The Tennessee Titans are a team in transition, and that means we should be seeing a good bit from the younger players on this roster in the fall. I have 11 rookies projected to make the initial 53-man roster at the end of August, but how many of them will be a big enough impact to be felt?

Using my intel, what we’ve heard from players and coaches, and what we’ve seen so far in offseason practice, I’ve ranked the impact that each of these rookies will have on the Titans in 2025. Let’s begin:

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11. WR Xavier Restrepo

More bulletin board material for X, just the way he likes it I’d imagine. I’ve been as high as anybody I know on the Titans beat when it comes to Restrepo’s chances to make this final roster, which I believe is better than a coin flip. But making the team and making an impact are two very different things. For him to break into the receiver rotation, there will either need to be some serious injuries in front of him, or he’ll need to be one of the biggest rookie UDFA surprises at the position that we’ve ever seen. I look forward to him somehow proving me too low on him.

10. OL Jackson Slater

I love Jackson Slater to develop into a future starter for this team at center or guard, but I think he’s on the 2026 Kevin Zeitler Replacement Plan. For him to be called upon this season, a starter would need to get hurt and he’d have to have worked his way to the front of the backup line faster than I expect him to.

9. CB Marcus Harris

I’ve actually got a cornerback higher on this list than Marcus Harris, a Titans 6th round draft pick. But with the uncertainty at the top of the CB food chain, you can’t rule him out to have to start a game or two this season. How he looks in pads next month will be really telling in terms of his physical and athletic limitations. Let’s see him try to hang against the faster, longer Titans receivers and then circle back.

8. RB Kalel Mullings

Mullings is the first player on this list likely to be active every week and see the field on offense without there needing to be injuries to necessitate it. He’ll be their RB3 that’s used heavily on special teams and in certain dirty work situations between the tackles. If Pollard and Spears stay healthy, his impact should be noticeable but minimal.

7. CB Jermari Harris

Jermari Harris is one of two UDFA’s I have making the initial roster, and the highest ranked in terms of impact in 2025. He’s been one of the only defenders to regularly catch my eye in OTA’s so far, and the more I dug into his college profile, I really could not figure out why he went undrafted. He was a good player on Iowa’s very competitive defense! They coach up their DB’s very well out there. I want to see him in pads, but I won’t be surprised if he’s competing for the CB4/5/6 role this season. And those guys get called on most years, unfortunately.

6. S Kevin Winston Jr

I sat and thought about how high I could justify putting Kevin Winston Jr. for a very long time. I’m extremely tempted to put him multiple spots higher, and am only held back because of the quality of the two veteran starters in front of him at safety. I cannot shake the idea that we’ll look back in the near future and wonder why we weren’t talking about Kevin Winston Jr. more coming into his NFL career. This is a player who would’ve probably been talked about as a 1st round pick if he didn’t miss nearly all of his final season. He’s going to be a full-go to begin training camp, and I’m very bullish on him forcing the coaching staff to work him into the lineup this year.

5. EDGE Femi Oladejo

I encourage you to read in more detail right here about setting appropriate expectations for Femi Oladejo’s rookie season. I have him at 4th in the impact ratings because, whether he’s really ready for it or not, he’s going to be put in a position early and often to stack reps. The lack of depth and top-end talent at his position demands it. Will he be a particularly efficient rusher as a rookie? I have my doubts. But on sheer volume alone, I think his impact is felt in a real way.

4. WR Chimere Dike

Dike, Ayomanor, tomato, tomahto. Hard to differentiate these two 4th round receivers until we get more of a sample size from them in practice and see them in pads. What I do feel good about, though, is both of them having a sizable impact on this team this year. I think the veterans “ahead” of them in this lineup are less solidified in their roles than many think, and the Titans won’t be conservative with how quickly they work these guys in if all goes to plan.

3. WR Elic Ayomanor

I gave Ayomanor the nod over Dike in these rankings because, well, I’m biased. I’ve had to come around on how Dike will fit on this team since he was drafted. I was ten-toes-down on Ayomanor as a prospect well before he was drafted. And I think he’s the only true X archetype on this roster, so I’m expecting him to play a good deal this season. I can’t wait to see him in pads using his size and speed.

2. TE Gunnar Helm

I’ve said since the draft that I think Gunnar Helm is the rookie most likely to have an immediate impact on this team besides Cam Ward. So I’m sticking to my guns here, putting him at 2nd in these rankings. I think he’ll take over the starting “Y” TE role and push Chig Okonkwo for the primary receiving target in that room this year. More on an interesting (and perhaps dramatic) tight end room here.

1. QB Cam Ward

And finally, as if there was any doubt, Cam Ward is 1st in the rookie impact rankings. His impact on wins and losses will be orders of magnitude higher than anybody else on this list. The 2025 Titans go the way that Cam Ward goes. Here’s to an exciting rookie season!

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