Titans Ceiling Could Be Playoff Berth

The Tennessee Titans are a much different team than the one that finished 3-14 last season. They've found their franchise quarterback in Cam Ward, surrounded him with a deep and talented draft class and signed 16 free agents. They will win more than three games this year, but what is their true ceiling?

Last year, the Titans' biggest problem was on defense. They allowed over 27 points per game and ranked 30th in the league in scoring defense. They just could not get their opponents off the field, and it made it nearly impossible for the offense to keep up.

This year, the Titans' defense should be much better. They retained key players on their defensive line, such as Jeffery Simmons, Sebastian Joseph-Day and T'Vondre Sweat, while adding Dre'Mont Jones.

In the secondary, the Titans brought back their three top corners — L'Jarius Sneed, Roger McCreary and Jarvis Brownlee Jr. - from 2024 and brought in some depth pieces such as Jalyn Armour-Davis and Samuel Womack III. At safety, they also retained two starters from a year ago - Amani Hooker and Quandre Diggs - but added Xavier Woods and Kevin Winston Jr. to help out in rotation.

This is a completely revamped Titans defense. They kept their key players while adding quality depth at pretty much every position. They likely won't be a top-10 unit, but they should be much better than they were in 2024.

Tennessee Titans, S, Quandre Digg — Oct 13, 2024; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Titans safety Quandre Diggs (28) runs out during player introductions against the Indianapolis Colts at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

Offensively, things should look a lot different for the Titans. Cam Ward might be the least talked about first overall pick this decade, but he's done everything right so far, and should be a massive upgrade from what they had a year ago.

The Titans also upgraded their offensive line this offseason, bringing in Dan Moore Jr. and Kevin Zeitler. With the addition of Moore, second-year tackle J.C. Latham can move back to the right side, where he played at Alabama, and should be much more productive than he was in 2024. If this unit can stay healthy, they'll have an above average offensive line this season.

The Titans have also made major changes at the receiver position. They signed veteran receivers Tyler Lockett and Van Jefferson in free agency and drafted Chimere Dike and Elic Ayomanor. They also added tight end Gunnar Helm to help out in the pass catching department as well.

Looking at the Titans' schedule, there's a world where they win nine games. The Jaguars and Colts are both very winnable division opponents, they're capable of taking one away from the Texans, and they have teams like the Saints, Cardinals, Raiders and Browns who are all beatable.

The ceiling for the Titans is nine wins and a potential playoff berth if the cards go their way. It would take a lot of close wins and a few unexpected upsets, but we've seen what a rookie quarterback can do to a team. Just look at the Commanders last year.

Make sure you bookmark Tennessee Titans on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!