Titans' Callahan had 'really good first impression' of Shedeur Sanders

With the Tennessee Titans holding the first overall pick and having a need at quarterback, the club is doing its due diligence on the top signal-callers ahead of April's draft.

Head coach Brian Callahan was impressed with potential top pick Shedeur Sanders, who he met this week at the East-West Shrine Bowl.

"You can tell he's been raised right," Callahan said of the Colorado quarterback and son of Buffaloes coach Deion Sanders, according to Titans reporter Jim Wyatt. "He's mature, he has a really poised way about him, and he seems like a really good kid.

"I enjoyed talking to him. And, you could tell he's a guy who has been in the spotlight. He knows how to handle himself, he's been paid money, so he has a financial perspective.

"It was a really good first impression."

Sanders is projected to be one of the top quarterbacks off the board. He threw for 4,134 yards and 37 touchdowns while completing 74% of his throws in 2024. Sanders' high-level play helped Colorado achieve a 9-4 record, the school's best mark since 2016.

The 22-year-old finished among the top in many quarterback stats last year, ranking fourth in passing yards, fourth in total EPA generated, and fifth in passer rating.

"The thing that stands out the most is his toughness," Callahan said. "He took some pretty big shots and he kept rolling. He can stand in the pocket and deliver it.

"He can move and create a bit, he has some ability to move out the pocket, and he does create on his own. He's not a high-end dynamic scrambler necessarily, but he is productive when he does. And he really has a good feel for anticipation and timing, you can tell he's been coached in that regard. Those things show up on tape."

Tennessee rolled with Will Levis as its primary starter last season after selecting him in the second round of the 2023 draft. The 25-year-old struggled in 12 starts, throwing for 2,091 yards, 13 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. Out of 32 qualifying quarterbacks in 2024, Levis ranked last in EPA/play and success rate, according to Ben Baldwin's database.

The Titans fired general manager Ran Carthon after just one season a few days after their regular-season finale. New general manager Mike Borgonzi said at his introductory press conference the organization will be proactive in finding its next franchise quarterback this offseason.