Examining the Titans' QB history since Steve McNair

What they're saying: "People here are starving for a winner," says Jim Wyatt, the Titans' senior writer and editor, who's covered the team since it moved to Tennessee.

• "I've seen this team get very close but not able to get over the hump."

The intrigue: If there was ever a moment for a reset it's this one. The team's staff has been overhauled and the new stadium currently taking shape on the East Bank of the Cumberland River will be ready in 2027.

• "I think with the new stadium coming up and changes inside the building with the front office, if you get the QB and get it right you can build some momentum and be in a good place," Wyatt says.

Trigger warning for Titans fans: We're going to do a quick rundown of the Titans' last quarter century at QB.

Flashback: Though it took him a few seasons to seize control of the starting QB job, McNair was a stalwart, amassing 140 career starts between 1995 and 2005.

• He reached the Pro Bowl three times, won the MVP in 2003 and led the Titans to the Super Bowl.

Yes, but: Tennessee has simply not gotten the position right since McNair's departure.

• Ryan Tannehill, who was cast away by the Dolphins, had the next best run at QB, starting 68 games from 2019 through 2023.

Zoom in: Ominously, the Titans have faired poorly at drafting quarterbacks in the first round.

• Marcus Mariota (63 starts) and Vince Young (48 starts) flashed promise, but never achieved sustained success. Jake Locker (23 starts) won just nine games and fizzled out.
• The Titans have also deployed a long list of stopgap QBs whose names Titans fans would soon forget: Rusty Smith, Zach Mettenberger, Billy Volek and Joshua Dobbs to list a few.

Flashback: Wyatt singled out Matt Hasselbeck, Kerry Collins and Tannehill as quarterbacks who played well for the Titans.

• "I will say I think Hasselbeck was brought in to do a specific job (alongside Locker, the first round pick) and played well." Wyatt called Tannehill "probably the most underrated quarterback who ever played here. I don't think he got the respect he deserves."
• Collins led the team during its excellent 2008 season, which started off with 10 straight wins, but ended in a disappointing playoff loss to Baltimore.

The Levis saga

A year ago at this time, Will Levis was seen as the heir apparent. As it turned out, Levis was a better mayonnaise pitch man than starting QB.

What happened: The Titans had the worst record in the league last season, a dishonor that brings a silver lining in the form of the first overall pick.

Between the lines: "With Levis, he got put in a tough spot with different coaches, coordinators and offenses," Wyatt tells Axios. "That slowed his path down.

• "That's not to say he doesn't deserve blame. But, I think there's maybe a reason why these guys didn't pan out."
• The Titans signed quarterback Brandon Allen earlier this offseason, signaling Levis may not even be the No. 2 quarterback this season.

State of play: All of that brings us to Ward, known for his strong arm and innovative play style.

• "He reminds me of (Patrick Mahomes) with how he can be unconventional, throw the football from all different kinds of weird angles and then just put a bunch of horsepower on it when he needs to," ESPN analyst Louis Riddick said, comparing Ward to the league's best player. "If someone was telling me that's what you're getting, I'd be pretty damn excited."

The bottom line: The vast majority of draft experts predict the Titans will take Ward with the first pick.

"Any time you get a quarterback in the first round it gives you new hope and optimism and a guy the fanbase can rally behind," Wyatt says. "Sometimes that excitement is short-lived and other times it's the start of something new and great."

• "I think if the Titans end up picking Cam Ward in this draft, we'll hope it's the start of something great."

Reality check: "At the same time, there's a reason why this team was picking first and it has more holes than QB."