Tennessee Titans will have options on the table to begin preparing for life after L’Jarius Sneed following latest injury setback
Potential 2026 NFL Draft prospects that Tennessee Titan fans need to know.
On a seemingly endless loop of bad news for Tennessee Titan fans recently, you can add the latest injury to starting cornerback L’Jarius Sneed. Once viewed as a cornerstone of the defense in Nashville, the former Kansas City Chiefs star has been often inconsistent and unavailable. Sneed will now be spending some more time on Injured Reserve, a place he has gotten way too familiar with the last two seasons.
With Sneed’s future with the Titans uncertain, it may be time for the organization to plan for the life after. The 2026 NFL Draft could offer a great opportunity to potentially find a replacement, or at least offer some hypothetical solutions in the cornerback room. Whether you like it or not, that’s where the Sneed situation has led us.
In order to gain some deeper clarity for the current state of the Titans cornerback situation, A to Z Sports Titans reporter Easton Freeze was kind enough to provide his insight. Here is what Freeze has to say about Sneed, the cornerback position, and what could be next for Tennessee.
The L’Jarius Sneed disasterclass
When Ran Carthon sent a third and swapped sevenths with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2024 for the privilege of signing L’Jarius Sneed to a four year, $76.4 million deal, it was supposed to be a massive boost to their secondary. Instead, we’re 24 game weeks into Sneeds tenure in Tennessee and it looks like the trade was an absolute fleece for the best team in recent NFL history. The rich get richer.
Sneed has been on the field for less than 43% of the possible defensive snaps he could have played so far, and now that he’s on IR for at least the next four games, that percentage is only going to sink further. When he’s been out there, he’s looked like a starter. But he hasn’t been the lockdown star the now-fired GM of this team signed up for. His story since leaving Kansas City ultimately boils down to his body failing him, keeping him from ever being for the Titans what he was for the Chiefs. Chiefs GM Brett Veach sold at the right time.
The Titans came into 2025 with one outside corner who they’ve since traded, and another who is on IR and appears to be on the way out. So needless to say, this spring is going to be all about them finding the next iteration of starting outside corners for this team.
President of Football Operations Chad Brinker and GM Mike Borgonzi come from backgrounds that are especially interested in physical benchmarks. Brinker’s experience in Green Bay is particularly notable, where it’s pretty well-documented how much they value length on the outside. I think this will be the biggest guiding principle for them in their search for young new options in the secondary to lead this roster into the future. One would have to think the 2026 draft will be the place they address at least one of these two expected openings.
The 2026 NFL Draft cornerback class
Like always, even in average to below average groups, there is value to be found. The 2026 cornerback class is no different. There are a couple of first round options that Tennessee fans will need to know, and even more value to be found throughout.
Here are some early round, mid round, and late round options that could make some sense for the Titans. It’s early, but there are prospects to be very excited about right now.
Early round options
Jermod McCoy (Tennessee)
If not for the preseason knee injury, most would be talking a whole lot more about McCoy. He’s a super physical press man cornerback who was arguably the best cover man in college football in 2024. When healthy, McCoy has a strong argument as a blue chip player in this class. Depending on where the Titans end up selecting in the first round, final result or trade back involved, the former Vols star could be an intriguing option.
Mansoor Delane (Virginia Tech)
With McCoy out of the spotlight right now, Delane has been one of the biggest beneficiaries nationally. While he isn’t as big of a cornerback, the former Virginia Tech is super sticky in man coverage with a lot of coverage upside. There is also some inside-out versatility that Delane brings to the table.
Mid round options
Tacario Davis (Washington)
If the Titans wanted to get bigger on the outside, there aren’t many better options than Davis. The former Arizona transfer has been inconsistent over the last three years, but when he’s on, Davis is tremendous. At over 6-3 with 33 inch arms, his overall movement and physicality bring a lot of upside to the table.
Christian Gray (Notre Dame)
Gray is a cornerback who will drive fans crazy sometimes. He has a propensity to create a lot of big plays, bringing an appealing combination of size, athleticism, and ball skills. The problem is that Gray is a very inconsistent player who will let up some big plays as well. When he’s bad, he’s been really bad.
Late round options
Collin Wright (Stanford)
There’s no substitute for experience and Wright has a ton of it. While he doesn’t have any elite trait, Wright does everything relatively well. He has the look of a solid depth player for a long time, and will be dependable when his number is called.
Ephesians Prysock (Washington)
If Wright is a safe late round option, then Prysock is the toolsy bet on upside and traits. At nearly 6-4 with a ton of length, Prysock’s technique, and most notably his footwork, can be very inconsistent. There are baseline traits to build with. Coaching and fit are going to matter a ton.
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