The Tennessee Titans' biggest position battle entering training camp was at right guard. Veteran free-agent signing Cordell Volson and sophomore Jackson Slater were expected to compete for the starting gig. Titans general manager Mike Borgonzi also drafted Fernando Carmona in the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Carmona was expected to serve as a reserve backup as a rookie, but recent momentum in training camp has changed everything. The former Arkansas standout has steadily been receiving more reps at practice while earning praise from his coaching staff.
Thursday's preseason opening victory over the San Francisco 49ers was extremely telling for Carmona's stock. Carmona received the start with the first-team offense in the 19-13 victory, proving he's a viable option as an underdog to win the job outright.
Tennessee Titans rookie guard Fernando Carmona looks like a starter in preseason Week 1 victory over San Francisco 49ers
Carmona played all 22 offensive snaps with the Titans' first-team offense, including quarterback Cam Ward. In fact, when Tennessee's other four starting offensive linemen exited the game, Carmona got in a few extra reps, totaling 28 snaps. It was a heavy workload for a rookie blocker gaining momentum.
More importantly, Carmona performed effectively. The fifth-round guard held up nicely in protection and strung together several impressive blocks in the run game. Head coach Robert Saleh spoke highly of Carmona's performance after the game.
Furthermore, Volson struggled in protection once he entered the game. Combining that with Carmona's eye-opening performance will undoubtedly have Titans coaches rethinking their depth chart. Carmona is suddenly trending in the right direction, while the opposite is also true for Volson.
The Titans brought in Volson as a veteran fallback solution in case sophomore Slater didn't look ready to win the starting job. Reassessing matters after the first preseason contest indicates both Volson and Slater are currently uninspiring options at right guard. Emerging from the shadows, Carmona could be trending towards becoming the best option to win the position battle at right guard.
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