The Tennessee Titans open training camp on July 28 at St. Thomas Sports Park in Nashville. There are high hopes for the Titans after they made a playoff run to the AFC Championship Game, where they lost to the Chiefs, in their second season with Mike Vrabel as their coach. GM Jon Robinson has the team looking to "run it back" after re-signing two cornerstone players -- running back Derrick Henry and quarterback Ryan Tannehill -- to long-term deals this offseason. Here is a 53-man roster projection.
QUARTERBACK (3): Ryan Tannehill, Logan Woodside, Cole McDonald
Tannehill earned a chance to start the season on top of the depth chart after a stellar 2019 season. After Tannehill, things get a little cloudy. Woodside has not taken an NFL snap but is the favorite to win the backup spot. The Titans liked how involved Woodside was with game preparation despite being on the practice squad injured reserve last season. They feel that if called upon, Woodside can execute the offense. The Titans like McDonald as a prospect because of the athleticism and playmaking ability he displayed at Hawaii.
RUNNING BACK (3): Derrick Henry, Darrynton Evans, Dalyn Dawkins
Henry will obviously get most of the carries. The offense is designed to get Henry as many touches as possible. But don't be surprised if Evans carves out a niche as the lightning to Henry's thunder. Evans excelled in similar zone concepts at Appalachian State. Dawkins is a favorite of running backs coach Tony Dews. The Titans like the sense of urgency Dawkins plays with. If Henry doesn't get more than the 24 snaps he had on third downs last season, that will leave plenty of opportunities for Evans and Dawkins to see added game reps.
FULLBACK (1): Khari Blasingame
Blasingame is a bruising blocker who's also a viable option in the passing game.
WIDE RECEIVER (7): A.J. Brown, Corey Davis, Adam Humphries, Kalif Raymond, Cam Batson, Rashard Davis, Kristian Wilkerson
Tennessee's three-WR package will still be intact with Brown and Davis on the outside and Humphries in the slot. Raymond came on as a legitimate vertical threat last season. He will get plenty of snaps on the outside. Batson and Davis aren't the biggest wideouts, but they are capable of filling in at multiple spots. Wilkerson was a highly sought after undrafted free agent who brings good size (6-foot-1, 201 pounds) to the depth chart. Davis, Humphries and Raymond double as punt returners.
TIGHT END (3): Jonnu Smith, Anthony Firkser, MyCole Pruitt
Smith is the player most likely to experience a breakout season for the Titans. Having his former tight ends coach (Arthur Smith) as the offensive coordinator helps his chances. After posting a team-high two touchdowns in the postseason last year, Firkser will continue to be a contributor in the passing game with Pruitt serving as primarily a blocking option.
OFFENSIVE LINE (10): Taylor Lewan, Rodger Saffold, Ben Jones, Nate Davis, Dennis Kelly, Isaiah Wilson, David Quessenberry, Ty Sambrailo, Jamil Douglas, Avery Gennesy
The Titans lost Jack Conklin in free agency, so Kelly will likely open as the starting right tackle -- which is the only spot on offense where the Titans aren't returning a starter. Kelly started four games at left tackle last season when Lewan was suspended. Isaiah Wilson was their first-round pick this year so he will push for the starting right tackle spot at some point. The primary backup spots will be occupied by Quessenberry and Sambrailo.
DEFENSIVE LINE (6): Jeffery Simmons, DaQuan Jones, Jack Crawford, Isaiah Mack, Matt Dickerson, Larrell Murchison
The spotlight will be on Simmons, the 2019 first-rounder, to step up as a force on the defensive line. Unlike last season when Simmons was recovering from torn knee ligaments, he was able to participate in the offseason training program this year. Expect Mack to move into a complementary role similar to the one Simmons had with Jurrell Casey last season. Jones will continue to be an anchor up front, especially on first and second down.
OUTSIDE LINEBACKER (6): Harold Landry, Vic Beasley, Kamalei Correa, D'Andre Walker, Derick Roberson, Reggie Gilbert
The Titans will call on Landry and Beasley to lead the pass rush from their outside linebacker group. Don't be surprised if Landry's snap count is scaled back mostly during early downs. OLB coach Shane Bowen attributed a higher snap count to Landry's decline in sack production down the stretch last season. Beasley finished strong and is looking to earn a long-term deal after signing a one-year contract with the Titans. Correa made a strong enough push in the final games last season to earn a four-year deal. Roberson is the wild card. The Titans' staff loves his ability to get to the quarterback which should warrant more opportunities on game day.
INSIDE LINEBACKER (4): Rashaan Evans, Jayon Brown, David Long, Nick Dzubnar
Evans is evolving into a playmaker at inside linebacker and will be one of the leaders on the defense. His ability to diagnose plays and close on the football contributed to his team-high 111 tackles last season. Evans' pass coverage is an area for improvement this season. Brown is one of the most versatile players on defense. He can match up against running backs and tight ends along with offering sideline-to sideline pursuit against the run. Long is a capable backup who can fill in at either the weakside or middle linebacker spots.
SAFETY (4): Kevin Byard, Kenny Vaccaro, Amani Hooker, Dane Cruikshank
The safety group is the best unit on the Titans. Byard will be the leader of that group -- if not the whole defense. He and Vaccaro form one of the top safety duos in the league. Hooker is an integral part of the secondary as a backup and he'll continue to see plenty of reps in sub-packages. Cruikshank is another option in sub-packages and should see reps mostly when the Titans go to dime defense.
CORNERBACK (9): Adoree' Jackson, Malcolm Butler, Johnathan Joseph, Kristian Fulton, Tye Smith, Josh Kalu, Kareem Orr, Chris Milton, Chris Jackson
Jackson played well enough toward the end of last season to influence the Titans to pick up his fifth-year option. He'll likely expand his play to include lining up over the slot this season, especially when the Titans want Jackson to travel with the opposing team's top wideouts. Butler is returning from a broken wrist that caused him to miss the final seven regular-season games and the playoffs. He'll line up mostly at right corner. Joseph was brought on to add a veteran presence and give the Titans another option on the outside. Fulton will get to ease into the nickel corner spot and push for reps at both right and left corner
SPECIALIST (3): Greg Joseph, Brett Kern, Beau Brinkley
Joseph made all 18 of his extra-point attempts. He also made his only field goal attempt, a 30-yarder in the AFC Championship Game. The Titans seem to believe Joseph is the man to handle their kicking duties. Kern is a perennial Pro Bowl player that former defensive coordinator Dean Pees jokingly called the "MVP of the Defense" because of his ability to pin offenses deep in their own territory.