Fernando Carmona may not think much of his own work, but the rookie has put himself in position to win the Titans’ right guard job.
The fifth-round pick has climbed ahead of Cordell Volson and second-year lineman Jackson Slater in what has become Tennessee’s only real camp battle. Robert Saleh said Carmona will “probably have first dibs” in the Titans’ second preseason game, Sunday night against the Seahawks at Nissan Stadium.
That rise has come while Carmona has spent plenty of practice reps lined up against Jeffery Simmons, a demanding assignment for any blocker and especially for a rookie still trying to find his footing. On Monday, when asked how he graded his own session, Carmona didn’t sugarcoat it.
“Not good,” he said. “We’ve got to work on some stuff.
But you know, it's a day-by-day process and that's the way I'm taking it being a rookie. It's not going to be a finished product Day One.
This is going to be years in the making.”
The Titans clearly saw something in the Arkansas lineman before the rest of camp caught up. Mike Borgonzi said the team had Carmona rated a seven on its one-to-nine alpha scale, and former Titans scout Blake Beddingfield said he came away encouraged after watching Carmona against the 49ers.
“Solid in both run and pass,” he said. “Played calm, probably due to his experience in college.”
Volson, meanwhile, struggled while working in relief of Carmona, and that uneven showing could easily matter as the Titans sort through the depth chart.
The organization has long been comfortable building around the run, and some of its best years under Mike Vrabel featured Derrick Henry running behind Taylor Lewan and Rodger Saffold, with “Run Left” hats becoming part of the scene.
Against San Francisco, though, the Titans found success going the other way. Run Right worked.
In Other News...
Will Levis Just Got A Surprise Chance To Change Everything
Will Levis has spent much of his time in Tennessee trying to prove he still belongs in the conversation, and training camp suddenly handed him a fresh opening. The former No. 33 overall pick in the 2023 draft had a rocky 2024 season, throwing for 2,091 yards with 13 touchdowns and 12 interceptions before major shoulder surgery wiped out his 2025 season.
With more reps now coming his way, Levis gets a chance to show the Titans he can still be part of their long-term picture before roster cuts arrive. The timing matters because camp can turn quickly for a quarterback, and for Levis, every snap now carries a little more weight than it did just a few days ago. [Read more 🡒]
Titans Preseason QB Rotation Just Put One Roster Spot In Trouble
The Titans preseason opener offered an early look at how the quarterback room is shaking out, and the rotation told a pretty clear story about who is being treated like part of the plan. Cam Ward started, Hendon Hooker finished, and the other reps went largely to Mitchell Trubisky and Will Levis, the three passers who have been handling most of the work in practice and in game action. For a team still sorting out its depth chart, the distribution mattered more than the final score.
Hookers night was the kind that can speak loudly without anyone saying much at all. He remains on the outside of the main competition as Tennessee heads toward its final preseason game against the Chicago Bears on August 29, and the clock is ticking for players trying to force the staff to make a harder decision. The Titans still have one more exhibition to sort through the back end of the roster, but the quarterback group already looks like it has a hierarchy, and Hooker is not near the top of it. [Read more 🡒]
Titans Roster Battle Just Took A Turn After Camp Injuries
The Titans closed the preseason with a 19-13 win over the 49ers, and the game offered one more look at how the roster picture is taking shape after a summer of camp competition and injuries. Veteran holdovers and younger players alike kept battling for spots, and the final tuning of the 53-man roster by position now feels like one of the most important follow-ups to what was shown on the field.
Wide receiver remains one of the more interesting parts of that projection, with a new name now working into the mix as Tennessee sorts through the depth behind its established options. Elsewhere, the injury fallout from camp has already altered the conversation for a rookie defender, leaving the Titans to balance immediate roster needs with how much they can stash and develop as the season approaches. [Read more 🡒]