Titans’ Offensive Upgrades Ranked: One position rises above the rest, the single greatest concern on the roster, and key veteran leaps that must succeed
The Titans’ offense looks very different today from how it looked last fall. Here’s a look at how each position group stacks up after the spring of roster building, ranging from big upgrades to arguable downgrades.
Let’s rank some offseason renovations, shall we?
Mike Borgonzi has had all year so far to edit the construction of this offense for Brian Daboll’s first season and, more importantly, Cam Ward’s second.
if you missed the defensive version of this article, check it out right here. Based on the results of my Twitter poll last week, we’re comparing the May 2026 roster to the Week 1, 2025 roster.
Which groups have gotten better? Are any of them worse? Let’s dive in.
1. Wide Receiver
September 2025: Calvin Ridley, Tyler Lockett, Van Jefferson, Elic Ayomanor, Chimere Dike, Bryce Oliver
May 2026: Carnell Tate, Wan’Dale Robinson, Calvin Ridley, Elic Ayomanor, Chimere Dike, Bryce Oliver
There’s really no question to me as to which position belongs at the top of this list. The Titans came into this off-season with a glaring need at wide receiver, and they made three significant moves to address it. The least of which was retaining Calvin Ridley for one more season, whose contract was in a cuttable spot after the year, and whose future was uncertain with this team.
I certainly won’t hold it against anybody who wasn’t exactly excited about Ridley’s return, but the way that he’s going to be relied upon based on these next two moves is what makes me think his retention could be big if he stays healthy this season. The Titans also added Wan’Dale Robinson in a big money free agency deal. His proven ability in Brian Daboll’s offense is what makes me think that he can be the exception amongst recent high-profile wide receiver free agents.
And finally, the cherry atop the cake is the fourth overall pick Carnell Tate. With Tate, Robinson, and Ridley as your top three players, it allows for Chimere Dike and Elic Ayomanor to be really nice high-end depth. This room is in a much better spot right now than it was last season.
2. Quarterback
September 2025: Cam Ward, Brandon Allen
May 2026: Cam Ward, Mitch Trubisky, Will Levis
It might not seem like that big of a deal since Cam Ward is the be-all-end-all, but if the Titans plan on being good anytime soon, it should matter to you. The quarterback position as a whole is in a much better place right now than it was last season.
I was a fan of Brandon Allen as a backup for last year’s team, but that had everything to do with the fact that I thought the Titans were going to stink. I think teams that are no good should not prioritize spending on backup quarterback. But since the Titans have real aspirations this year and next, now is the time to shore up this position. Mitch Trubisky is a big upgrade here, and if Will Levis is going to compete and potentially even stick around, I like having him in the fold too.
3. Running Back
September 2025: Tony Pollard, (Tyjae Spears), Kalel Mullings, Julius Chestnut
May 2026: Tony Pollard, Tyjae Spears, Nick Singleton, Michael Carter, Kalel Mullings
If the Cardinals hadn’t taken Jeremiyah Love third overall, we’d be talking about this room as the clear number one spot in these rankings. But Tony Pollard gets to breathe a deep sigh of relief, as he remains the primary bell cow for this team. The only real change here is adding Nick Singleton, a day three pick with some intriguing athletic upside. He was highly productive in college and should be an interesting change of pace option. Overall, this room stays mostly the same with some interesting long-term implications from the draft.
4. Tight End
September 2025: Chig Okonkwo, Gunnar Helm, David Martin-Robinson
May 2026: Gunnar Helm, Daniel Bellinger, Kylen Granson
Quite a bit of change in the tight end room for 2026, but does the overall strength of the room change that much? That will largely depend on whether or not Gunnar Helm takes a big second year of leap, becoming a player Chig Okonkwo never became here. Helm had a surprisingly minimal impact on paper last season, but the eye test showed a player capable of being an extremely reliable target in the passing game. Behind him, adding Bellinger and Granson raises the floor of the room in a league that is increasingly dependent on multi-TE sets. But neither of these players get me particularly excited.
5. Offensive Line
September 2025: Dan Moore Jr, Peter Skoronski, Lloyd Cushenberry, Kevin Zeitler, JC Latham, Oli Udoh, Jackson Slater, Blake Hance
May 2026: Dan Moore Jr, Peter Skoronski, Austin Schlottmann, Cordell Volson, JC Latham, Jackson Slater, Fernando Carmona, Pat Coogan
Finally, what to do with this offensive line? I can’t help but call this a downgrade based on what we know right now, which is concerning little! I understand that going into last year we thought more highly of the potential this group than some of the individuals ultimately became.
But really, isn’t that really just about Lloyd Cushenberry? He didn’t have the year we’d all hoped he would. The left side of the line was exactly what I thought we expected it to be, JC Latham settled in at his new tackle position nicely, and Kevin Zeitler was sneaky good especially down the stretch.
This is a group that I came out of the season feeling better about than I have in many years. And now, there are two interior positions that we have no idea about heading into the summer. I think there’s plenty of potential in the contenders fighting for these starting jobs, but none of them are sure things. With 2/5 of the offensive line entirely up into the air, this absolutely qualifies as my biggest concern on the roster.