The Tennessee Titans spent their offseason trying to plug holes, and the secondary was one of the biggest ones on the board. They attacked it by bringing in Alontae Taylor and Cor'Dale Flott as new starting cornerbacks, but ESPN’s Seth Walder still pegged those moves as the team’s worst of the offseason.
Walder’s issue with Taylor comes down to consistency and price. He argued that Taylor “was coming off a legitimately good season with the Saints but allowed 1.6 yards per coverage snap -- far higher than average -- in each of the previous two seasons,” adding, “Given the year-to-year variance, I'd be very hesitant to pay this kind of money without a longer track record.”
That view leaves out some of what Taylor has actually brought to the table. He broke up 11 passes in 2025 and has posted double-digit pass breakups in every season, showing a knack for getting hands on the football. For the Titans, that kind of playmaking and veteran steadiness is exactly what they were looking for in 2026.
Flott drew a similar reaction from Walder, who called the three-year, $45 million deal “perhaps even more surprising.” Walder noted that “His yards-per-coverage-snap numbers have been solid in each of the past two seasons, but he wasn't expected to receive this much money heading into free agency.”
That’s a fair argument on the surface, but Flott’s production in 2025 makes the contract look far less alarming. He finished with 38 tackles, 11 pass breakups and one interception, while posting a 65.6 PFF grade.
The bigger picture for Tennessee is simple: the Titans needed dependable starters, and they got them. Maybe the price tags were a little rich.
That happens. But if Taylor and Flott settle in the way the team expects, the criticism won’t hold much weight.
And the cornerback room isn’t just about those two veterans anymore. Micah Robinson and Keydrain Calligan have both looked better than expected after getting extended run while Taylor and Flott were out at OTAs. Marcus Harris has also impressed in the nickel role, and the team felt good enough about him that it didn’t bring in any extra competition.
That leaves the Titans in a much better spot than they were when the offseason started. With Taylor and Flott at the top, and young depth that has shown more than expected, this group has a chance to look a lot stronger in 2026.
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