All NFL draft picks have the potential to pan out... until they don't. The Tennessee Titans endured some difficult drafts under the tutelage of former general manager Job Robinson. Few selections from the 2020 and 2021 classes remained with the organization heading into Tuesday's roster-cut-down-day deadline. The Titans have severed ties with several 2022 draftees as well.
These three recent Titans draft picks were waived on Tuesday.
Caleb Farley, CB
The Titans inherited a significant risk when they drafted Caleb Farley with the No. 22 overall selection in the 2022 NFL Draft. Robinson believed he was getting good value on a player that appeared to be a top-10-worthy prospect on tape, but had dealt with back and knee injuries heading into his pre-draft process.
Titans are releasing former 2021 first-round pick Caleb Farley, per source. pic.twitter.com/gTMU5AiSdM
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 27, 2024
Unfortunately for the Titans, Farley continued dealing with recurring back, knee, and hamstring injuries. The former Virginia Tech standout suffered a torn ACL during his rookie season, marking the second torn ACL of his career. As a sophomore in 2022, Farley underwent a microdiscectomy on his back.
Farley was limited to 12 regular-season appearances in three seasons as a result. He appeared to be flashing growth throughout this most recent training camp period when he suffered a hamstring injury that sidelined him for multiple practices and preseason games. Injuries completely zapped Farley's potential.
Hassan Haskins, RB
Tennessee Titans head coach Brian Callahan was honest when offering a recent assessment of Hassan Haskins. Callahan admitted that Haskins had been outperformed by Jabari Small and Julius Chestnut as a runner, but was an outstanding special teams player. Many believed special teams would save his job, but that wasn't the case.
The Titans actually waived several special teams-only players in addition to Haskins, including Anthony Kendall and Matthew Jackson, though Luke Gifford made it (for now).
Haskins never appeared to be an NFL-caliber running back as a pure rusher despite the Titans using a 2022 fourth-round pick on his services. Chestnut will be the RB3 behind Tyjae Spears and Tony Pollard. The previous regime stuck by Haskins through an alleged off-field incident, but the current decision makers are moving on from another Robinson failure.
Kyle Philips, WR
Like Farley, Kyle Philips is another "what if he never got hurt" player. Recurring hamstring injuries and inconsistent ball security prevented Philips from reaching his potential in Tennessee. There was legitimate pass-catching upside present, but the 2022 fifth-round choice never built and sustained momentum.
Philips was limited to 13 regular-season appearances in two seasons. He suffered a hamstring injury at a critical moment camp that sidelined him for several training camp practices and preseason contests, allowing the likes of Jha'Quan Jackson to surpass him on the depth chart. The Titans waived Philips with an injury designation, likely ending his time in Nashville.