Titans 53-Man Roster Projection 2025: Faith in Ran Carthon’s investment at linebacker could backfire on Titans coaches, defense
This linebacker room is messy
The Titans inside linebacker situation involves a lot of faith and hope. Will this coaching staff get burnt by the bet they and the front office have made on 2nd year leaps? We’re about to find out.
This is the full linebacker edition of an ongoing article series, breaking down the Titans projected 53-man roster one position at a time. Here's what we've covered so far, in case you've missed it:
- Quarterbacks
- Wide Receivers
- Offensive tackles
- Interior offensive line
- Running Backs
- Tight Ends
- Special Teams
In this installment, we’ll discuss the pecking order in this race for starting linebacker:
Inside Linebackers
- Cody Barton
- Cedric Gray
- James Williams
- Anfernee Orji
Cut: Otis Reese IV, Amari Burney, Curtis Jacobs, Davis Gbenda
Big Barton Responsibility
There isn’t much to say about the newest Titans linebacker, Cody Barton. He’s the alpha dog in this room. He’s the clearcut LB1 on the team, and is already a vocal leader. there’s a lot to like about him both on and off the field.
The Titans are hoping he can quarterback the middle of the Titans defense, acting as the brains of the operation. He’s a sharp football mind and a fantastic tackler. Hopefully he can be something of a “fixer” for this unit, which they may need more desperately than one might hope…
Year 2 Leaps
So much is riding on the investment Ran Carthon’s front office made at linebacker in the 2024 draft. 2nd-year players Cedric Gray and James Williams are being given every opportunity this summer to step up and take the mantle alongside Barton, but both have a lot to prove.
Here’s what Brian Callahan had to say during OTA’s about this group:
“Excited about what those guys have done. They've really grown. Cedric (Gray) and James (Williams Sr.) have grown. Adding (Anfernee) Orji and the guys we've kind of supplemented veteran wise have really shown up for us. It's hard to evaluate linebackers without pads as you said. But being in the right spot, reading the right keys, being in the right place in the pass game, all that stuff you can see parts of, and those guys have made some jumps. I'm looking forward to seeing what they look like in training camp. We're counting on those guys. We're counting on them to step up and all of them, at the end of the day, could have a chance to play some significant snaps for us. So feel good about where we're at, a lot still to be uncovered and competed for but pleased with that process so far. And again, we are confident in where they're at and we're counting them, but we're not there yet.”
We’ll finally start to get a feel for how this room is shaking out once the pads come on soon. If I had to guess before training camp, James Williams has the edge over Gray. I like his long frame and athleticism a lot, he just has to get comfortable and consistent in his role. I won’t count Gray out, though, who was somebody I liked pre-draft and was a high 4th round pick for a reason.
Sleeper Contenders
Did you notice who else Callahan mentioned in the quote above? That’s Vanderbilt Legend Anfernee Orji, a new Titan by way of New Orleans this year. He’s somebody the coaching staff mentioned repeatedly in the ILB conversation during OTA’s, which is telling. I’ll admit, I haven’t watched Anfernee Orji Saints tape. But my friend James Foster did, and he came away intrigued.
Could Orji be the one who is actually in the lead for this role? I wouldn’t rule it out at this point!
The last guy I’d like to bring up is UDFA rookie David Gbenda. He was a really strong player at Texas, who absolutely looks the part.
His tape is that of a player who, frankly, should’ve been drafted. There’s a lot to like with this frame, athleticism, and tackling prowess. If he gets up to speed quickly, he could be a dark horse roster candidate.
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