The Tennessee Titans offensive line was one of the biggest question marks of the offseason, and for good reason. From free agency through the NFL Draft and into training camp, the plan at center and right guard remained a mystery.

Now, heading into the 2026 regular season, the picture has finally come into focus, even if the path to get here was anything but clean.

Going into the offseason, the assumption was that Tennessee would bring back at least one of its starting center or right guard. That did not happen. When the Combine came and went with no movement, there was at least a general sense of direction.

Then the Titans passed on interior offensive linemen through the first four rounds of the draft, trading away picks in the late Day 2 and early Day 3 range that could have addressed the position. Free agency offered several quality centers, and Tennessee let every one of them sign elsewhere.

The result was months of confusion about what the Titans were building up front. By June, it felt like the front office might have been making it up as they went.

The plan finally takes shape

The good news, as of Sept. 8, is that a plan does exist. Whether it has been the plan for months or only crystallized in the last few weeks is up for debate, but the vision is now in place. The Titans are rolling with two starters who carry enormous upside and enormous uncertainty in equal measure.

One of those players, rookie Fernando Carmona, has never started an NFL game. What he has shown so far has been promising and ahead of schedule, but there is no track record to lean on. The other, former New York Giants center Austin Schlottmann, has played in the league, but his best season featured just three starts. What a full 17-game workload looks like for him remains a total unknown.

Both players are capable of being quality starters on a good offensive line. The ceiling is there.

The problem is that the floor is just as real, and there is no depth of history to rely on. It is like a credit report with no established track record. You understand the logic, you see the potential, and you cross your fingers.

Fernando Carmona’s wild path to a starting job

Fifth-round pick Fernando Carmona is one of the more fascinating stories on the Titans roster. Carmona did not play football until late in high school.

At 6-4, 225 pounds, he was a tennis player before picking up the sport around his junior year in Las Vegas. With only about two years of tackle football experience, Carmona went to San Jose State, where he transitioned from tight end to offensive tackle.

He then made the smart move in the transfer portal, heading to Arkansas to improve his competition and exposure. After one year at tackle with the Razorbacks, he slid inside to guard, which is where his NFL future lives. Tennessee drafted him in the 5th round, and he won the starting right guard job in camp.

Did he win because he was the best option in a thin competition? Maybe. But the ceiling is high, especially when you consider the player lined up next to him.

The Latham-Carmona right side could be special

If Carmona and right tackle JC Latham can figure it out together, that right side of the Titans offensive line has a chance to be something special. Both players are physical, aggressive, and want to maul defenders at the point of attack. Their mentalities complement each other in a way that could produce a dominant tandem.

Latham finished last season stronger than he started, playing his best football over the final six games of his second year. He still has growth to put on tape, but he had a strong training camp. Carmona had a good camp as well.

The talent and the temperament are there. Now it has to materialize on the field.

There were better ways the Titans could have gone about building this offensive line if you want to play the revisionist history game. But the feeling today is far more optimistic than it was six weeks ago. The plan exists. The pieces are in place. Tennessee just needs to see it translate to Sundays.