The Tennessee Titans released their first depth chart of the 2026 season, and as always, these have big bold letters at the top of them that read “Tennessee Titans unofficial depth chart.” 

While they’re traveling on Monday to San Francisco to practice against the 49ers on Tuesday in a joint practice, then playing their first preseason game on Thursday night in Santa Clara against the Niners, there is always a meaning and a purpose to a depth chart in the sport of football, regardless of how unofficial it’s going to be.

You know who doesn’t think this depth chart is unofficial? The guys in the locker room whose names are on the depth chart. It means something to them. Whether that’s motivation from being listed as third string or a wake-up call from not being listed as a starter, it can serve as a slight call-out. 

We can skip over some positions that are as straight forward as they can be at this point. For example, Cam Ward and Mitch Trubisky as the starting and back up quarterbacks. So let’s read into this thing and see what checks out from watching training camp practices and what doesn’t.

What checks out on the Titans’ depth chart

Wide receiver is exactly how it should be for the most part. Carnell Tate and Calvin Ridley are starters on the outside, with Wan’Dale Robinson starting in the slot. The backup to Ridley is Elic Ayomanor. The backup to Tate is Bryce Oliver. The backup to Robinson is Chim Dike, who (I think) plays all of these positions but on a limited 53-man roster will be the direct backup to Robinson on the active roster. Dike could also be the backup to Tate or fill either role on the outside. Those are your six receivers. Anybody else is on the outside looking in and battling for 

On the offensive line, the starters line up exactly as expected from left to right: left tackle Dan Moore Jr., left guard Peter Skoronski, center Austin Schlottmann, right guard Cordell Volson, and right tackle JC Latham.

The defensive line is where Robert Saleh’s scheme shows its fingerprints for the first time on a Titans depth chart. There are three positions: rush end, defensive tackle, and big end. Big end John Franklin-Myers is listed as a starter on the defensive line where you would typically put a defensive tackle, next to Jeffery Simmons. 

The four defensive ends check out with what I saw Friday at the scrimmage. Jermaine Johnson and Jacob Martin are the starters, with Femi Oladejo as the backup to Johnson and Keldric Faulk as the backup to Martin. The second line on the defensive tackles behind Simmons lists Solomon Thomas and Jackie Marshall, which also checks out. Behind Franklin-Myers sits Jordan Elliott and Earnest Brown.

How the players are grouped into starters and second teamers lines up with how they seem to be deployed during practice. The confusing part that will continue to exist is how Saleh’s three position defensive line is a square peg into the round hole that is a standard depth chart.

The starting cornerbacks and safeties are as expected. Backup safeties Tony Adams and Kendall Brooks behind Amani Hooker and Kevin Winston check out too.

What doesn’t match what I’ve seen at practice

The running back position is where the first head-scratcher appears. Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears listed as the first and second running backs is correct. It’s how the other four are listed that doesn’t reflect reality. Michael Carter is on the second line with Spears, and that does not reflect what I expected from watching practice. On the third line, you have Julius Chestnut (a fringe roster/practice squad player who’s been around several years), Kalel Mullings (the second-year draft pick), and then rookie Nick Singleton. 

If you asked me to rearrange things, I would take Nick Singleton from his listed 6th spot and put him where Carter is at 3rd, then drop Carter to 6th. That’s how I feel about the running back position.

Tight end has a similar issue at the third spot. Kylen Granson is listed as third. I would put David Martin-Robinson there. That’s just the feel I get from watching all these practices.

Titans position battles still worth monitoring

The offensive line backups deserve attention because you have to keep at least eight offensive linemen active on game days. Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson is the clear third tackle, listed as JC Latham’s backup on the right. Austin Deculus is the placeholder behind Dan Moore Jr. 

The right guard position features a three-man battle for the starting spot. Volson is the leader, and I think Fernando Carmona and Jackson Slater have roughly equal chances at the backup role. There’s maybe less than a 50% chance Volson is the starter at right guard when the regular season begins, but that’s a whole other article. At backup center, Pat Coogan is behind veteran Andre James, which might just be a seniority move.

The linebackers present a roster crunch. Three starters in Cody Barton, Cedric Gray, and Mohamoud Diabate, with Anthony Hill Jr. as the backup to Diabate. Hill is the soonest to climb into that third linebacker spot. James Williams Sr. is the backup to Barton and Dorian Mausi is the backup to Gray. Tennessee likes all six of those linebackers a lot. They don’t have room for all six. Mausi is the current odd man out, in my mind.

One note worth watching in the secondary: the backup nickel is Keydrain Calligan, while Josh Williams and Micah Robinson are still holding onto the backup outside cornerback spots.

The Titans will get their first real preseason test Thursday night in Santa Clara. That game, combined with Tuesday’s joint practice against San Francisco, should start sorting out which depth chart listings are accurate and which are about to change.