The Tennessee Titans are finally about to trade training camp reps for game action, and the preseason opener against the San Francisco 49ers arrives with plenty on the line for the players sitting closest to the roster edge.
For veterans and rookies alike, this is the first real chance to make a case to head coach Robert Saleh and his staff. Some battles already look settled, but a handful of spots are still very much up for grabs. For these six Titans, a strong night in San Francisco could be the difference between sticking around and slipping off the final 53.
Will Levis is one of the more interesting names in that group. He’s already behind Mitchell Trubisky in the Titans’ QB2 competition, so the preseason may be less about winning a job in Tennessee and more about building trade value. There are teams around the league still hunting for help at backup quarterback, and a steady, controlled showing could get another front office to call.
The receiver room is crowded enough to create a problem Tennessee probably welcomes. After a couple of offseason additions, the Titans have more bodies than available spots, which means someone notable is going to be squeezed out.
Xavier Restrepo is in the middle of that squeeze. If Saleh keeps only six receivers, Restrepo or Bryce Oliver looks likely to miss.
Even if Tennessee goes with seven, Restrepo still has to hold off K.J. Osborn for the last place.
Restrepo does have one thing working in his favor: his longtime connection with Cam Ward. But the former Miami star still has to prove he can be dependable enough to stick, especially since he doesn’t bring the kind of athletic profile that usually sells NFL teams on a receiver.
Osborn has his own uphill climb. He’s trying to reboot his career in Tennessee, but he’s also caught in the numbers game at wideout.
Among Titans receivers, only Calvin Ridley and Wan'Dale Robinson have more career receiving yards than Osborn. That experience matters, but only if he shows he still has something left to offer.
On defense, Jaylen Harrell is trying to turn a promising stretch into a permanent role. He flashed in 2025 with 4.5 sacks, enough to make him look like a useful edge option.
The issue is fit. Saleh’s 4-3 scheme tends to favor bigger bodies on the edge, and Harrell checks in at just 247 pounds.
A few disruptive plays in the preseason opener would go a long way toward making the decision easier.
Austin Deculus is in a similar fight on the offensive line, where the Titans still haven’t found a clear answer at swing tackle. He and Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson are battling for the job, and neither has separated from the pack in camp.
Deculus also has to overcome the memory of an uneven season with the Los Angeles Chargers, where he allowed pressures on nearly 7% of his pass-blocking snaps. If he wants to keep his spot, he needs a cleaner night in pass protection.
Micah Robinson rounds out the group, and his path is tied to a bigger concern in camp: cornerback depth has been the biggest disappointment so far. Tennessee responded by bringing in Mario Goodrich and Nazeeh Johnson to compete for backup roles.
Robinson barely saw the field on defense last season, appearing in just two games, but he did enough in those chances to give himself a foothold. Now he has to build on that and make his presence felt on special teams if he wants to secure a place in Saleh’s defense.
In Other News...
Titans Suddenly Have A Cam Ward Problem They Can't Ignore
Training camp has already exposed a spot the Titans cannot afford to treat lightly, and it comes on the offensive line behind their starting tackles. With the preseason game against the 49ers looming, Tennessee is still sorting through backup tackle depth after the position got thin in a hurry during joint practices, leaving the staff with an uncomfortable reminder of how quickly a camp concern can turn into a roster issue.
The biggest question now is whether the Titans decide they need outside help before the next game arrives. Their current tackle situation is still tied to the health of the starters, and the front office may have to weigh a move if it wants to give Cam Ward a cleaner, more reliable pocket to work with. [Read more 🡒]
Nick Singleton Has A Real Chance To Force His Way Into Titans Plans
Nick Singleton has spent the early part of camp doing what a rookie in a crowded backfield has to do: make it harder for the Titans to ignore him. The fifth-round pick has drawn notice in joint practices and preseason work, and with Tony Pollard locked in as the lead option, every meaningful snap behind him matters. Tennessee did not draft Singleton expecting an instant centerpiece, but his blend of encouraging camp work and his college rsum has given him a real opening to carve out a role.
The competition is what makes the next stretch interesting. The Titans have other backs in the mix, and the staff still has to sort out how the rotation behind Pollard will look once the games start to count. Singleton has already shown enough to stay in that conversation, and if he keeps stacking the kind of reps he has early, he could push his way from intriguing rookie to actual part of the plan. [Read more 🡒]