The Tennessee Titans are heading into the second season of their rebuild, and the 2025 draft class is suddenly at the center of the conversation. With a fresh group of rookies and a wave of free-agent additions around them, it would be easy to lose sight of the first draft class of the Mike Borgonzi era. But if the Titans are serious about the draft-and-develop approach they’ve embraced, this group has to start showing real progress now that training camp is here.
Cam Ward is already giving them what they wanted. The first-round quarterback had an uneven start as a rookie, but he closed the year on a strong note, putting together a December stretch that featured four straight games with multiple touchdown passes and just one interception. That kind of finish leaves the Titans feeling good about where their starter is headed.
Not every pick is in the same place. Femi Oladejo, taken in the second round, came into the league as something of a swing, and his rookie season did little to change that view.
His move to EDGE never really clicked, and he often looked out of position. Right now, he appears more likely to settle in as a backup or even a third-string EDGE unless he gets healthy and starts making impact plays right away.
Kevin Winston, on the other hand, looks like one of the more encouraging pieces from the class. The third-round safety showed real promise as a rookie and seems lined up to start this season. His downhill style fits Robert Saleh’s scheme, and if the health issues don’t slow him down, he has the look of a very good player.
The Titans also have a player who has already become a familiar name in a different way. Dike drew mixed reactions when Borgonzi selected him, but a year later, everyone knows the All-Pro return man’s name. Expectations are high for him as a special-teamer, even though his offensive role may be a little smaller this season.
At tight end, Gunnar Helm spent his first year grinding through the TE2 role, and now he’s pushing to become the top option at the position. His bigger frame gives him more versatility than Chig Okonkwo, and with the league leaning more toward multiple-tight-end looks, he profiles as the kind of starter the Titans want if his development keeps moving.
Elic Ayomanor sits in a tricky spot. He should be fighting for snaps as the team’s X receiver, but if he doesn’t win that job, he drops all the way to WR5.
Still, his size and strength at the catch point make him an intriguing piece. He has the tools to become a very good weapon if he takes another step, and even in a worst-case scenario, he still gives the Titans a strong role-player option.
Jackson Slater was supposed to be the classic draft-and-develop success story. The fifth-round guard spent his rookie year learning behind Peter Skoronski and Kevin Zeitler, setting him up for a chance to take over. Instead, he may be headed for a backup role if he loses the right guard battle to veteran Cordell Volson.
The coaching staff appears to trust Harris. He barely played last season, but he enters camp almost unchallenged as the starting slot cornerback. There’s reason to be optimistic there, especially since corners often improve with time, and Harris is going to get every opportunity to prove himself.
Mullings is in a far tougher spot. He managed only three carries for seven yards last season, and his path this summer looks tied to special teams or a practice squad role.
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 🡒]