The Tennessee Titans are barreling through their first training camp under Robert Saleh, and his impact seems to have already been felt based on player performance. Most of the buzz during this offseason has been how he will get the best out of Jeffery Simmons and the defensive front, but his abilities are just as impressive when developing guys at the second level.
It starts with rookie second-round pick Anthony Hill Jr., who has been living up to his reputation in college by making big plays in training camp. Third-year linebacker James Williams has been an even bigger winner, as hardly a day has gone by without him putting together at least one impressive moment.
All the excitement around other linebackers and players on the roster has resulted in third-year pro Cedric Gray flying under the radar. It might be because he has slightly less to prove than other young guys, but he absolutely deserves more buzz given his second-year rise, his performance in training camp so far, and Saleh's coaching abilities.
Cedric Gray has a real chance to become a bonafide stud for Tennessee Titans in 2026
When training camp started last season, Gray's outlook did not seem super promising, but then he flashed his abilities during a joint practice and game in Atlanta. That week made the coaching staff rethink their construction of the depth chart, and from then on, he did not look back.
Gray showed incredible development in his second year as a pro, locking himself in as a starter and showing his sideline-to-sideline prowess, as well as his instincts. He was far from perfect playing against the pass, but still was far from a liability and held his own many times.
Even though he has not been raved about as many of his teammates have been, Gray is still putting together a strong performance during this training camp. ESPN's Turron Davenport was on 102.5 The Game earlier this week, and he described Gray as a high-level performer who has been "all over the place."
Davenport also leaked an interview he had with Gray, which took place days before the pads came on, and Gray talked about his footwork as something he has worked on to get better against the pass. Given his second-year leap, there is no reason to believe he can't take that next step to round out his game.
You also must consider Saleh's coaching abilities and how he developed Fred Warner into a full-blown stud, who has similar raw abilities to Gray. There is a very good chance that the same thing could happen to Gray, and he could truly break out as one of the top game changers on this Titans defense.
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