Juggling Titans depth chart before training camp: Finding 11 roster spots from 49 players

Every week throughout training camp, as the Tennessee Titans inch closer to the start of the 2026 NFL season, we at The Tennessean will track and project roster movements and trends that will play into coach Robert Saleh’s and GM Mike Borgonzi’s decisions regarding the Titans’ depth chart and 53-man roster for Week 1 against the New York Jets.

With Titans training camp practices set to begin on July 29, consider this your primer. By Aug. 30, the Titans will have to cut the active roster down from 91 players to 53. A little more than 40 of those spots should already be considered to be locked down, essentially leaving 50 players to compete for a dozen roster spots.

Let’s use this primer to divide the roster into buckets. Who are the depth chart locks, who are the players competing for active roster spots and who are the players in a practice-squad-or-bust situation?

• QB: Cam Ward, Mitchell Trubisky
• RB: Tony Pollard, Tyjae Spears, Nicholas Singleton
• WR: Carnell Tate, Calvin Ridley, Wan’Dale Robinson, Chimere Dike, Elic Ayomanor
• TE: Gunnar Helm, Daniel Bellinger
• OT: Dan Moore Jr., JC Latham
• G/C: Peter Skoronski, Cordell Volson, Austin Schlottmann, Jackson Slater, Pat Coogan, Fernando Carmona
• DL: Jeffery Simmons, John Franklin-Myers, Solomon Thomas, Jackie Marshall, Jordan Elliott
• DE/Edge: Jermaine Johnson II, Keldric Faulk, Oluwafemi Oladejo, Jacob Martin
• LB: Cedric Gray, Cody Barton, Anthony Hill
• CB: Alontae Taylor, Cor’Dale Flott, Marcus Harris, Joshua Williams
• S: Amani Hooker, Kevin Winston Jr., Tony Adams
• S/T: Joey Slye, Tommy Townsend, Morgan Cox

Nothing worth adding about this crew. Consider these guys the starters, the high-profile veteran backups and the developmental rookie and Year 2 draft picks.

• TE3: Jaren Kanak, David Martin-Robinson, Kylen Granson
• OT3: Austin Deculus, Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson, Zach Thomas
• DE5: Jaylen Harrell, Truman Jones, Malik Herring
• LB4/5: Mohamoud Diabate, Dorian Mausi, James Williams Sr.
• CB5: Micah Robinson, Keydrain Calligan
• S4: Kendell Brooks, Jerrick Reed, Sanoussi Kane, Erick Hallett

We’re calling these the “guaranteed” battles because these roles are non-negotiable, even if the people who fill them are. Pay particular attention to the competitions at swing tackle and fifth corner as spots where outside competition could be signed to improve the battle.

players: Candidates to fill out the roster

• QB: Will Levis
• RB/WR: Kalel Mullings, Julius Chestnut, Michael Carter, KJ Osborn, Bryce Oliver, Xavier Restrepo, Tyren Montgomery
• OL: Andre James, Drew Moss, Garrett Dellinger, Aamil Wagner, Rasheed Miller
• DL: Cam Horsley, Timmy Horne

Trusting the math here, this means four remaining spots to be divided among these 15 candidates. Levis is the ultimate wild card, especially as a potential trade candidate. The skill guys are fascinating, with debates about players with more special teams value (Mullings, Chestnut, Oliver) versus players with higher offensive upside (Osborn, Restrepo, Montgomery).

• Offense: Hendon Hooker, Mason Kinsey, Lance McCutcheon, Courtney Jackson, Hank Beatty, Joel Wilson
• Defense: Jalyn Holmes, David Ebuka Agoha, Earnest Brown IV, Shad Banks Jr., Sean Brown, Mani Powell, Jeadyn Lukus, Latrell McCutchin Sr., Jalen McMurray, Bishop Fitzgerald

Remember Ebuka Agoha’s built-in advantage to make the practice squad as an International Player Pathway representative. After him, consider it an up-for-grabs battle for the final spots alongside some of the players mentioned above who don’t make the 53-man roster and any waiver claims the Titans put in after camp.

Nick Suss is the Titans beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Nick at  nsuss@gannett.com. Follow Nick on X @nicksuss. Subscribe to the Talkin’ Titans newsletter for updates sent directly to your inbox.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Juggling Titans depth chart before training camp: Finding 11 roster spots from 49 players