Tennessee Titans: 3 under-the-radar players who could make the roster

RB Jeremy McNichols

For much of the offseason, we’ve heard a lot about potential backup running backs David Fluellen and Alex Barnes, but it’s fellow back Jeremy McNichols who is making most of the noise.

A former fifth-round pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, McNichols has played in just four games in two seasons, totaling just four carries for eight yards. He wasn’t even on the radar of most people coming into camp.

Fast forward a week and McNichols seems to be running ahead of Barnes, who had a ton of hype surrounding him this offseason.

It’s McNichols getting first-team reps at practice with Derrick Henry on the shelf, and he’s making the most of those reps. The Boise State product was one of the highlights of practice on Friday after sporting some nice cutback runs, per ESPN’s Turron Davenport.

Davenport also noted that McNichols was used in the passing game.

The problem for McNichols is that there are basically three guaranteed spots in the Tennessee Titans’ running backs room. Henry and Dion Lewis are locks, but so is Fluellen, who will double as a fullback after bulking up during the offseason.

Unless the Titans decide to carry four backs or one of the three aforementioned backs gets injured, it’s going to be tough sledding for McNichols to make this team.

From what we’ve seen, McNichols is doing everything right to make the roster in 2019, and he’s certainly ahead of Barnes. It’ll be no fault of his own if he doesn’t make the cut, but a strong camp should land him on the practice squad at the very least.