Not Carnell Tate, Not Wan'Dale Robinson — ESPN Eyes a Different Titans Breakout

My thoughts and opinions about the Tennessee Titans rarely seem to align with the national media. However, Solak is making me eat those words today, and I'm happy to do so.

Solak is all about Gunnar Helm as the Tennessee Titans' breakout player in 2026, as he released his predictions for every NFL team.

Tennessee Titans Predictions: Gunnar Helm Breakout Season

"Big Gunnar Helm guy here," Solak wrote, pointing to "length, size, speed, ball skills above the rim/away from his frame and toughness through contact." If Helm grades out as an A-plus anywhere, per Solak, it's his knack "to track and adjust to the football" — exactly the kind of tough downfield grab that turns a tight end into an explosive-play weapon.

Solak is clear-eyed about the ceiling. Helm "won't lead the Titans in receptions," he wrote, not with the offseason money Tennessee poured into Wan'Dale Robinson and rookie Carnell Tate. But he framed Helm as "a QB-friendly third option in the passing game who can move the needle as a blocker if his technique improves to match the physical toolkit."

The kicker: "The lightbulb was starting to go on last season, and as more eyes turn to Tennessee this season, I think he'll have national recognition by this time next year."

There's plenty to love here, and the production backs the projection. As a rookie in 2025, Helm hauled in 44 passes for 357 yards and two touchdowns on 55 targets across 16 games. That yardage was enough to rank among the team's top receiving threats despite running routes on less than 40% of the team's dropbacks.

Helm also spent part of this offseason putting in work at Tight End University, exactly the kind of Year 2 investment Solak is betting on.

A Familiar Face Getting Love Elsewhere

Solak didn't stop at Helm. When he got to the New York Jets, he landed on a name Titans fans know well: T'Vondre Sweat.

Sweat is in New York now due to one of the more unusual transactions of the offseason. The Titans and Jets pulled off a rare player-for-player swap with no draft picks attached, Tennessee shipping the massive defensive tackle to New York in exchange for edge rusher Jermaine Johnson II.

From the Titans' side, the logic was obvious — they needed pass-rush help, and Johnson gets to reunite with Robert Saleh.

Solak said "Sweat is a preposterously talented athlete, with considerable explosiveness at 366 pounds," he wrote, conceding that "his effort wanes at times."

He added, "Aaron Glenn's greatest strength as a coach is how well he motivates. A fire lit under Sweat could produce one of the more dynamic nose tackles in the league." Solak also leaned on the developmental timeline, noting "defensive tackle breakouts tend to come in Year 3 or 4" and calling Sweat "one to watch."

Tennessee, for its part, didn't stop at Johnson. The Titans followed up by handing John Franklin-Myers a three-year, $63 million deal with $42 million guaranteed, adding another proven big boy up front alongside Jeffery Simmons.

The Bottom Line

Two Titans-connected players, two national breakout endorsements — and a credible voice in Solak attaching his name to both. If he's right about Helm, the Titans have a QB-friendly weapon rounding into form just as the offense gets its most talent in years.

It's wheels up for Helm this season, and it's quite clear he can help take this Titans offense to another level.

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