We are just one day away from actual Tennessee Titans football, with the team set to take on the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field in preseason Week 1.
The Titans have gone through three weeks of training camp thus far and while things have begun to take shape in terms of starting battles and guys vying for roster spots, the biggest step in evaluations begin on Saturday.
The Titans plan on playing some starters, according to head coach Mike Vrabel, although it isn’t clear exactly which ones will take the field. Further, the team did not announce who will start at quarterback.
Assuming Ryan Tannehill doesn’t suit up, that figures to be Malik Willis, who was the No. 2 signal-caller going into camp. If that comes to fruition, he’ll be followed by Will Levis, who will be making his NFL debut, something that adds a ton of excitement to this contest.
The battle for the backup quarterback job will be the most interesting thing to watch on Saturday, and we listed both players in our recent article naming players to watch at each position on offense.
But for today, we’re focusing on the defensive side of the ball and specialists. Here is one player to watch at each position, along with some honorable mentions.
Defensive line: Jayden Peevy
Peevy has been making plays in training camp, but it’s been the praise he’s received from coaches that has been the most notable thing about his offseason.
Defensive line and assistant head coach Terrell Williams lauded Peevy for the “huge improvement” he’s made this offseason and hinted the 2022 UDFA could be in line for more than just a roster spot.
Defensive coordinator Shane Bowen praised Peevy for the “tremendous” strides he’s made, and noted how the Texas A&M product dropped weight to improve his game.
Peevy, who was also an offseason award winner for the team, can continue cementing his spot on the roster with a strong showing on Saturday.
Honorable mentions: TK McLendon Jr., Tyler Shelvin, Shakel Brown
These three players were listed behind Peevy, Naquan Jones and Jaleel Johnson, all of whom have the inside track to make the roster, assuming Tennessee carries six defensive linemen.
All three must show out big time if they want to make up ground on the guys in front of them and have a shot at the roster. But they’ll also be vying for a practice squad spot if they don’t make the cut.
Linebacker: Jack Gibbens and Monty Rice
After an entire offseason of projecting Rice to be the starter next to Azeez Al-Shaair, it’s Gibbens who is the frontrunner for that job.
Not only has Dr. Gibby been getting significant first-team reps over Rice, he’s also listed as the starter on the first unofficial depth chart. If you don’t see Gibby on the field in preseason Week 1, it’ll be more confirmation that the job is his to lose, but I’d expect to see both players out there.
Rice desperately needs to step up and play well if he wants to take the job from Gibbens.
Honorable mention: Otis Reese IV
The 2023 UDFA has a big fan in head coach Mike Vrabel, who was downright giddy about seeing Reese take the field.
“I cannot wait to watch O-T-I-S in that preseason game and playing fast,” Vrabel said. “When he triggers — he triggered yesterday in the bubble and came through — there’s a level of play speed that when he is sure of where he’s going, is pretty cool.
Even if the Titans carry five linebackers, Reese will have an uphill climb, as he’s also contending with veterans Luke Gifford and Ben Niemann for a roster spot.
A strong showing — especially on special teams — this preseason will no doubt improve his chances, but if all else fails he’ll likely earn a spot on the practice squad.
Outside linebacker: Caleb Murphy
We’ve long projected Murphy to earn a spot on the 53-man roster, but that projection took a hit after the team’s first unofficial depth chart was released and had Sam Okuayinonu listed ahead of him at outside linebacker.
I figured Sam O. would factor into the equation along the defensive line, but his presence at outside linebacker might make things more difficult for Murphy’s chances of making the cut if Tennessee carries four.
Murphy comes to the NFL fresh off a season in which he broke the NCAA record for most sacks in a single season with 25.5. But as we know, college production doesn’t win roster spots, producing on the field does.
Murphy needs a good showing as a pass-rusher, but more importantly he’s got to show he has the chops to be a contributor on special teams.
Honorable mention: Thomas Rush
The 2023 UDFA tallied 86 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks, five passes defensed, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery in 58 games (19 starts) at Minnesota.
Both he and Zach McCloud appear to be the biggest long shots to make the cut at outside linebacker. Rush isn’t likely to show much as a pass-rusher but proving to be an impact special teams player will help his cause.
Cornerback: Roger McCreary
McCreary is expected to play predominantly out of the slot in 2023 after spending his time outside during his rookie campaign.
It’ll be interesting to see how the Auburn product is coming along there, and if he outperforms Elijah Molden, assuming both see time in the middle on Saturday.
Honorable mentions: Armani Marsh and Chris Jackson
Marsh has garnered some attention recently thanks to praise he received from safety Kevin Byard, who noted the defensive back’s versatility. Byard said he’s been impressed with Marsh, who has been “making plays since Day 1.”
Kevin Byard says he has been impressed with #Titans DB Armani Marsh from day one. pic.twitter.com/kH1JnYjt0m
— AtoZ Sports Nashville (@AtoZSports) August 7, 2023
Marsh, who is listed at No. 4 behind Chris Jackson at one of the cornerback spots on the depth chart, has gotten looks at multiple places this offseason, including in the slot.
Assuming the Titans carry six cornerbacks, Marsh might put himself in position for a roster spot if he can outperform Jackson.
Jackson is one of two players remaining from the 2020 draft class (Kristian Fulton is the other), and while he’s someone I’ve projected to make the cut, he’s no lock.
Jackson, who has been cut before, has also dealt with injury issues during his career, so it’s especially ominous that he’s missed multiple practices in a row recently. The Marshall product needs to get on the field and play well this preseason or someone like Marsh might take his spot.
Safety: Elijah Molden
Assuming he plays, not only will this be Molden’s first game action since Week 12 of last season, it’ll be his first look at safety in the NFL.
Molden, who was plagued by injury in 2022 and appeared in only two games, has a lot on his plate this offseason thanks to his learning a new position on top of his duties at cornerback.
We’ll no doubt be watching how he plays at his new position, but it’s also worth keeping an eye on how he does in the slot as compared to McCreary should both players get a look there.
Honorable mentions: Shyheim Carter, Matthew Jackson, Tyreque Jones, A.J. Moore, Mike Brown
The Titans have three spots locked-in at safety with Byard, Amani Hooker and Molden, leaving what could be just one spot up for grabs.
Moore is the favorite thanks to his advantage in experience over the others, but he’s far from a lock to make the cut. Jones has arguably been the biggest standout of this group in camp, but there isn’t a lot separating these players.
Specialists: Ks Trey Wolff and Caleb Shudak
We’ve included the specialists in this article and it goes without saying that both Shudak and Wolff are THE players to watch here.
Shudak, a 2022 UDFA, and Wolff, a 2023 UDFA, are currently battling it out for the starting job in a competition that has been very close. It remains to be seen how the Titans will divvy up kicking duties, but I expect both to get a shot on Saturday, assuming the offense can get them close enough.
The competition in camp is fine, but the real evaluation will start once these guys take the field and have the pressure of live-game action. We may have a lot more clarity on where this battle stands after preseason Week 1.
Honorable mention: P Ryan Stonehouse
Stonehouse is 1,000-percent safe, but I’ll be keeping an eye on how things are coming along with two areas he’s been working on this offseason: hang time and directional punts.
Stonehouse should have ample opportunities with second- and third-teamers seeing the vast majority of playing time.
