The Tennessee Titans’ 2026 draft class has one obvious headliner in Carnell Tate, but the rookie class doesn’t stop there. Tennessee added seven players overall, and while Tate is locked in as a Day 1 starter and Cam Ward’s No. 1 receiver, a few other newcomers have a real path to starting jobs before the season is over.
The most likely of that group is linebacker Hill, the Titans’ Round 2 pick. There’s a legitimate chance the Texas product opens the year in the lineup next to Cedric Gray.
Hill brings a nasty edge as a pass rusher from the second level and holds up well in coverage, which makes him a natural fit in Robert Saleh’s linebacker-friendly system. At 21, he looks like the kind of player who could grow into a long-term fixture on that defense.
Cody Barton gives Tennessee a more experienced option at the other linebacker spot, but Hill has the kind of profile that suggests it may not take long before he claims that role.
Up front, center could become a real battleground as well. Austin Schlottmann is currently the favorite to start there, but rookie Coogan has the résumé to push him hard.
Coogan anchored Indiana’s offensive line in 2025 and was outstanding in pass protection, giving up zero sacks and only 10 quarterback pressures across 483 pass-blocking snaps. Before that, he spent two years as a starter at Notre Dame before transferring to play for Curt Cignetti with the Hoosiers.
Schlottmann’s time with Brian Daboll in New York in 2024 and 2025 may give him the early edge, but if he stumbles, Coogan is the kind of player the Titans could turn to quickly.
Faulk is the other rookie worth watching, even if his path looks slower. Tennessee traded back into the first round from the second to get him, and the Auburn edge rusher didn’t pile up sacks in college.
Still, the Titans clearly see plenty of upside. He’s already polished against the run and has real pass-rushing promise, which should earn him a role in Robert Saleh’s 4-3 defense right away.
He may move around a lot, including work on the interior with John Franklin-Myers and snaps off the edge, where Jermaine Johnson and Femi Oladejo are likely to handle most of the load. A Week 1 starting job doesn’t seem likely, but Faulk could work his way into one later in the season if things break right.
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Commanders Are Seeing Exactly Why Titans Fans Moved On From Van Jefferson
Van Jeffersons move to Washington has put a familiar name back in the spotlight for Titans followers, even if his time in Tennessee was brief. The veteran wideout signed a one-year deal with the Commanders and is trying to carve out a role in a receiver room that still has plenty of questions beyond Terry McLaurin, which is part of why his experience stands out so much this spring.
For Tennessee, Jeffersons departure was less about a missed opportunity than a clear sign of where the front office wanted to go next. He finished last season with 29 catches for 350 yards and one touchdown, and the Titans chose not to bring him back as they turned to a younger and reshaped receiver group. Washington may still be sorting out its depth chart, but Tennessee already moved on. [Read more 🡒]
Titans Just Turned Up The Pressure In Their Cornerback Battle
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Nazeeh Johnson brings a familiar face to the mix for general manager Mike Borgonzi, who crossed paths with him during their time in Kansas City, and that connection could matter as the Titans sort out the back end of the roster. Johnsons path has also included serious knee and shoulder injuries, which adds another layer to a camp battle that already figures to be competitive, with his ability to carve out a role still very much to be determined. [Read more 🡒]
Titans Head Into Camp With One Huge Offensive Line Question
Training camp is getting close in Tennessee, with rookies already in the building and veterans due soon, and most of the roster questions have been addressed by general manager Mike Borgonzis recent moves. One of the biggest holdovers, though, sits on the offensive line, where Peter Skoronski remains a key piece for a team trying to stabilize things up front after picking up his fifth-year option and signaling that it wants him around for the long haul.
Skoronski has been one of the more dependable players on the unit, and he is still under contract for two more seasons, but the Titans have not yet turned that into a new extension. Borgonzi has made clear the club values him, and the timing only adds to the intrigue as camp opens without that long-term deal in place, leaving one of Tennessees most important offensive linemen heading into the summer with his future still not fully settled. [Read more 🡒]