The Titans are walking into 2026 with a different kind of energy around the building. After two rough seasons, there’s a real sense that this year could finally look up. And if that happens, it won’t just be because of the new faces getting attention.
A handful of holdovers are positioned to take real steps forward, and the biggest name in that group is Cam Ward. The quarterback already gave Tennessee a respectable rookie year, throwing for 3,169 yards with 15 touchdowns and seven interceptions. That yardage total was the most ever by a Titans rookie, and he did it while working with a pretty thin supporting cast.
This season should give Ward a better runway. He’s got improved weapons, a stronger offensive coaching staff, and a year of experience behind him now.
The rookie nerves are gone, and that matters. He doesn’t need to become an All-Pro overnight, but a push toward 4,000 yards feels very much in play.
Gunnar Helm is another name that could jump off the page in a bigger way. As a rookie, he finished with 44 catches for 357 yards and two touchdowns while splitting time with Chig Okonkwo.
Now he’s in line to be the TE1, and that alone changes the math. Helm has also flashed this summer, making tough grabs and showing off his athleticism.
With defenses likely keying on Carnell Tate and Wan'Dale Robinson, there should be room for him to work underneath and over the middle. A season with more than 60 catches and 700 yards would not be a shock.
Calvin Ridley is easy to overlook in a crowded receiver room, but he’s still there, and he still has a role. Tate, Robinson, Elic Ayomanor, and Chim Dike have all drawn plenty of buzz, yet Ridley remains the veteran in the group.
He only played in seven games last year, so topping his 2025 production should be a straightforward task. He’s also looked explosive this offseason and has more game experience with Ward than Tate or Robinson do.
The 1,000-yard version of Ridley may be in the rearview mirror, but 303 yards should be well behind him.
On defense, Femi Oladejo is a strong candidate to make a bigger impact if he can stay on the field. His rookie year was cut short by injuries, and he played in just six games, finishing with 13 tackles and two tackles for loss.
Tennessee added Keldric Faulk, Jermaine Johnson II, and Jacob Martin to the edge group, but there’s still a path for Oladejo to carve out a role. Robert Saleh likes to rotate pass rushers, and Oladejo fits as a downhill edge option.
He’s been banged up again this summer, but if he gets healthy, four or five sacks is within reach.
Kevin Winston Jr. might be the most important defensive name on this list after Ward. He’s moving into a starting job next to Amani Hooker, and the Titans need him to deliver.
Winston played in 10 games as a rookie and posted 34 tackles, four tackles for loss, two pass breakups, and one sack. A bigger year should mean more than just a modest bump - Tennessee would love to see him double his tackle total and maybe pick off a pass or two.
He also had the best run defense grade from PFF in 2025, which is a detail plenty of people probably missed.
If Winston hits his ceiling, the Titans’ secondary could be back to being a strength. And among all the names on this list, there may not be anyone outside of Ward more likely to improve in 2026.
In Other News...
Titans Suddenly Have A Worrying Femi Oladejo Problem Again
Femi Oladejos first spring with the Titans was supposed to be about getting a head start on a major position change, but a hamstring injury kept him out of those practices and slowed the process before it really got rolling. The second-round pick is being asked to move from 3-4 outside linebacker to a 3-4 defensive end role, which makes every rep valuable as Tennessee tries to see how quickly his game can translate.
Robert Saleh said the real development for Oladejo will come once training camp opens on July 29 and the pads go on, which is where the Titans will finally get a better read on the rookies fit. For a player already trying to learn a new spot, the missed spring work only adds to the pressure to make up ground fast when camp begins. [Read more 🡒]
Titans Finally Enter Camp Without Their Biggest Cornerback Burden
Training camp arrives with the Titans no longer carrying the same cornerback uncertainty that has shadowed them since L'Jarius Sneed came aboard. The expectation was that he would stabilize the secondary, but recurring knee and lower-body injuries kept him from becoming the dependable presence Tennessee had envisioned, and the team spent too much of the last two seasons trying to work around his availability.
Sneeds limited time on the field forced the Titans to think differently about how they build the position, and the result is a roster that looks better equipped to absorb setbacks. Even if the cornerback room still has plenty to prove, Tennessee enters camp with more depth and a little less pressure to have one player carry the entire burden. [Read more 🡒]
This Under The Radar Titans Defender Suddenly Feels Too Important To Ignore
Jaylen Harrell spent much of 2025 in a rotational edge role, but he made the kind of late push that tends to linger in a coaching staffs memory. Over the final five games, he piled up five sacks while also handling a heavy special teams load, logging 228 snaps and giving Tennessee value in more than one phase.
Now the challenge is less about what Harrell showed than where he fits. He enters 2026 training camp fighting for a roster spot in a crowded edge group, with Jermaine Johnson, Keldric Faulk and Femi Oladejo all in the mix and Jacob Martin also potentially part of the conversation. Harrell has already made himself harder to overlook, but the Titans still have to decide whether that late-season surge was enough to carve out a real place in the rotation. [Read more 🡒]