Ranking the Tennessee Titans' depth by position group
Coming off of a disappointing 6-11 season in 2023, the Tennessee Titans have had significant turnover up and down the roster heading into the 2024 season. Free agency, trades, and the NFL Draft have led to the acquisitions of several key starters including Calvin Ridley, L'Jarius Sneed, JC Latham, and Lloyd Cushenberry.
Despite the team being largely improved on paper from a season ago, depth remains a key issue across several position groups. With training camp officially underway, let's take a look at which positions have the best and worst depth on the current roster.
10. Safety
Even after the recent signing of former Pro Bowl safety Jamal Adams, depth at this position remains a huge concern. Projected starters Amani Hooker and Elijah Molden have combined to miss 29 games over the prior two seasons, while Adams himself has missed 24 games during the same timeframe. Even when healthy, there are huge concerns over the coverage ability of the newly signed vet, with some questioning if the LSU product will play snaps at linebacker at this point in his career.
Behind this trio is a group of Matthew Jackson, Shyheim Carter, Mike Brown, and Keaton Ellis. Jackson, Carter, and Brown have all played minimal defensive snaps throughout their time in the league,and Ellis is a rookie UDFA out of Penn State. The Titans will be in trouble if any of this group is forced into extended action, which is a distinct possibility given the health struggles of Hooker, Molden, and Adams.
9. Outside Linebacker
Starters Harold Landry and Arden Key should have a solid baseline of production as the starting outside linebackers, but things dry up quickly when looking down the depth chart. Rashad Weaver struggled during the 2023 season, particularly at getting to the quarterback by logging zero QB hits or sacks, but has proven he can provide capable NFL snaps over the past two years.
Looking down the depth chart there's again minimal NFL experience. Caleb Murphy and Thomas Rush were UDFAs from the 2023 draft class that are now fighting for roster spots. Murphy played in three games last year but saw minimal snaps on defense, while Rush spent the entire year on the practice squad.
Rookie seventh-round draft pick Jaylen Harrell racked up 11.0 sacks over the prior two seasons and won a National Championship. Rookie UDFA Khalid Duke showed decent athleticism at the combine, but will need a big training camp and pre-season to crack the roster. Veteran 2015 first-rounder Shane Ray was added to the roster on Thursday.
The Titans will need someone to step up out of their young group of players on the back end of the roster and provide quality snaps at some point in the 2024 season. If no one sets themselves apart, this could be a spot the Titans look to bring in some veteran depth prior to the season starting.