NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- After a third consecutive year with a record that resulted in major changes in the Tennessee Titans' organization, the team again faces a potential roster overhaul.
New general manager Mike Borgonzi is the latest newcomer charged with restoring the Titans to respectability. Tennessee has the top overall pick in the draft after going 3-14 this past season and the organization has money to spend in free agency. But it also has a roster that needs a lot of work.
President of football operations Chad Brinker believes Borgonzi, new assistant general manager Dave Zeigler and vice president/football adviser Reggie McKenzie have a great opportunity in front of them.
"What more would you want than to be able to come into a situation where there's a lot of holes on the roster and you get the opportunity to flip a roster and make the No. 1 pick," Brinker said. "As a general manager, that's exactly what you want."
Having the top pick is a prime opportunity to add talent and spearhead the Titans' latest philosophy: "Draft, develop, retain." Brinker wants to build the roster's core through the draft while taking a selective approach in free agency to supplement the Titans' talent.
The Titans have $41.6 million in cap space to use this offseason, according to Roster Management System, but they have over 25 players set to become free agents when the new league year starts March 12. So they'll need to be diligent with their roster construction.
Here are the top five roster needs for the Titans this offseason:
Quarterback
Will Levis is the sole quarterback the Titans have under contract. He has two years left on his rookie deal, so he will most likely be back and should get to compete for the starting position. But the Titans need answers fast, and there's a variety of directions they could go to try to find them.
"You have to have a strategy," Borgonzi told ESPN when talking about sorting through their approach to both free agency and the draft. "Is there a guy we can take and play right away or do we have to bridge it and develop him? Those are the ongoing discussions we're going to have here in the next few months."
When Borgonzi was with the Kansas City Chiefs as the assistant director of pro scouting in 2013, Kansas City sent a second-round pick (34th overall) in that year's draft and a conditional pick in 2014 to the San Francisco 49ers for quarterback Alex Smith. The Chiefs then selected offensive tackle Eric Fisher with the No.1 pick.
Could this year's Titans follow that path?
Offensive Line
The right side of the offensive line was a serious problem for the Titans this past season. They tried a rotation of Nicholas Petit-Frere, Jaelyn Duncan, John Ojukwu, and Leroy Watson IV at the position. Collectively, Tennessee's right tackles allowed 29 sacks, the most among all teams this past season. Petit-Frere played 65.2% of the snaps and was credited with 14 sacks allowed.
"We need to get a right tackle," Titans coach Brian Callahan said during his season-ending news conference. "I would say you're probably going to for sure see a new right tackle in some shape or form, you might see a few. We are going to have to add more players up front ... from right guard and right tackle. We're going to have to find ways to keep improving."
Wide Receiver
Calvin Ridley is the only proven receiver under contract. Ridley led the Titans with 35 receptions, 819 yards and four touchdowns on downfield targets (10 or more air yards) this past season according to Next Gen Stats. All other Titans receivers combined for 32 receptions, 847 yards and 10 touchdowns on such targets this past season. Ridley accounted for 49.2% of the Titans' air yards, the highest team share of any player in the NFL. Finding a playmaking "X" receiver to complement Ridley would help Tennessee's offense immensely. The Titans could also use a chain-moving slot receiver who can work the middle of the field and make those crucial catches on third downs.
Edge Rusher
Tennessee failed to have a defender register double-digit sacks in a season for the first time since 2022, with Harold Landry III's nine sacks leading the way. Defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson needs an impact player coming off the edge who can make plays that tilt games.
Adding a disruptive outside force to pair with defensive tackles Jeffery Simmons and T'Vondre Sweat collapsing the pocket from the inside would give the Titans a coordinated pass rush that could wreak havoc on opposing offenses.
Safety
Amani Hooker posted a career-high five interceptions and 71 tackles this past season. He'll be back once to lead the secondary, but who will be next to him? The Titans lack options currently on the roster, and also, Hooker missed 17 total games over the past three seasons, so it'll be critical for the Titans to add depth to the position.
Kicker
At 40 years old, Nick Folk's time with the Titans could be done since his contract expires when the league year ends. Folk is coming off a season in which he became the oldest kicker to make three 50-plus-yard field goals in a game. He was a perfect six for six from 50 yards or more and his 95.5 field goal percentage was the second-best of his 17-year career. Bringing him back on a one-year deal shouldn't be out of the question. But at some point, the Titans will need to find someone to hold it down over the long term.
Here are the top free agents for the Titans to address:
Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, wide receiver
Westbrook-Ikhine went from not seeing a target over the first four games to becoming a legitimate playmaker in the passing game. He finished with a team-leading nine receiving touchdowns this past season. Titans wide receivers coach Tyke Tolbert enjoyed working with Westbrook-Ikhine in their first season together.
"He's a very reliable, trustworthy guy," Tolbert said. "He plays all three positions. Nick had an opportunity to play and he produced. He's done a really good job and I hope he continues his success."
Keeping Westbrook-Ikhine around probably won't break the bank and sends a good message to the locker room, showing that players who stay the course and develop will be rewarded. Westbrook-Ikhine wants to add on to the five years he's already spent in Nashville.
"I love this city," Westbrook-Ikhine said during locker cleanout day. "The community I have around me, the people I've gotten to know really well are here. The organization has been good to me and gave me an opportunity to get started so I'm grateful for that."
Dillon Radunz, right guard
Radunz was second on the team with 12 sacks allowed this past season. But he's a player the Titans should consider bringing back. It didn't help that he had to line up next to the disastrous right tackle position on 852 snaps this past season. Radunz was a steady presence in the lineup having played 95.2% of the snaps in 2024.
The fifth-year offensive lineman has proven to be a solid run blocker already. Two of running back Tony Pollard's longest runs came off Radunz pulling and wiping out the edge defender to clear a path to the alley. He should get the opportunity to further develop under stellar offensive line coach Bill Callahan after finally getting to dedicate himself to one position this past year instead of bouncing between guard and tackle over his first three seasons.
Sebastian Joseph-Day, defensive tackle
Joseph-Day didn't put up monster numbers (six QB hits, three tackles for a loss, 2.5 sacks), but he was a versatile player who lined up at numerous spots on the defensive line. His versatility allows Wilson to employ multiple looks up front and formed a solid rotation with pending free agent Keondre Coburn, Simmons and Sweat.
Joseph-Day feels he has unfinished business with the Titans and wants to be back with the organization next season.
"I felt I could have contributed more in certain aspects," Joseph-Day said during locker cleanout. "There's so many great players so all you can do is make the most of what you're given. I'd love to be back. The camaraderie, the brotherhood, coach [Tracy] Rocker the way Dennard Wilson calls defense is aggressive and fun."
Justin Hardee Sr., special teams
Tennessee's special teams were really bad for most of the season. The worst performance came in Week 8 when the Titans allowed a 72-yard kickoff return by Khalil Dorsey, a 64-yard punt return and a 90-yard punt return for a touchdown both by Kalif Raymond. Hardee was signed two days later.
The unit gradually improved as they adopted Hardee's "hunt by any means necessary" mindset. Hardee is exclusively a special teams player, but he has been among the best over his eight-year career. New special teams coordinator John Fassel would benefit from having Hardee back for another season.