The Tennessee Titans made a bunch of flashy picks throughout the 2025 NFL Draft. It started by taking Cam Ward to be their franchise quarterback at No. 1 overall. In the fourth round, the Titans made a trio of pass-catching picks, landing wide receiver Chimere Dike, tight end Gunnar Helm, and a second wideout in Elic Ayomanor.
General manager Mike Borgonzi is a shrewd talent evaluator. Borgonzi maneuvered up and down the board with flawless effort, trading down when opportunities arose to add more picks, also getting aggressive enough to move up. The Titans drafted the best prospects available regardless of need.
Some picks drew more attention than others. But perhaps Borgonzi saved his best-value pick for a nonchalant fifth-round selection.
The Titans entered the draft with an underrated need for depth interior offensive linemen. Better yet, drafting a player who could develop into a starter at guard or center would help the Titans prepare for 2026. Selecting former Sacramento State offensive linemen Jackson Slater at No. 167 overall achieved just that.
Titans landed a steal in Jackson Slater
Slater entered the pre-draft process as a small-school unknown. The Hornets standout accepted an invite to this year's Senior Bowl, a huge opportunity for him given the lack of consistent quality opponents on his schedule. Slater was outstanding in Mobile, handling the step up in competition flawlessly, stringing together winning reps against NFL-ready defenders.
Slater continued acing the pre-draft process at the NFL Combine. The Bellevue, Washington native ran a 5.01-second result in the 40 yard dash at 6-foot-3 and 311 pounds, displaying eye-popping athleticism given his size and stature. Slater also leaped a 9-foot broad jump and posted 31 reps on the bench press en route to an elite Relative Athletic Score (RAS) of 9.43/10.
Despite that, Slater still slid to the fifth round. The Titans wisely pounced on his availability at No. 167 overall. Indications are the Titans view Slater as a potential 2026 starter.
The Titans have starting center Lloyd Cushenberry coming off a serious season-ending Achilles injury. He's a potential cap casualty next offseason if he fails to bounce back. At right guard, veteran 35-year-old Kevin Zeitler is on a one-year contract. Slater possesses enough positional flexibility to project as a future starter at either position.
The Titans have a slew of reserve blockers behind their middle three starters. They re-signed veteran center Corey Levin earlier this offseason, and Andrew Rupcich is still around. The versatile Blake Hance joined in free agency, and Brenden Jaimes and Sam Mustipher were late additions right before the NFL Draft. There's competition for reps, but none of these options possess Slater's upside.
Slater's progress will be something to monitor closely throughout the summer and potentially beyond.