The Titans are getting close to the point where the math turns ruthless. Less than two months before Week 1, the roster still looks crowded, and after the final preseason game, Tennessee will have to trim roughly 40 players. With a deeper, more talented group than usual, some of those calls are going to sting.
A handful of players sit right in that gray area, and the battle for those last spots looks tight. At running back, the Titans already have Tony Pollard, Tyjae Spears, and Nic Singleton locked into three jobs, which leaves only one opening.
For much of the offseason, Michael Carter looked like the favorite because of his familiarity with Robert Saleh and his starting experience. But if the season started tomorrow, Julius Chestnut might have the edge.
The difference, as it stands, is special teams. The fourth back is unlikely to touch the ball much on offense, so that player has to help elsewhere, and Chestnut brings that value in a way Carter does not.
Xavier Restrepo has made his own case with a strong summer. He’s also a familiar target for Cam Ward, and the two have shown real chemistry.
Restrepo caught more passes than any other receiver on the team this summer, and he did it while hauling in almost everything thrown his way. Still, the receiver room has improved enough that his path is not simple.
He’s an undersized slot receiver, and there are already multiple players on the roster who fill that same role. That’s why the final receiver spot, like the last running back job, could go to someone who helps on special teams, such as Bryce Oliver.
On the defensive line, Jackie Marshall has a better shot than his draft slot might suggest. The sixth-round pick from the 2026 draft is entering a crowded room, and the Titans’ defensive line is their deepest position group.
Jeffery Simmons, John Franklin-Myers, Solomon Thomas, and Jordan Elliott are all expected to make it, and Saleh is unlikely to carry only four interior defenders because of how much he likes to rotate. Among the rest of the options, Marshall looks like the most talented.
The guess here is that he sticks and spends his rookie year learning behind Simmons and Franklin-Myers.
Linebacker is another spot where the numbers are working against a veteran. James Williams Sr. has done reliable work on special teams through two seasons, but the room around him got a lot more competitive this offseason, and the staff that originally brought him in is gone.
If the Titans want a special teams player at linebacker, Dorian Mausi is also in the mix. Mohamoud Diabate brings starting experience, and there are three intriguing undrafted free agents in the hunt as well.
Unless Williams has a huge preseason, he looks like the odd man out.
Then there’s Keydrain Calligan, who has gone from afterthought to real contender. Three months ago, he wasn’t on anyone’s roster projection.
Then injuries opened a door, with Cor'Dale Flott and Alontae Taylor out, and Calligan got a chance to run with the starters. He made the most of it, picking off a couple of passes and breaking up several others.
He showed he can handle himself at this level, and with Tennessee’s secondary lacking much depth, that helps his case even more. Right now, he’s trending toward making the team.
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