The Tennessee Titans had a major overhaul on defense when it comes to the linebacker position.
Last year, the team had Ernest Jones IV, Kenneth Murray and Jack Gibbens manning the position before Jerome Baker came in on a trade with the Seattle Seahawks.
Now, none of those guys are on the Titans roster, but Cody Barton is joining the team from the Denver Broncos, and he's the only one guaranteed to start.
“It’s extremely wide open,” Titans defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson said via Titans insider Paul Kuharsky.
“First off, getting Cody, he’s a leader, he’s a guy that can orchestrate the defense, he’s ahead of it, he studies, he’s smart. I love that we have him.”
There will be a competition for the starting spot alongside Barton, and Cedric Gray, Otis Reese IV and James Williams are all candidates for the role.
“... The best man’s going to play,” Wilson said of the second starter position.
“Then also we talk about position flexibility. Some guys can do things better than others. There is always the chance of first and second down having players out there, you can have third down dime linebacker, whatever that may be.”
The Titans could also go out and grab a veteran like Kyzir White, who last played for the Arizona Cardinals in 2024.
While Tennessee could go out and sign a veteran in free agency, the team appears willing to give its younger players a shot. Both Gray and Williams are 2024 draft picks that could grow this season, and Reese is another player the team has invested a lot in.
It's a wide open race, so the Titans should have a lot of competition for the position, and that should bring out the best in these players.
Titans Underrated Rookie Labeled Potential Star
The Tennessee Titans made multiple moves this offseason to improve their offense. The signings of Dan Moore at left tackle and Kevin Zeitler at guard were made with the intention of better protecting Cam Ward. With that in mind, they also made multiple additions at wide receiver to give him a better corps of pass-catchers.
Tyler Lockett was signed as a free agent after a long career in Seattle with the Seahawks. Tennessee also took to the draft to select Stanford standout Elic Ayomanor in the fourth round. And while there hasn't been much attention paid to the big receiver outside of Nashville, Gary Davenport of Bleacher Report says Ayomanor could be a breakout star as a rookie.
"The Tennessee Titans added multiple pass-catchers in the fourth round of this year's draft," Davenport writes. "Multiple swings create more opportunities to hit one of the young receiving threats in hopes that someone will grow with No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward. Elic Ayomanor was a top-100 graded prospect on our Scouting Department's pre-draft big board. He did not receive fanfare after being selected, but he has been making plays since rookie camp for the Titans."
Davenport adds that a starting role is wide open for Ayomanor to take, as Calvin Ridley will be the No. 1 while Tyler Lockett will likely be the slot receiver. The No. 2 boundary spot is Ayomanor's for the taking, and his unique combination of size, power, and speed might earn him the job.
"Ayomanor is among the few receivers on the roster with the requisite height, weight and talent to play as the boundary X-receiver," Davenport writes. "His ball skills at the catch point will offer Ward a different type of receiver than he's been accustomed to throughout his collegiate career."
Ayomanor caught 63 passes and six touchdowns last season at Stanford, and could be a rookie breakout alongside his quarterback.
