The NFL Combine is now in the rearview mirror, and the start of free agency is on deck next week. We’re entering the hectic downhill portion of the player acquisition cycle now, and it’s the perfect time for us to run through a Mock Offseason 2.0.

A lot has changed since the first time we ran this exercise with sticktothemodel.com on the A to Z Sport Morning Show. The Titans have cut some players and created new needs, they’ve made a splashy trade for an EDGE rusher, and the league-wide landscape of free agency has shifted as we near the starting bell. This article recaps the full 90-minute exercise we did live on the show, which you can watch in it’s entirety right here.

Here’s a summary of of the moves that we made with big-picture notes on why:

Mock Tennessee Titans Offseason

Cuts

• CB L’Jarius Sneed (+$11.9M)
• LB Cody Barton (-$1.4M)

Everybody expects Sneed to be cut eventually, so no surprise there. The decision to cut Cody Barton will probably be more surprising, but after strong buzz during the Combine about the Titans being in on a high-powered linebacker addition for Robert Saleh to utilize, Barton’s contract and body of work in 2025 aren’t aligned with what this team wants.

Extensions

• DT Jeffery Simmons, 3 years (+$9.7M)
• LG Peter Skoronski, 4 years (-$3.0M)

The single dumbest thing we did in the first iteration of this exercise was waiting to extend Skoronski. I brought it up on the show and in the article as a thing I expected them to do eventually, but perhaps in the summer or during next season. After Mike Borgonzi mentioned it pretty explicitly at the Combine, I’m kicking myself for not doing what makes by far the most sense here: extend him ASAP. These price tags don’t get any cheaper, and if the Titans are certain they want to keep Skoronski (they should be), then hammer out a deal now!

Trades

• QB Will Levis to LAR for 2026 3rd

Do I think the Titans will trade Will Levis for the right price? I do. We traded Levis in the first version of this mock offseason. But while I don’t know exactly what market he could demand, I’m pretty sure it won’t be as lucrative for the Titans as this one is. I’m going to throw my cohosts Austin Stanley and JT Ruhnke directly under the bus for overruling me on accepting this wishful trade. Make sure to reach out to them on twitter to let them know if you agree that it’s crazy.

Re-Signings

• RG Kevin Zeitler, 1yr/$6.0M AAV
• CB Darrell Baker Jr., 1yr/$1.6M AAV
• EDGE Jihad Ward, 1yr/$5.6M AAV
• K Joey Slye, 1yr/$1.3M AAV
• C Corey Levin, 2yr/$3.0M AAV
• LS Morgan Cox, 1yr/$1.4M AAV
• DL James Lynch, 1yr/$3.9M AAV
• WR Bryce Oliver, 1yr/$1M AAV

Paul Kuharsky reported during Combine week that the Titans were focused on signing RG Kevin Zeitler and TE Chig Okonkwo above the rest of their pending free agents. In this mock, signing Zeitler was a no-brainer at this price. I know for a fact that he wants to keep playing, and I know he’d prefer to do it here in Nashville with his family settled in. Since the Titans want him back for continuity as well, the reunion should be simple.

We ended up passing on Chig here because frankly, his price tag in the $9 million range was too much to stomach. The majority of both the veteran and rookie market this offseason is F (“move”) tight ends who offer receiving chops but lack blocking ability. You can find this role for cheaper, as much as we enjoy Okonkwo on this team.

Bringing back the rest of the players on this list establishes a comfortable floor in a handful of position groups that you’d like to have going into the rest of the process.

Free Agency Additions

• WR Wan’Dale Robinson, 4yr/$24.3M AAV
• C Connor McGovern, 2yr/$18.8M AAV
• LB Devin Lloyd, 2yr/11.3M AAV
• DL John Franklin-Myers, 2yr/$12.1M APY
• CB Alontae Taylor, 3yr/$10M AAV
• TE Daniel Bellinger, 2yr/$4.8M AAV
• QB Gardner Minshew, 1yr/$5.3M AAV
• CB Jaylen Watson, 3yr/$13.5M AAV
• EDGE Yetur Gross-Matos, 2yr/$3.7M AAV

When we finished this exercise, all three armchair GM’s involved agreed: there’s no way the Titans’ real haul is this attractive. We think they will be choosier, more conservative, and more interested in rolling unspent cap dollars into the future than we intentionally were in this mock. But they’ve been rumored to have interest in a handful of big players at big positions, and we do expect them to take a big swing like some of the ones above. The question becomes: which will it be?

Mock Draft

Round 1, pick 4: Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame

• Do I personally think that Mike Borgonzi is the type to take a running back with the fourth overall pick? No, I do not. But this class is a fascinating study of the balance between positional value and the “best player available” mentality, and in this offseason mock, everything is set up to swing big on this versatile rushing and receiving weapon in the first round. At the very least, Ward + Love will be a fun show.

Round 2, pick 54: Gabe Jacas, EDGE, Illinois

• I wouldn’t put it past Borgonzi to try trading back in the 2nd Round again if it means landing another top-100 pick. At 54, he takes the impressive rusher out of Illinois who has popped in both the Senior Bowl and Combine so far this offseason.

Round 3, pick 66: Julian Neal, CB, Arkansas

• The Titans need to take a swing or two at CB in this draft, so they take Neal off the board at 66. He was one of the most impressive risers during the 2025 college football season and clears the size thresholds this front office prefer with flying colors.

Round 3, pick 68: Eli Stowers, TE, Vanderbilt

• As I noted on the show, I’ll be pretty shocked to see Stowers available this late. He was already getting 2nd round hype before blowing up the Combine with multiple record-breaking testing performances. Is he really a tight end? No, he’s a glorified receiver. But boy is he enticing as a receiving option.

Round 4, pick 93: Keylan Rutledge, OG, Georgia Tech

• It’s never a bad idea to add talent to the OL room, and Borgonzi talks a big game about emphasizing the trenches. He puts his money where his mouth is here and brings in Rutledge to be the heir apparent at RG if Jackson Slater doesn’t take that mantle.

Round 4, pick 101: Skylar Bell, WR, Connecticut

• Tennessee finally addresses the WR position in the draft, with pick 101 like they did last year. Chimere Dike turned out great, so hopefully the same fate befalls Skylar Bell. The well-rounded receiver stands to benefit from leaving a funky offensive situation at UConn. He brings an exciting YAC ability to the table.

Round 5, pick 140: Dametrius Crownover, OT, Texas A&M

• Once again, the Titans grab a developmental lineman. Crownover has some of the most attractive raw traits in this class to be an NFL tackle, but he needs polish.

Round 5, pick 142: Jalon Kilgore, S, South Carolina

• Kilgore has some of the most versatile experience of any DB in this draft class. He’s taken snaps at CB, nickel, box safety, and field safety in college. He’s got the body type to move around (6’1″ 210lbs), though it often keeps him from being the most fluid athlete on the field.

Round 6, pick 183: Ephesians Prysock, CB, Washington

• Prysock is a plus athlete with freaky length, he just needs NFL polish to turn into an NFL starter. He has 2600+ power 4 snaps under his belt from college.

Round 7, pick 239: David Gusta, DL, Kentucky

• You can never have too many bodies in the trenches. Tennessee takes a swing on the athletic Kentucky defensive tackle who demonstrated NFL speed and explosiveness at the Combine.

Tennessee Titans News

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