One Titans Player Who Just Dodged a Major Draft-Day Bullet

The Titans filled several holes during the 2026 NFL Draft, but which player on the roster caught a huge break?

Tennessee Titans first round draft picks wide receiver Carnell Tate, second left, and edge Keldric Faulk stand for pictures with Mike Borgonzi, general manager, left, and Coach Robert Saleh at Vanderbilt Health Football Center Friday, April 24, 2026. | DENNY SIMMONS / THE TENNESSEAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Unless you have one of the best rosters in the league, you can't be expected to fill every hole in one offseason. With that being said, the Titans did a fine job of patching the biggest problem areas.

The wide receiver spot and edge rusher spot were taken care of in the first round of the draft, while linebacker, offensive line, running back, defensive line, and tight end were addressed later. Notably, there's one spot that many expected to be address that wasn't- cornerback. As a result, it's obvious that one player benefitted the most from the team not taking a corner.

Marcus Harris Dodged a Bullet

Tennessee Titans cornerback Marcus Harris (26) warms up before the game against the Seattle Seahawks at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Nov. 23, 2025. | Denny Simmons / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

I don't mean this in a negative way towards Marcus Harris. Harris exceeded all expectations in 2025 as a sixth-round rookie. The corner started in five games, appeared in 14, and collected 28 tackles and five pass deflections. Pro Football Focus gave the rookie a respectable 68.4 overall grade for his performance.

However, that doesn't mean it's still not surprising that the team didn't add any competition for Harris at nickel corner. The team added Cor'Dale Flott and Alontae Taylor in free agency, but those two will be the starters on the boundary. The team hasn't signed a nickel corner and didn't draft one either.

The vast majority of mock drafts had the Titans taking at least one corner. In my final seven-round mock, I had the Titans taking a corner in the fifth round. I didn't expect one to be selected in the first round, but I did think the position was a possibility as early as the second round.

There were several quality corners capable of playing nickel the Titans could have drafted. Avieon Terrell, Keith Abney II, D'Angelo Ponds, and Chandler Rivers were just some of the possible options in the draft. Of course, none of those are guaranteed to be immediate starters but they would've challenged Harris and improved the depth.

Now, it will be interesting to see how the Titans proceed. It seems clear that the team is comfortable going forward with Harris as the starter, but what about the depth? Erick Hallett II is the only other true nickel on the roster right now, so the team could be one Harris injury away from being in a bad situation.

Either way, Harris should be happy that his team believes in him. The California product probably expected to have some added competition behind him after the draft, but he instead walked away as the clear starter.