The NFL Draft hype machine kicks into overdrive this week at the annual Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, though there is a key ingredient to help fuel excitement missing from the events at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Quarterbacks are what drive interest in the draft and this year the talent pool is somewhat lacking. There is a consensus top two at the quarterback position in this year’s draft, with Cam Ward seemingly leading the way ahead of Shedeur Sanders.

Colorado star Sanders will not throw at the Combine and it is unclear whether Ward will feel the need to do the same following his stellar season with the Miami Hurricanes.

Ward arguably has the most to gain or potentially lose this week, as he is in the conversation to go first overall to the Tennessee Titans.

Asked in his recent conference call about the Titans’ potential plans for the top pick, NFL Media draft guru Daniel Jeremiah said:

“I look at them, and to me I think there’s really a couple of options. I think it’s three players. I think it’s Abdul Carter, I think it’s Travis Hunter or Cam Ward. I think you’re deciding between those three players. The fourth option is the trade.

“To me, if I’m Tennessee, I’m not going past three unless I get an enormous haul, and I don’t think you’re going to get that in this draft. To me I think that’s what their decision is going to come down to. I think it depends on what you are looking for.

“I have a very similar grade on Abdul Carter and Travis Hunter. I have Abdul Carter a little higher than him, and it’s such a premier position. I think when you look at the pieces already on that defensive line and you go out and you get Abdul Carter, I think you’ve got a chance to have one of the best units in the league. That’s a good foundation to build off of.

“They need to do their homework on Cam Ward. If they feel confident and comfortable with him and they feel like he can be their guy going forward, I don’t have — I wouldn’t have any issue whatsoever if they decided that was going to be the direction they went.”

The stakes for both Ward and Hunter, who is aiming to make his way in the NFL as a true unicorn by playing both wide receiver and cornerback, rose with the news that edge rusher Carter is dealing with a stress fracture in his right foot and is yet to decide whether to have surgery.

That uncertainty could turn the Titans towards either Ward or Hunter.

Describing Heisman Trophy winner Hunter, Jeremiah said: “I think Travis Hunter is — Travis Hunter is like someone took — someone went to the Philadelphia Eagles and took DeVonta Smith and Darius Slay and spun him around in a circle and they came out as the same human being. He’s unique.”

Passing on such a unique talent with the potential to impact both sides of the ball, unprecedented in the modern NFL, would be difficult for any franchise to do.

Of course, what the Titans decide to do is unlikely to be decided by the on-field drills, but by the interviews and by the medicals.

There is already a medical red flag for Carter, meaning that a strong week for either Hunter or Ward could play a huge role in them becoming the first man to hear their name called on draft night next month in Green Bay.

Without the collection of quarterback talent that defined last year’s draft, there is still a lot to intrigue in the 2025 class, which is exceptionally deep on the defensive line and at the tight end position.

But, as decision time draws ever closer for the Titans and the rest of the league, the contrast in performances between Hunter and Ward this week, assuming they both workout, will make for fascinating viewing.