Ranking Titans' Roster From No. 1 to No. 53 in Value Toward Winning Games

Now that the Tennessee Titans are down to their 53-man roster — at least for now — it's a good time to rank them all from No. 1 to No. 53 in their value to helping this team win games in 2023. It's sure to spark some hefty conversation. What are your thoughts?

NASHVILLE — Football is the ultimate team game, and one player can't snare victories all by himself. On a team's 53-man roster, everyone matters.

But some matter more than others.

The Tennessee Titans released their 53-man roster on Tuesday, and these are the guys they are going to war with — at least for now — as they head into the season opener on Sept. 10 at New Orleans.

So I thought I'd have a little fun as we move into this very important season for the Titans. They ended 2022 on a seven-game losing streak and missed the playoffs with a 7-10 record.

That can't happen again, even though the national narrative has the Titans ranked near the bottom of the NFL. Their over/under win total is projected at just 7.5.

So which guys are most important in getting the Titans back on the good side of the ledger? Who's going to be most responsible for helping this team win games?

Here's my list, No. 1 through No. 53. It is sure to spark debate, so feel free to comment on our various social media channels.

Here we go.

1. Derrick Henry, running back. Comment: They call him The King for a reason, and if he can continue to be among the best in the business, then the Titans will continue to do what they do best — run the football.
2. Ryan Tannehill, quarterback. Comment: The veteran QB is healthy again after an injury-riddled 2022 campaign. He's adapting well to Tim Kelly's new offense and is the true leader of this offense. 
3. DeAndre Hopkins, wide receiver. Comment: The Titans had the worst wide receiver room in he NFL before signing Hopkins as a free agent this summer. He raises the bar, and always seems to be open. He fills a massive void.
4. Jeffery Simmons, defensive tackle. Comment: Simmons is one of the best in the business at his position, and he's the vocal leader of this defense, especially up front. He got paid big in the offseason, and is healthy after an ankle injury slowed him down in 2022. Expect a huge year from him.
5. Andre Dillard, left tackle. Comment: The Titans were brutally bad across the offensive line, and a complete rebuild was necessary. Dillard, a former Philadelphia Eagles first-round pick, has to protect Tannehill's blind side this year. He has to play well, or the Titans have a real problem.
6. Kevin Byard, safety. Comment: Byard is entering his seventh season and he's the leader of the secondary. He knows this defense like the back of his hand and he keeps people in all the right spots. He took a pay cut to help the team sign Hopkins, and he's got incentives built in to play well. There's no doubt in my mind he will. He's a terrific team leader.
7. Arden Key, outside linebacker. Comment: Key has been an almost unblockable edge rusher throughout camp and he's the missing piece that can make this defense downright nasty. Look for a huge year out of him — and he's going to tell us all about it, too.
8. Aaron Brewer, center. Comment: Here's how much I think the Titans' offensive line has to improve this year. Brewer is sliding over from guard, and he makes a lot of the line calls. That's critical. So is making perfect snaps in shotgun every single time. 
9. Kristian Fulton, cornerback. Comment: Fulton is going to be covering No. 1 receivers all year long, and he's had a very good camp. He needs to have a breakout year and show some nice improvement. I think we'll see that.
10. Chig Okonkwo, tight end. Comment: Oknokwo had a good rookie year, and he shows a lot of promise. He should benefit a lot from the double teams on Hopkins, and he runs good routes and has a nice pair of hands. He was my break-out fantasy football player for the Titans this season. 
11. Nick Folk, kicker. Comment: The newest Titan, acquired in a trade with New England this week, should probably be much higher. Tennessee has been screwing up this kicking position for years, and they are going to play a lot of low-scoring, close games this season. His three points here and there will be huge.
12. Azeez Al-Shaair, inside linebacker: Comment: I liked this pick-up from the time it happened, and he's been very active throughout training camp. This is a nice upgrade for the Titans in a position of need.
13. Treylon Burks, wide receiver. Comment: Having Hopkins here makes a world of difference, and when Burks is 100 percent again after a mild MCL sprain, he could really benefit from a lot of single coverage. He's worked extremely hard all offseason and planned on being WR-1 before the Hopkins deal. Now they're a solid 1-2 punch.
14. Chris Hubbard, right tackle. Comment: Yep, here I go again with another offensive lineman. Hubbard has won this open competition with Nicholas Petit-Frere suspended for six games, and he has to help keep Tannehill clean in the pocket. This is certainly a concern at RT for now, so he'll need to be watched closely.
15. Harold Landry, outside linebacker. Comment: Landry returns from an ACL injury and will be a great tag team with Key as a pass rusher. He knows this defense well and the knee seems 100 percent.
16. Amani Hooker, safety. Comment: Byars' partner in crime at safety is a playmaker. He'd be more highly thought of if he can just stay healthy, and this is a break-out year for him. He had Byars made one of the best safety duos in the league.
17. Sean Murphy-Bunting, cornerback. Comment: Another offseason pick-up that fills another void. The Titans had to upgrade at corner and they've done that with the guy they call SMB. He needs to be a lock-down defender, and he's shown a lot in camp so far.
18. Peter Skoronski, left guard. Comment: Skoronski was Tennessee's first-round pick in the 2023 draft and they'll putting him right into the fire at left guard even though he played tackle at a high level in college. This is a testy experiment, but it seems to be working so far. He's strong, smart and talented.
19. Daniel Brunskill, right guard. Comment: Let's throw the other guard right in there, too, since we've talked throughout this exercise about how important this offensive line is. Brunskill is a veteran, and he's had a good camp. Has a minor knee injury at the moment, but should be good to go for the opener.
20. Denico Autry, defensive end. Comment: The Titans' defensive line is scary good and Autry just continues to get better and better. No one works harder, that's for sure.
21. Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, wide receiver. Comment: He's going to have to be a big part of this offense, especially early if Burks can't go. He can do a lot of things, and ball security has to be a focus. No drops. 
22. Teair Tart, defensive tackle. Comment: Tart's had a few issues with his emotions in camp, but he brings a lot to the table. Lining up alongside Simmons is a plus for him, too. He'll get a lot of one-on-one blocking.
23. Tyjae Spears, running back. Comment: The rookie gives the Titans a complete change-up from Henry at running back. He's got great speed and shiftiness, and he's shown a lot in camp. He's won the No. 2 backup job, and he'll make some highlight reels.
24. Jack Gibbens, linebacker. Comment: He's going to get his fair share of snaps at linebacker and needs to play well. He's the one guy on the defensive unit that I'm still a little unsure about and I need to see him play more. 
25. Ryan Stonehouse (punter). Comment: When you play a lot of close, low-scoring games, you need a punter who can flip the field now and then. That's Stonehouse. He's solid. 
26. Roger McCreary, cornerback: Comment: I really like this kid and he can make plays. I'll be curious to see what kind of impact he has right out of the gate.
27. Malik Willis, quarterback. Comment: I had an interesting dilemma in trying to figure out where to put Willis. He might be really important, but if Tannehill stays healthy, he also might not every play a down. Let's hope that's the case. Willis is much better in his second year, but as I wrote in my column on Tuesday, I still really don't know if he's capable of winning NFL games.
28. Will Levis, quarterback. Comment: Rinse and repeat here with the Willis comments. In a perfect world, he doesn't play a down this year. But if he has to, then he becomes a very valuable part of this team. Let's hope he's really No. 53 at the end. 
29. Rashad Weaver, outside linebacker. Comment: The edge rusher had a good camp, too. He's probably not going to see 5.5 sacks again this year with Key and Landry ahead of him, but he'll still contribute when out there. 
30. Chris Moore, wide receiver. Comment: Moore is a veteran who's seen it all. He'll certainly make some plays on the outside during the course of the season. 

31. Morgan Cox, long snapper. Comment: I am pro long snapper guy, so Cox gets plenty of credit from me. He has a thankless job because he only gets noticed if something goes wrong. He's a good one, and he'll have a good year.

32. Kearis Jackson, wide receiver/returner: Comment: Jackson showed a lot of versatility in the preseason, and looks like he has great return skills. Also caught a touchdown pass, and will be valuable early with Kyle Phillips on the shelf.

33. Kyle Phillips, wide receiver/returner. Comment: You could probably see that coming, right. He suffered a knee injury in Minnesota the second week of the preseason and will miss some time. I'm still thinking he goes on injured reserve this week and will miss four games minimum.

34. Monty Rice, linebacker. Comment: I'll be curious to see how much the Titans will use Rice. I still think he brings a lot to the table.

35. Julius Chestnut, running back: Comment: He runs hard, and showed a lot in the preseason. Also a big special teams contributor who earned his spot on the 53-man.

36. Colton Dowell, wide receiver. Comment: I was really happy to see Dowell, the UT-Martin local product, make the team. He's got skill, and I like his size and attitude. He probably made it because of Phillips' status, but hopefully he'll make the most of it.

37. Caleb Murphy, outside linebacker. Comment: This edge rusher has been the story of training camp, and a lot of people are thrilled that he made the team despite being a small-school guys still trying to find his way. Not sure how much he'll play behind Key and Landry, but he's already proven to be an impact player.

38. Naquan Jones, defensive tackle. Comment: I'm bunching Jones and Peevy together here because I don't know who's going to be first off the bench in the defensive line rotation. 

39. Jayden Peevy, defensive tackle. Comment: Peevy has had a very good camp and done a lot in a reserve. He might be hard to get off the field as a backup if he continues to make plays.

40. Elijah Molden, safety. Comment: Molden showed he can wear a lot of hats during training camp, and he's become an important piece of this defense. Probably could have been ranked higher. 

41. Xavier Newman, guard. Comment: Here's another guy that probably could have been ranked higher if Brunskill has to miss any time at all. He's had his moments in the preseason.

42. Tre Avery, cornerback: Comment: Avery had a good camp, too. He's always flying around the ball and he's a special teams standout as well. 

43. Jaelyn Duncan, offensive tackle. Comment: Duncan might get an early call if Hubbard struggles at all at right tackle. There's a lot of concern about the depth along the offensive line, and that includes Duncan.

44. Justin Murray, offensive tackle. Comment: Murray, like Duncan, has played well at times too during the preseason. If these two need to play, watching their success rates will be critical.

45. Trevon Wesco, tight end. Comment: The Titans only kept three tight ends, and I'm not really sure what the plan is going to be behing Okonkwo or in two tight end sets. Wesco is an interest add.

46. Josh Whyle, tight end. Comment: Whyle, the rookie out of Cincinnati, had an up-and-down camp but the Titans love his potential. 

47. Luke Gifford, linebacker. Comment: Not sure how much we'll see of him early. 

48. Otis Reese Jr., linebacker: Comment: Same with Reese. Special teams roles will be important.

49. Mike Brown, defensive back. Comment: Role will be limited, and we'll see how much action he sees. 

50. Matthew Jackson, defensive back. Comment: Ditto. 

51. Kendall Anthony, defensive back. Comment: Ditto, too.

52. Corey Levin, center. Comment: I'm not sure how much Levin would have played behind Brewer, and he was the first casualty after the 53-man was set, cutting cut on Wednesday to add another corner.

53. Dillon Radunz, guard. Comment: Radunz was just activated, and he can be our No. 53 because he's probably going on injured reserve for four weeks early and he won't be rushed into action after ACL surgery.