4 Things We Learned About the Titans During OTAs

The Tennessee Titans have completed their slate of OTAs and are now preparing for mandatory minicamp next week. OTAs don't always tell us much, but I feel like we learned quite a bit about this team and some of the key players.

We saw some players really help their case to make the team, we saw some struggle, and we saw some young players prove that they are to be taken seriously. It's important not to overreact to OTAs, so I'm going to focus on the things that I think have some weight to them. Today, let's go over four things we learned from OTAs.

Carnell Tate is Legit

Tennessee Titans receiver Carnell Tate (14) makes a catch during OTAs at Vanderbilt Health Football Center in Nashville, Tenn., Monday, June 8, 2026. | DENNY SIMMONS / THE TENNESSEAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Carnell Tate looked good in practices without pads or contact. Does that really matter? I think it does. We didn't just see Tate make routine catches in off coverage. We saw Tate make multiple impressive one-handed snags and run crisp routes. We saw the rookie show off his speed, and he simply looked like a future elite receiver.

This is important for multiple reasons. For one, the Titans and Cam Ward desperately need an elite target. Additionally, just imagine the discourse if Tate looked slow or had several bad drops. People were already saying that Tate "was never a No. 1 receiver in college," and if he struggled out of the gate, the conversation would be incredibly negative.

The No. 4 pick looked exactly how he needed to look, and now he can build on that positive momentum in minicamp and training camp.

The Cornerback Depth May be Better than Thought

Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. (1) runs while throwing an arm up on Tennessee Titans cornerback Micah Robinson (21) during the fourth quarter in an NFL football matchup at EverBank Stadium, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jaguars defeated the Titans 41-7 [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union] | Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

I've talked about how Alontae Taylor, Cor'Dale Flott, and Marcus Harris should be a fine starting cornerback trio, but the depth concerns me. Josh Williams, Micah Robinson, Erick Hallett, and Keydrain Calligan are among the depth options, and that didn't excite me.

However, Taylor and Flott missed several practices, which gave the depth guys a great chance to prove themselves, and for the most part, they did. Robinson unfortunately had to be matched up with Carnell Tate, which didn't always go well. However, the corner also had some solid moments and came down with an interception.

Calligan, meanwhile, is one of the biggest winners of OTAs. The corner had several pass breakups, picked off Will Levis, and did a good job in general in coverage. I'll be interested to see if Calligan and Robinson continue to play well, but it certainly seems like the depth could end up being okay.

The Running Back Plan is Clear

The Titans drafted Nic Singleton this year, and many were curious to see if the rookie could earn a role immediately. However, Singleton is working his way back from an injury, and the team is clearly working him in slowly.

In the last week of OTAs, Singleton did get more work than ever, and he looked solid. However, Robert Saleh came out and said that Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears will be the bellcows in 2026. This isn't exactly surprising, considering Pollard has four-straight 1,000-yard seasons and Spears has looked fantastic this offseason.

There were fans who were expecting to see Singleton immediately, though, and that no longer seems likely. I do expect the rookie to get more work as the season goes on, but I expect to see a lot of Pollard and Spears at first.

There is No Backup QB Controversy

Many people were interested in the backup quarterback spot entering this summer. Mitchell Trubisky was brought in, but plenty still believed in Will Levis, and Hendon Hooker also has his fans. Unfortunately for the Levis and Hooker fans, OTAs didn't go well.

Trubisky missed the first several practices, which gave Levis and Hooker plenty of chances to impress. Instead, neither one really did, with Levis being extremely inconsistent and Hooker just kind of being there.

It's clearer than ever that Trubisky is QB2. Trubisky was easily the best quarterback during OTAs, and his mentorship will be extremely valuable for Ward. I still expect the Titans to try and trade Levis, while Hooker may be kept on the practice squad.

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