If the season started tomorrow, the interior of the Tennessee Titans' offensive line would be one of the least proven units in the NFL. With a second-year quarterback who spent too much time on the ground last season, the Titans' front office can't stand for the situation to continue like this.
When the team cut center Lloyd Cushenberry due to injury issues, the idea was that they were going to be able to find a veteran center to replace him. While it wasn't going to be an easy task, it was supposed to be a task they could handle, considering a decent group of veteran centers were slated to be available, and the mountain of cap space the team was sitting on.
However, the center market was much more mercurial than they expected, and they missed out on all of their top options for one reason or another. Ultimately, they had to settle for a competition between second-year lineman Jackson Slater and career backup Austin Schlottmann.
Titans could address interior offensive line needs on Day 3 of NFL Draft
After that mistake, the Titans are sitting with massive question marks at center and right guard, and the free agent market is essentially paused while everyone waits for the 2026 NFL Draft.
While Titans fans are getting concerned, the reality is that GM Mike Borgonzi is in control of this situation, and he has actually put a blueprint in place for how he is going to address right guard and center.
As Borgonzi did with wide receiver last year, this is the perfect opportunity for him to utilize multiple Day 3 picks on interior offensive linemen.
Remember, the Titans had 13 wide receivers when the draft was over, including a few low-priced free agents like James Proche and Van Jefferson. Currently, the Titans have eight interior offensive linemen on the roster, which means there are a few more spots to be had before it starts to get crowded.
Despite a massive need at receiver last year, Borgonzi drafted for value in the first three rounds, which led to him spending a third-round pick on Kevin Winston Jr. when safety was not viewed as a position that needed immediate addressing. He followed that up by drafting Chimere Dike, Gunnar Helm (a pass-catching tight end), and Elic Ayomanor in the fourth round.
Don't be surprised if he follows a similar method this year and drafts for a need in the first round and then focuses on value throughout Day 2, before returning to fill in some roster holes on Day 3.
Still, even if the Titans spend multiple picks on offensive linemen on Day 3, they can't be sure that one or both of the rookies will be ready to compete for a job immediately. That is why the plan should include bringing back Kevin Zeitler for another season.
A tin foil hat theory floating around is that the Titans and Zeitler already have an agreement in place to bring him back to Nashville for another season after the draft, but they are waiting for after the NFL Draft and/or OTAs.
Whether or not it is that complicated, it shouldn't surprise anyone if Zeitler and the Titans get another deal done after the draft because it just makes too much sense for everyone involved.
If Borgonzi is as smart as Titans fans hope he is, then this plan would give Schlottmann or Slater a year working alongside two excellent guards before the team has to decide what the future of that position will be. In an ideal world, Slater steps in and starts at center immediately, and one of the rookies follows a similar development path, allowing him to take over for Zeitler in 2027.
With this strategy, Borgonzi gets to add real talent to the roster on Days 1 and 2 of the draft without completely ignoring the corrections the team needs to make after miscalculating the free agent market this offseason.