Titans GM Mike Borgonzi fills immediate needs. An analyst reveals the critical next step: acquiring premier talent to secure long-term contention.
The Tennessee Titans needed to make some major changes after finishing 3-14 for the second season in a row.
The Titans made big moves, bringing in expensive contracts for Wan'Dale Robinson, John Franklin-Myers, Alontae Taylor and Cor'Dale Flott.
Typically, rebuilds in the NFL don't happen overnight, but that's what General Manager Mike Borgonzi is trying to accomplish. He's following the blueprint that the Washington Commanders and New England Patriots used.
After four-win seasons the year prior, both franchises spent the most money in free agency and brought in defensive-minded head coaches.
The Commanders used this in 2024 and reached the NFC Championship Game, while the Patriots employed it last season and reached the Super Bowl.
While the Titans' free-agent acquisitions are promising, there's still work to be done for this team to become a playoff contender. I wrote about the remaining needs ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft, highlighting edge rusher, interior offensive line, linebacker, receiver, and cornerback.
So, what's next for this Titans rebuild? NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah had an answer during a recent appearance on "The Buck Reising Show."
Jeremiah liked the moves Tennessee made and believed the franchise had done a good job of filling the roster holes. However, he thinks the team still needs more premier players to achieve sustained success and become a perennial contender.
"I think they've done a good job of just plugging holes," Jeremiah said. "Filling cracks where they didn't have NFL-quality level starters. They've fixed that to a large degree. They've filled in a lot of those pieces there. So, I can appreciate that. To me, that's a foundational thing. Now, they need more impact, blue-chip premier players. Like, if you're looking at teams that win Super Bowls or teams that are perennial contenders to win Super Bowls, you're talking about anywhere from 8 to 12 impact blue-chip top-tier, you could argue top five, top 10 at their position in the NFL. You've got to have close to a dozen of those guys. So, that to me is the next step."
The draft could be where the Titans find those premier-level players.
Tennessee has the No. 4 overall pick and plenty of options regarding where to go with it. Another starting edge rusher is key, as the Titans really need a quality player to line up on the opposite side of the defensive line from Jermaine Johnson.
The idea of taking a receiver like Carnell Tate, Jordyn Tyson, or Makai Lemon has also been floated.
Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles was one of the more recent players mocked to the Titans. Then, there is always the option of taking Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love as the best player available at fourth overall.
The Titans took a big step in their rebuild during free agency, but there are still more improvements left to be made for this team to really move forward.