A little over a year ago, fourth-round pick Cedric Gray was a rookie linebacker who seemed poised to get a lot of playing time with the Tennessee Titans. Similar to 2025 rookies like Chimere Dike and Elic Ayomanor, Gray was a Day 3 value pick who seemed to possess an easy path to playing time. Unfortunately, injuries sidelined him during training camp, and he never got a chance to build the momentum he needed to push for a starting job.
Gray has had better injury luck this year, and he has been praised by the coaching staff whenever the linebacker group is being discussed. This point has been somewhat glossed over during training camp because fellow second-year linebacker James Williams and free-agent addition Cody Barton have done a great job making plays as the starters. Williams looks like a potential breakout star.
However, in Wednesday's second joint practice with the Atlanta Falcons, Gray was rewarded for his recent efforts by receiving some reps with the first-team defense, according to Terry McCormick. Gray appears to be making a late push for a starting role.
Titans LB Cedric Gray forcing coaching staff to rethink the depth chart
Both Gray and Williams are fast-flowing linebackers who are athletic enough to get in front of zone blocks and attack the line of scrimmage as blitzers or against gap runs. Williams will always get the nod in terms of length and athletic ability, but Gray has been a linebacker for his entire career, while Williams is still new to the position after making the switch from safety.
While Williams still has a healthy lead on the starting linebacker spot next to Barton, it's great to see Gray make a push. In the best-case scenario, the Titans end up with another aggressive linebacker who is a perfect fit for Dennard Wilson's defense. In the worst-case scenario, Gray looks like he still isn't ready to be a starter immediately, and he is just going to be a role player and quality backup instead.
That is a win-win situation, especially at a position like linebacker, where the Titans have struggled for years to maintain a pipeline of homegrown talent that can handle the job. Both Williams and Gray appear to have bright futures in Nashville.
The spine of the defense is in good shape with Jeffery Simmons and T'Vondre Sweat on the line. Williams, Barton, and Gray should all make plays at the second level, too. With a quartet of talented safeties, the ceiling and floor for the defense will be decided by what the EDGEs and cornerbacks do this season.