How many Tennessee Titans rookie draft picks will start right away?
The Tennessee Titans made nine total selections in the 2025 NFL Draft. General manager Mike Borgonzi entered the three-day event with several holes across his rebuilding roster. Borgonzi did a stellar job landing instant starters, depth pieces, and developmental projects.
It’s obvious that rookie quarterback Cam Ward will be a starter in Week 1. He’s an experienced signal caller who the Titans invested the No. 1 selection in. The Titans aren’t going to begin the season with Will Levis, Tim Boyle, or Brandon Allen under center.
Beyond Ward, it gets a little more difficult to predict which Titans rookies are going to be “starters.” Second-round EDGE Femi Oladejo is a raw prospect after making a 2024 midseason position change from off-ball linebacker to EDGE. The Titans don’t have much at that position, with Arden Key, Dre’Mont Jones, and Lorenzo Carter being league-average veterans on expiring contracts.
Oladejo possesses a higher floor than he gets credit for, as a long and powerful run defender. It’d be encouraging if Oladejo acclimated quicker than expected. The expectation should be for the former UCLA Bruins defender to possess a top-three role in the rotation by season’s end.
The Titans nabbed ex Penn State safety Kevin Winston Jr. in the third round. Dennard Wilson has Amani Hooker and Xavier Woods at the position. Winston Jr. should be a third safety with a designated role in specific nickel and big dime packages. He projects as a surefire 2026 starter, even if his rookie season role isn’t an every-down one.
The wide receiver projection is an interesting one. Calvin Ridley and Tyler Lockett will almost certainly be Brian Callahan’s top two wideouts in 2025. Can rookies Chimere Dike and Elic Ayomanor push for a role in 11 personnel? The other projected pass catcher in Callahan’s preferred formation grouping is free-agent signing Van Jefferson. Dike and Ayomanor could be talented enough to push Jefferson for snaps.
Fourth-round tight end Gunnar Helm is an underrated candidate to play significant snaps. Helm is a true “Y” tight end with every-down potential. Josh Whyle, a similar player in the Titans’ offense, has a lengthy injury history at this point.
That essentially concludes the discussion regarding the Titans’ potential rookie starters. Interior offensive linemen Jackson Slater will back up Peter Skoronski and Kevin Zeitler at guard, and possibly Lloyd Cushenbery at center. Cornerback Marcus Harris may be the reserve nickel behind Roger McCreary, and linebacker-turned-running-back Kalel Mullings will probably be a keynote special teamer and No. 3 back behind Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears.
By the conclusion of the 2026 campaign, the Titans’ 2025 draft class could have produced four or five starters. That’s how you rebuild a roster.