The Tennessee Titans had to pick and choose what to rebuild this offseason, and Dennard Wilson got the short end of the stick.
Wilson will unfortunately be tasked with scheming his defense around what appears to be one of the worst edge-rushing groups in the league on paper this season.
Arden Key and Dre'Mont Jones are entering fate-deciding contract years in 2025. Key and Jones are best suited to be a team's top rotational EDGE, but the Titans are relying on them to start. Behind them is Femi Oladejo, a talented but raw athlete who needs to improve his play recognition and pass-rush arsenal.
Wilson should be asking the Titans to take a swing on Za'Darius Smith, who would provide the pass rush with an instant upgrade. The longer general manager Mike Borgonzi waits, the less likely it becomes reality.
Another potential name could emerge. The fallout from the Carolina Panthers' draft haul has created an intriguing opportunity for a reunion in Tennessee. ESPN's David Newton recently pointed out that the Panthers have been noncommittal on Jadeveon Clowney's future after the team picked two EDGEs on Day 2 of the 2025 NFL Draft.
While Clowney hasn't been a star since leaving the Titans, he's been a successful starter, including a 2023 season with the Baltimore Ravens where he racked up the eighth-most pressures in the NFL (more than Trey Hendrickson, T.J. Watt, Will Anderson, Danielle Hunter, and 180 other EDGEs). It just so happens that Wilson was on that coaching staff in Baltimore and saw him do that firsthand.
The Panthers have tried to find a trade partner for Clowney, to no avail. Now they have to decide what to do with the veteran pass rusher. If they decide to cut him to create a path for their young EDGEs, then a return to Nashville might be something that interests all parties involved.
Admittedly, it would be strange for Clowney to come back to Tennessee after his first stint ended so poorly, but essentially everyone in the building who was there is now gone. The GM, head coach, position coaches, and team captains are all somewhere else, so it is basically a brand-new organization.
Beggars can't be choosers. The Titans need pass rushers and Clowney needs to be wanted somewhere. Wilson's presence as the defensive coordinator could make a reunion between the Titans and Clowney likelier than first believed.
Titans' roster shuffle has only begun
The Tennessee Titans have undergone massive changes this offseason. New GM Mike Borgonzi is running things in a collaborative effort with president Chad Brinker. There are at least 10 new projected starters when you compare the team's depth chart at the beginning of last season to the current depth chart for 2025.
The Titans are set to have new starters at premium positions such as QB, EDGE, OT, WR, and CB. Rookie No. 1 pick Cam Ward isn't the only change in Nashville.
Borgonzi believes in drafting and developing talent. That means the Titans are undergoing a rebuild. Most veterans acquired this offseason are short-term solutions, designed to buy Borgonzi time to fill those spots with longer-term prospects.
One look at Tennessee's roster indicates sweeping changes could arrive again next offseason. The Titans are near the top of the NFL when it comes to future starters or role players set to hit free agency after 2025.
Those 13 players are: Kevin Zeitler, Amani Hooker, Tyler Lockett, Arden Key, Van Jefferson, Roger McCreary, Chig Okonkwo, Dre'Mont Jones, Sebastian Joseph-Day, Lorenzo, Carter, Johnny Hekker, Joey Slye, and Mogan Cox.
Eight of those 13 players were signed earlier this offseason. Excluding the punter, kicker, and long snapper, that is still a considerable list of notable names set to hit free agency.
McCreary should be a candidate to receive an extension, and Okonkwo could have a big year with Ward under center. It would be nice if the Titans extended Okonkwo before he becomes more expensive after having a potential career year.
The biggest concern is the defensive line/EDGE depth the Titans are projected to lose. Three of the team's top four EDGEs, along with their best rotational defensive tackle, are on that list. The Titans can't expect Jeffery Simmons and T'Vondre Sweat to do it all by themselves in the trenches.
While the Titans are set to have the second-most effective cap space in the NFL next year, this front office doesn't plan on being overly aggressive in free agency. Their preference is to extend their players and build through the draft, so we'll see if homegrown talent like Hooker, McCreary, and Okonkwo stay beyond 2025.
Borgonzi said that his goal was to possess 30 draft picks and 12 picks inside the top 100 over his first three years. If you cheat the math and consider the top pick in the fourth round (103) to be close enough, then he still needs to find a way to land 21 more picks across the draft, including eight more on Day 1 or Day 2.
Analyzing all angles, there are really only two options next offseason. The first solution is to lock in their younger talents via extensions, and re-up with some of the short-term veterans at crucial positions (Joseph-Day and Jones).
If Borgonzi is opposed, then the only way to get this roster to a place where the Titans can compete for a division in 2026 is to spend more money in free agency on players of a higher caliber than they did in 2025. At some point, the Titans will have to get more aggressive.
