The Tennessee Titans are undoubtedly in a rebuild year. They used the number one pick in the draft to take their quarterback of the future, Cam Ward. The rest of their draft picks were mostly spent putting weapons around him. Those weapons had their opportunity to show off Friday night in the team’s second preseason game against the Atlanta Falcons.
Fans would be hard-pressed to say any of the team’s rookies have looked impressive this preseason. Ward has shown flashes of brilliance, including a dime laid in to Van Jefferson’s path last night that was dropped. That’s two big drops in two games for Jefferson. Elic Ayomanor has had some nice catches, but has struggled to get open in both games despite playing the most snaps of any wide receiver on the team. Chimere Dike has only one catch for six yards. Gunnar Helm, with a beast of a 25-yard TD catch in game two, has been the only consistent threat for the Titans’ rookie class.
The Titans’ defense improved from the abysmal showing in week one to hold the Falcons to only three points in the first half en route to a 23-20 win. Rookie CB Marcus Harris had a strong showing with several pass breakups and sticky coverage.
Based on the first two preseason games, below are the players who should make the Tennessee Titans’ initial 53-man roster.
Quarterback:
Cam Ward
Trevor Siemian
It’s obvious who the Tennessee Titans QB will be, but Siemian gives them the best mix of experience and knowledge of Brian Callahan’s offense, to help Ward. Brandon Allen has been in the league for a decade, but he’s not played in many games or been a starter like Siemian has.
Runningback:
Tony Pollard
Tyjae Sharpe
Julius Chestnut
Jordan Mims
The third spot here could be one of several backs, but Chestnut has performed the best consistently over his time with the Titans. Kalel Mullings was drafted to be a big bruising back for short-yardage situations, but he’s looked like a project in preseason thus far. Veteran Jordan Mims has looked good against third-stringers. He’ll likely be a healthy scratch most games this season.
Wide Receiver:
Calvin Ridley
Tyler Lockett
Elic Ayomanor
Chimere Dike
Bryce Oliver
James Proche II
Xavier Restrepo
Past the first two veterans, this list gets muddy. Ayomanor and Dike are locks because of their potential. Proche II gets a spot for his special teams ability. He’s also proven he can make some tough catches in the preseason games. Oliver finished last year strong and has had a good preseason himself. The last spot could go to any of the remaining WRs on the team. Jefferson has not performed well in game situations, but they brought the veteran in this year in hopes he’d give more leadership. He may get the last spot, even with his poor play, as Restrepo doesn’t provide any special teams help.
Tight End:
Chigoziem Okonkwo
Gunnar Helm
Thomas Odukoya
Odukoya makes the squad for his blocking ability. Josh Whyle could slide back onto the team if the Titans decide to keep four TEs and drop down to six WRs.
Offensive Line:
Dan Moore Jr
Peter Skoronski
Loyd Cushenberry III
Kevin Zeitler
JC Latham
Andrew Rupcich
Jaelyn Duncan
Jackson Slater
Corey Levin
The starting five are set. With the arrival of Moore Jr and Zeitler, the offensive line should be much improved. Speaking of improvement, Duncan has shown he’s ready to take the next step. Rookie Jackson Slater has been a mauler in the run game thus far. Levin and Rupcich are important backup pieces that can play multiple positions.
Interior Defensive Line:
Jeffery Simmons
T’vondre Sweat
James Lynch
Sebastian Joseph-Day
Timmy Horne
Past Simmons and Sweat, the depth isn’t great here. Lynch and Day can be productive in spurts, and Horne has been the best of the rest. There’s a high likelihood that the Titans add to this position after roster cuts.
Outside Linebackers:
Arden Key
Oluwafemi Oladejo
Dre’mont Jones
Jihad Ward
Ali Gaye
This is another position where the depth is a concern. Key and Jones are likely your starters. Oladejo is still learning the position. His upside is high, but he’s going to provide more run support than pass rush early on. Ward has shown flashes at times. More names will be added to this position group sooner rather than later. Free agents like Preston Smith and Matthew Judon are still available.
Inside Linebackers:
Cody Barton
Cedric Gray
James Williams Sr
Brian Asamoah II
Both Gray and Williams Sr have shown they’re ready to take the next step in their sophomore year. They have alternated starts beside Barton this preseason. Gray had a standout game against the Falcons with five solo tackles, half a sack where he destroyed the blocker, and an interception that was wiped out by offsetting penalties. Asamoah II hasn’t played yet, but he’s immediately fourth best in the group.
Cornerback:
L’Jarius Sneed
Jarvis Brownlee Jr
Roger McCreary
Darrel Baker Jr
Marcus Harris
Gabe Jeudy-Lally
Corner is another position where the depth is suspect, and the last spot on the roster is still being fought for. Harris and Jeudy-Lally both had a good outing against the Falcons. With Sneed’s availability still up in the air, the team might need to look to add more depth here after the cuts.
Safety:
Amani Hooker
Mike Brown
Quandre Diggs
Kevin Winston Jr
Kendall Brooks
The safety group has gotten stronger with the re-addition of Diggs. When Winston Jr gets healthy, this group might be a strength for the Titans.
Special Teams:
Joey Slye
Johnny Hekker
Morgan Cox
After the worst possible showing by a special teams unit in the history of football, this unit needs to rebound in a big way this year. Coach Jon Fassel has been brought in to right the ship, but they haven’t looked convincing in the preseason. They have fumbled on kickoff returns in both games, and Slye missed an extra point against the Falcons.
The Titans still have several roster spots up for grabs. While this might be their initial 53-man roster, the odds are they’ll be adding players either through free agency or after the cuts before the season starts. They need to show vast improvement over last season if Callahan expects to be the coach through the end of the season. Don’t expect them to compete for the division just yet, but they need to at least double their win total from last year and get past the problem of starting slowly in every game.
If you enjoyed this article, subscribe to our newsletter here. Check out Stadium Rant Original shows on our Youtube channel and subscribe! Give our socials Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok a follow for more great content!
