If there is one problem every team wants to have going into training camp each year, it's the problem of having to make difficult roster cuts because of your depth. It's an especially good problem if that depth happens to be in the trenches on either side of the ball.
For the past handful of years, that hasn't been much of an issue for the Tennessee Titans, but the tide has shifted dramatically in 2026, specifically on the defensive side of the ball.
The Titans already had perhaps the best defensive lineman in the entire NFL going into the offseason, and there might not be any "perhaps" about it. Jeffery Simmons was elite last season, and the Titans finally got some significant help around him.
Along with getting a defensive mastermind in Robert Saleh as the team's head coach, the Titans' improved personnel on the defensive line might just bring the most welcome form of roster tension you can get in the NFL.
Titans defensive front might be the most improved overall unit in the NFL
The Titans' biggest and most obvious upgrade this offseason on the defensive line was adding John Franklin-Myers, who can play all over the formation (and has experience in Saleh's defense). But it might be the moves beyond that one that end up being the biggest difference makers for this new-look defensive line.
Specifically, at the defensive end position, Saleh and his staff could have a difficult time sorting out which players dominate the snap count share this coming season.
Getting Jermaine Johnson in the early trade with the New York Jets, even at the cost of a player as solid as T'Vondre Sweat, could give the Titans another double-digit sack candidate at defensive end.
Keldric Faulk is raw, but the Titans moved back into the 1st round to get him for a reason. At 6-foot-6, 276 pounds, and with 34 3/8-inch arms, the physical traits and athleticism are off the charts. That type of player can be disruptive, even if it means opening up opportunities for others around him at times.
Even with a new coaching staff coming in, and maybe especially, you can't count out 2025 2nd-round pick Femi Oladejo. He had some nice flashes in limited action as a rookie last season before an injury cut his year short.
Jacob Martin brings another veteran presence off the edge, and is coming off of the best year of his NFL career as a pass rusher with 5.5 sacks and 18 quarterback hits.
Even 2024 7th-round pick Jaylen Harrell is coming off of a season where he played 17 games and racked up 4.5 sacks, 8 QB hits, and 11 pressures on just 363 snaps.
When you've got that kind of talent to be able to bring pass rush in waves, and you're trying to figure out how you're going to get snaps for everyone or who is going to be active on gamedays, those are called "champagne problems".
Depth is a luxury most teams can't afford. There is some inherent risk in the Titans' overall depth because of their inexperience and even injury history, but you'll take your chances with a lower floor if the ceiling is as high as this team has now created.
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