questions about Burden have cropped up in the draft process, and his 2024 tape isn't as impressive as his 2023 tape was. But sometimes it's important to trust your eyes. Burden was borderline unstoppable in 2023, lighting up SEC competition as an underclassman. He's a former five-star recruit for a reason, and his ability to fit in as an every-down slot option gives the Titans something they don't currently have.
McMillan is the classic ideal of a big-bodied receiver. He can stretch the field vertically, bully you physically and create mismatches on the perimeter. He might not be as ideal of a fit in this Titans offense as a slot option would be, but there's no doubting his status as a first-round talent.
Egbuka is a little bit limited by having a lower ceiling than some of the other players at the top of this list. But he's Ohio State's all-time leader in catches for a reason. Egbuka is poised, polished, knows how to get open and will open up the middle of the field in a way the Titans need.
Loveland isn't quite as well-rounded of a tight end as Warren, but he's got the potential to be an elite pass catcher at the position. He was Michigan's most prolific pass catcher in 2024, even in a year where he missed time with injuries and the Wolverines barely had a passing attack to speak of.
You don't need to look much further than Ayomanor's 2023 tape against Colorado to see his potential. Ayomanor caught 13 balls for 294 yards and three touchdowns that day, with roughly half of his catches and two of his touchdowns coming against Hunter in coverage. He put up five other 100-yard games in his college career, but that one is the proof of his peak potential.
There's a lot to like about Higgins. He's big. He's productive. He worked his way up from his start at Eastern Kentucky to putting up numbers in the Power 5. And he does almost all of his damage via short and intermediate routes over the middle of the field. Best-case scenario, he can do the things Treylon Burks was supposed to do when the Titans drafted him.
A quintessential field stretcher, Harris will be asked to do more with respect to his route tree as a pro than was asked of him at Ole Miss. But no team will ever turn down the opportunity to draft someone who's great at running past defenders and finding his way into the end zone.
KEEP READING: How the heck was Cam Ward a zero-star recruit? Inside NFL draft star's frustrating story
Nick Suss is the Titans beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Nick at [email protected]. Follow Nick on X, the platform formerly called Twitter, @nicksuss.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Ranking top 10 NFL draft wide receivers, tight ends including Travis Hunter
Continue reading...
The NFL draft begins April 24, and the Titans head into it with Calvin Ridley and not very many other sure things as pass catching options. With eight picks at their disposal, including the No. 1 pick in the first round, the Titans could be considering receivers early and throughout. No one should be surprised, in fact, if the Titans target multiple receivers in this draft.
So, as the draft draws nearer, here are The Tennessean's rankings for the top 10 pass catchers the Titans could pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
DRAFT HISTORY: Want to know why 2025 NFL Draft means so much for Tennessee Titans? Start at the beginning
2025 NFL Draft WR/TE rankings: Best players available
1. Travis Hunter (Colorado)
Spoiler alert: This won't be the only position ranking Hunter is at the top of. If there's any player with the skill, potential and sheer value to make the Titans not pick a quarterback first overall, it's Hunter. His ball skills, body control and knack for getting open are off the charts. He's a little undersized, but that might be the only quibble.
2. Matthew Golden (Texas)
Golden is missing the high-end production that a player this high on a list should usually have. But the skills, traits and athletic abilities are all there. He plays well in space, he knows how to navigate all three levels and he's got the kind of game that translates to the pros.
3. Tyler Warren (Penn State)
Maybe the biggest knock on Warren is that he isn't Brock Bowers. But short of the expectation being coming into the pros and having the best rookie season for any tight end ever, Warren should live up to his hype. He plays all over the field, is no stranger to a highlight reel and creates matchup nightmares for linebackers, safeties and cornerbacks alike.
WHERE'S WARREN GOING: 10 strategies for Tennessee Titans to ace 2025 NFL Draft, including trades, players to watch
4. Luther Burden III (Missouri)
Questions about Burden have cropped up in the draft process, and his 2024 tape isn't as impressive as his 2023 tape was. But sometimes it's important to trust your eyes. Burden was borderline unstoppable in 2023, lighting up SEC competition as an underclassman. He's a former five-star recruit for a reason, and his ability to fit in as an every-down slot option gives the Titans something they don't currently have.
5. Tetairoa McMillan (Arizona)
McMillan is the classic ideal of a big-bodied receiver. He can stretch the field vertically, bully you physically and create mismatches on the perimeter. He might not be as ideal of a fit in this Titans offense as a slot option would be, but there's no doubting his status as a first-round talent.
6. Emeka Egbuka (Ohio State)
Egbuka is a little bit limited by having a lower ceiling than some of the other players at the top of this list. But he's Ohio State's all-time leader in catches for a reason. Egbuka is poised, polished, knows how to get open and will open up the middle of the field in a way the Titans need.
7. Colston Loveland (Michigan)
Loveland isn't quite as well-rounded of a tight end as Warren, but he's got the potential to be an elite pass catcher at the position. He was Michigan's most prolific pass catcher in 2024, even in a year where he missed time with injuries and the Wolverines barely had a passing attack to speak of.
8. Elic Ayomanor (Stanford)
You don't need to look much further than Ayomanor's 2023 tape against Colorado to see his potential. Ayomanor caught 13 balls for 294 yards and three touchdowns that day, with roughly half of his catches and two of his touchdowns coming against Hunter in coverage. He put up five other 100-yard games in his college career, but that one is the proof of his peak potential.
9. Jayden Higgins (Iowa State)
There's a lot to like about Higgins. He's big. He's productive. He worked his way up from his start at Eastern Kentucky to putting up numbers in the Power 5. And he does almost all of his damage via short and intermediate routes over the middle of the field. Best-case scenario, he can do the things Treylon Burks was supposed to do when the Titans drafted him.
10. Tre Harris (Ole Miss)
A quintessential field stretcher, Harris will be asked to do more with respect to his route tree as a pro than was asked of him at Ole Miss. But no team will ever turn down the opportunity to draft someone who's great at running past defenders and finding his way into the end zone.
KEEP READING: How the heck was Cam Ward a zero-star recruit? Inside NFL draft star's frustrating story
Nick Suss is the Titans beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Nick at [email protected]. Follow Nick on X, the platform formerly called Twitter, @nicksuss.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Ranking top 10 NFL draft wide receivers, tight ends including Travis Hunter
Continue reading...
