While a sloppy preseason opener revealed flashes of potential, thin depth at offensive tackle and cornerback threatens to derail Tennessee's progress if injuries strike the starting lineup.
The Tennessee Titans proved they have a lot to work on this preseason after their first game with the San Francisco 49ers.
The team wasn't able to score any more touchdowns after their success on the first drive. The Titans drove all the way down the field in an 11-play, 95-yard drive and scored on a Tony Pollard run.
The defense looked rough at times, especially when the 49ers' starters were out there. Third-string quarterback Kurtis Rourke looked like a veteran even though he was only in his second season in the NFL.
Joey Slye had an active night, as the Titans couldn't find the end zone. He made four field goals in the 19-13 win. He definitely paid attention to the reports that the Titans had brought in three kickers for workouts a few days before the game.
At the end of the day, this Titans roster is in a much better place than it was last season. The moves that General Manager Mike Borgonzi made are proof of that.
There are still flaws with the roster.
Titans insider Jim Wyatt put it perfectly in the most recent edition of his mailbag. Fans wrote in questions, and Wyatt answered them to the best of his ability.
One fan asked what the worst thing about the current roster was, and Wyatt said that it was the lack of depth.
If injuries occurred at certain positions, Wyatt believed the Titans could be in real trouble. I'd have to agree after looking at the backups for certain positions.
The first position that catches my eye is swing tackle. Dan Moore Jr. and J.C. Latham are going to start again in 2026.
Latham looks much better, and Moore just really needs to be average at best for the Titans to have success.
If you look at the players behind them, it's a little scary. There's Austin Deculus, who's fresh off the worst-graded PFF season in 2025.
Then, there are undrafted free agents Aamil Wagner and Rasheed Miller. Lastly, you have Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson and Zachary Thomas, who have started very few games in their NFL careers.
Swing tackle still needs to be a priority.
Left guard doesn't look much better either. If Peter Skoronski goes down, you have Drew Moss, Jackson Slater and Garrett Dellinger. Between Moss, Slater, and Dellinger, there are 18 games played with no starts.
The depth at cornerback is concerning, too.
The starters are expected to be Alontae Taylor, Cor'Dale Flott and Marcus Harris. Outside of them, you have special teamer Joshua Williams, Keydrain Calligan, Jalen McMurray, Nazeeh Johnson, Micah Robinson, Mario Goodrich and Corey Mayfield Jr.
McMurray is a UDFA signing, so he hasn't played in any NFL games. Williams spent most of his time with the Kansas City Chiefs as a special teamer. Calligan was a practice squad player last year.
Johnson will have to sit out six games in the regular season due to his violation of the NFL's performance-enhancing substances policy. Robinson started a few games last year but is mostly unproven.
Goodrich hasn't been on a 53-man roster since 2023, and Mayfield has never been on one.
If Taylor, Flott or Harris go down, the Titans are going to be in trouble there.
The Titans can still add players before the start of the regular season, but they need more depth at certain positions.
