When Tennessee opens training camp, the spotlight will be on a few obvious position fights. Jackson Slater and Cordell Volson are set to battle for the right guard job, and the defense has a cluster of edge rushers, including first-round pick Keldric Faulk, pushing for snaps.
But the linebacker spot may be the sneaky one to watch.
That’s where rookie Anthony Hill Jr. enters the picture, and he arrives with a real chance to make this more than a standard developmental year. Head coach Robert Saleh has built a reputation for molding linebackers, and the Titans clearly saw something they wanted when they traded up to take Hill in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Standing in front of him is Cody Barton, the veteran Tennessee brought back on a three-year, $21 million deal last offseason. Barton earned praise for the leadership and maturity he brought to a rebuilding roster, and he backed that up with 81 tackles and a team-high three interceptions.
Still, there are questions about how his game fits what Saleh wants to do. Barton’s athletic limitations in coverage showed up, and with Saleh now running the defense, it’s fair to wonder whether Barton is the cleanest match for an aggressive downhill system. Defensive coordinator Gus Bradley will also have a say in how Barton holds up in this scheme.
Hill, though, brings the traits Saleh tends to value at linebacker: length, athleticism and explosiveness. The Titans made that preference obvious when they moved up for him, and now the next step is figuring out how much he can handle once training camp gets real.
He’s already had encouraging work during OTAs and minicamp, but that’s only part of the test. The pads are coming on now, and Hill has to keep producing in a more physical setting. If he does, Saleh and Bradley may decide he’s ready to push Barton harder than anyone expected.
In Other News...
Titans Make Early Tackle Move As Familiar Camp Concern Grows
Training camp opened this week with veterans reporting Tuesday and the first practice set for Wednesday, and the Titans wasted little time making a depth move up front. Tennessee placed offensive tackle JC Latham and safety Amani Hooker on the Physically Unable to Perform list, then added tackle Zachary Thomas while waiving Ryan Hayes, a sign the early days of camp are already being shaped by availability along the offensive line.
Thomas arrives with some NFL mileage as a 2022 sixth-round pick who has bounced around multiple teams and appeared in 17 career games, giving Tennessee another body to sort through while the tackle picture settles. Even so, the move only underscores how much work remains at the position, especially with Latham sidelined and the club still trying to find the right mix behind him before the real camp battles begin. [Read more 🡒]
Titans Just Got A Playoff Prediction Fans Wont Know How To Handle
The Titans have spent the last two seasons trying to climb out of one of the roughest stretches in the franchises recent history, and the reset has been obvious. A new coaching staff led by Robert Saleh and Brian Daboll, along with a wave of roster additions, has given Tennessee a different look as it tries to move past a 6-28 run and get back to the postseason for the first time since 2021.
Still, one recent forecast from Jarrett Bailey of SBNation is asking fans to think bigger than a simple rebound. The prediction has Tennessee reaching the playoffs in 2026 and even landing the final AFC seed, a projection built around the kind of young talent and added depth the Titans hope will finally make the rebuild matter. For now, it is only a projection, but it is the sort of one that gets attention in a market hungry for signs the turnaround is real. [Read more 🡒]
Titans Draft Class Already Facing A Defining Camp Reckoning
The Titans are heading into the second year of their rebuild with the 2025 draft class moving from promise to proof under the Mike Borgonzi era. After a rookie season that offered a little bit of everything, the group now has to show it can handle real roles, not just developmental reps, with Cam Ward, Femi Oladejo, Kevin Winston and the rest all being sorted into very different lanes as camp approaches.
Wards late-season surge gave Tennessee a real reason to believe the quarterback position is stabilizing, while Winston looks like he could settle into a starting safety job if he stays healthy. Elsewhere, the picture is less settled, with players such as Oladejo, Elic Ayomanor, Gunnar Helm, Chimere Dike and Marcus Harris all facing their own versions of camp pressure, whether that means winning a starting job, carving out a bigger offensive role or simply holding off the pack long enough to make the roster feel a little more secure. [Read more 🡒]