The Tennessee Titans were handed another disappointing loss in Week 15, this one a 37-27 defeat at home against the Cincinnati Bengals. With the team officially eliminated from the playoffs and searching for answers heading into the offseason, this final stretch could be crucial to evaluating some of the young talent on the roster.
We've identified three young players who the Titans should look to get increased snaps over the final three games of the regular season. With the overall roster having glaring holes and lacking depth throughout, these three players could be long-term solutions as key depth pieces if they can continue to develop.
Bryce Oliver
After signing with the Titans as an undrafted free agent this spring, rookie Bryce Oliver has fought his way on to the active roster and on the field. The Youngstown State product is listed as a wide receiver, but he's primarily made his impact felt on special teams through the seven games he's played. Oliver was the Titan's highest graded player in Week 13 according to Pro Football Focus, driven by his excellent work as a gunner on punt coverage.
While the rookie's excellent special teams play will help him stick on the active roster, his potential to be a playmaker on offense is something the Titans need to explore over their final three games. Oliver has only seen six targets this season, catching five of them for 80 yards. The young receiver's 16.3 yards per target leads the team as he's shown the ability to attack down the field in his small sample size.
The Titans are severely lacking depth at the wide receiver position and are at risk of losing Nick Westbrook-Ikhine and Tyler Boyd in free agency after the season. Giving the rookie more snaps would give the team more insight into if Oliver can be relied on to play a depth role on offense heading into the 2025 season. If the Florida native proves capable, it would allow the Titans to have a cost effective option on special teams and at wide receiver while allowing the team to bring in one fewer body at wide receiver into training camp next year.
An excellent comparison for Oliver's development could be that of Westbrook-Ikhine or former Titan Kalif Raymond, as mentioned by our own Will Lomas. A practice squad player turned special teams contributor that could then make a big offensive impact is exactly the kind of win that the franchise needs amidst their 3-11 campaign. The next step for the team is getting Oliver more snaps at wide receiver in favor of some of the veterans who aren't part of Brian Callahan's long-term plans.
Kendell Brooks
Kendell Brooks was an undrafted free agent after the 2023 NFL Draft who bounced around several teams over the past year before landing in Tennessee this fall. During his last season at Michigan State, the safety proved to be a playmaker by ranking top five in the Big Ten in tackles and top ten in all of the FBS in forced fumbles.
The former Division II player is a very good athlete, rating in the top 20% of safeties in relative athletic score during his draft year with an elite speed score helped by a 4.45 40 yard dash per RAS. Since joining the active roster two weeks ago, Brooks has seen 23 snaps on special teams and hasn't seen the field on defense.
The Titans' safety room heading into next season is fairly open for both a starting role next to Amani Hooker and depth behind him. Quandre Diggs and Daryl Worley will be free agents, Mike Brown is a restricted free agent who the team will most likely bring back given his solid play, and undrafted rookie Julius Wood will be facing the end of his suspension due to a performance enhancing infraction. While the Titans should bring in plenty of competition this offseason, Brooks could carve out a depth role on the roster heading into next season.
With the season winding down, the team should look to take some snaps away from Worley, who played 61 of the team's 64 defensive snaps in Week 15, in favor of some younger alternatives. Brooks provides an athletic option along the backend that's proven to be a playmaker at the highest level of college football. While I don't believe the young safety is a long-term option to start next to Hooker, he could be capable of providing special teams value and plus defensive snaps similar to former Titan Dane Cruikshank.
James Williams
Rookie seventh round pick James Williams is coming off his best game as a pro, finishing with a career-high eight tackles in 41 defensive snaps. With Luke Gifford in concussion protocol, Williams and fellow rookie Cedric Gray will be given additional opportunities. Callahan praised Williams for his play this past week and confirmed that both he, Gray, and Kenneth Murray will be in a rotation going forward.
Williams graded out poorly in Week 15 according to PFF, finishing with a 51.0 score for the game and grading out better in run coverage vs. pass coverage. The former safety was projected to struggle with physicality at the NFL level, so this was a positive in his performance to see the former Miami Hurricane making tackles in the running game and taking on blockers.
The inside linebacker room has been decimated by injuries this season and could look very different in 2025. Williams, Gray, and Murray will all most likely return while Jerome Baker, Garret Wallow, and Gifford are all free agents. The Titans could elect to bring back Jack Gibbens, Chance Campbell, and Otis Reese who will all be restricted free agents or exclusive rights free agents. This should be a wide open competition next to Murray with several players showing flashes of potential throughout the season.
Williams is only 21 years old and has spent the season learning a new position. Giving the young, talented former safety more games reps will help his development and help build depth heading into next season. Both Williams and Gray need extended looks over the final three games to help the team evaluate the state of the inside linebacker position.