1 UDFA Could Force Titans to Make Tough Decisions Ahead of Week 1

One of the coolest parts of OTAs is seeing some underrated players break out. Every year, there's a few camp darlings who show out in practice and make the fans become believers. This year, we expected to see several, but one of these standouts is unexpected.

After the draft, the Titans signed several undrafted free agents. Wide receiver Tyren Montgomery received much of the attention, but he wasn't the only receiver the Titans added. Montgomery has looked great in his own right, but the other receiver is now being seen as a breakout- Hank Beatty.

Beatty is a shifty slot receiver who was extremely productive in college. So far, he's carrying that production over to the NFL, and he could end up forcing the Titans' hand.

Hank Beatty Clear OTA Standout

Illinois wide receiver Hank Beatty (80) is tackled by Tennessee defensive back Edrees Farooq (15) during the Music City Bowl NCAA college football game on Dec. 30, 2025, in Nashville, Tennessee. | Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

As we prepare to wrap up OTAs and head to minicamp, it's clear that Beatty is a clear winner from this period. The slot receiver has caught almost everything that's gone his way this offseason and he's had no problem getting open and running crisp routes.

"Rookie Hank Beatty was one of the stars of the day," the Titans' Jim Wyatt said after Thursday's practice. "The undrafted receiver from Illinois made a practice-best five catches on Thursday, including catches on three straight plays in a two-minute period."

Beatty was responsible for one of the best highlights of the day, when he went up high to snag a Mitchell Trubisky pass. That play showed that Beatty isn't just a prototypical slot receiver, but he can also make contested catches as well.

You basically couldn't expect more out of a UDFA than what Beatty has shown so far. In any other year, Beatty would be on his way to making this roster easily. Unfortunately for the UDFA, this receiver room in Nashville is very different.

Can Beatty Make Roster in Deep Receiver Room?

As mentioned above, Beatty would have already been a lock if he was on this team last year. However, this 2026 receiver room is shaping up to arguably be the deepest in franchise history.

We know Carnell Tate, Wan'Dale Robinson, Calvin Ridley, Elic Ayomanor, and Chimere Dike will be on the roster. This means there are only one or two spots available, at most, and several interesting players are fighting for those. To be honest, I hadn't even been considering Beatty, so that makes the competition even stiffer.

It won't be easy for Beatty to make the 53-man, even with an amazing camp. Beatty is competing against Montgomery, Xavier Restrepo. K.J. Osborn, Bryce Oliver, Mason Kinsey, and others. It hurts even more that Restrepo, Osborn, and Kinsey are also slot receivers.

I still think the most likely outcome for Beatty is landing on the practice squad, but he's at least forcing the Titans to consider him at this point.

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