Titans 53-Man Roster Projection: The Final Update Before Roster Cuts

We're taking one last swing at a Tennessee Titans 53-man roster projection before the team is forced to make their final cuts this weekend.

Aug 23, 2026; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward (1) hands the ball off to running back Tony Pollard (20) against the Seattle Seahawks during the first half at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

We're well into the final week of the preseason. The Tennessee Titans stand at 2-0, with their most recent victory coming in comeback form against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, 19-16.

With roster cuts just four days out now (Aug. 30), the day after Tennessee's final preseason matchup with the Chicago Bears at home, there's no better time than now to take a final swing at projecting the Titans' 53-man roster.

Here's where things stand going into an eventful weekend for Robert Saleh's first Titans team.

Quarterback (2)

IN: Cam Ward, Mitch Trubisky

No changes in this unit, and to nobody's surprise. Trubisky was set to take over Will Levis' hold on the QB2 spot from the moment he was signed back in March. Levis has had since then to turn the tide and make a case for his roster spot, and he's simply fallen short.

Barring a miracle against the Bears on Saturday, this looks like a safe bet.

Running Back (4)

IN: Tony Pollard, Tyjae Spears, Nick Singleton, Julius Chestnut

The Titans backfield may be the group that got the most clarity vs. the Seahawks this past week. Beyond Singleton, Tennessee seemed to be facing a split between Julius Chestnut and Kalel Mullings for the room's final chair.

Aug 23, 2026; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Titans running back Julius Chestnut (36) stiff arms Seattle Seahawks cornerback Jordan Washington (33) during the second half at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Chestnut, having now led Tennessee in rushing yards in both of their preseason contests, is making it difficult not to give him the nod. Mullings is the higher-ceiling option, having just been drafted last year, but Singleton appears to have cleared the way for the Titans to comfortably let him go.

Wide Receiver (6)

IN: Wan'Dale Robinson, Carnell Tate, Calvin Ridley, Elic Ayomanor, Chimere Dike, Xavier Restrepo OUT: Bryce Oliver

Our first position with an update. After the second straight week of outperforming Oliver on the preseason stage, Restrepo has taken his sixth-man spot in this projection.

You really can't go wrong with either guy here, especially with how deep the Titans' receiving room is when healthy. As far as upside goes, Restrepo is a guy who spent the entirety of his rookie year climbing toward a regular season opportunity; that's a benefit Oliver has already had before.

Why not take a shot with the former? Restrepo has a slight edge here heading into the weekend, even after ST coordinator John Fassel confirmed that Oliver remains in the mix at gunner.

Tight End (4)

IN: Gunnar Helm, Daniel Bellinger, David Martin-Robinson, Kylen Granson

Very little movement on this front. Helm and Bellinger will continue to draw the majority of the offensive attention on the tight end squad, while Martin-Robinson and Granson pose as reliable pieces in rotation with upside on special teams. No need to overthink anyone in this bunch!

Aug 23, 2026; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Titans tight end Gunnar Helm (84) attempts to make a catch against the Seattle Seahawks during the first half at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

If anything, it's worth noting that Bellinger has received an impressive amount of work this preseason. Through three drives against Seattle, he had nearly matched Helm's snap count. That's a progression to watch.

Offensive Line (9)

IN: Dan Moore Jr., Peter Skoronski, Austin Schlottman, Fernando Carmona, JC Latham, Pat Coogan, Jackson Slater, Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson, Cordell Volson OUT: Austin Deculus

Deculus emerged as one of the biggest losers from Tennessee's matchup with Seattle. The backup tackle, who joined the Titans in March, has been one of the main names on the fringe for the Titans' offensive line this offseason. We had him edging Volson last week, but that has since changed.

This is primarily due to another underwheming outing from Deculus. He got slammed at LT right out of the gate when he was subbed in during Sunday's game. To boot, even with Carmona emerging as a rookie sensation at RG, keeping Volson on as insurance makes enough sense.

Volson entered this offseason as the favorite to start at RG, after all. There's value worth stashing there.

Defensive Line (10)

IN: Jeffery Simmons, John Franklin-Myers, Jordan Elliott, Solomon Thomas, Jackie Marshall, Keldric Faulk, Jermaine Johnson, Jacob Martin, Femi Oladejo, Malik Herring

The only update here is an addition, coming in the form of veteran defensive end Malik Herring. Herring spent the first three years of his NFL career with the Kansas City Chiefs in relatively quiet fashion, logging a career-high 1.5 sacks in 2023.

I noted last week that Herring was on the outside looking in compared to Oladejo due to his lack of explosiveness. However, he pushed his name to the top of a preseason list with a quietly powerful showing vs. the Seahawks.

Aug 13, 2026; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Adrian Martinez (4) passes while being rushed by Tennessee Titans defensive tackle Khalen Saunders (59) and defensive end Malik Herring (93) in the second quarter at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Gonzales-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Herring is tied for second place for the most pressures by any defensive end in the preseason, with eight. It's worth noting that he's the only player topping that list without a sack, but his consistent ability to pressure opposing passers has earned him a spot here.

Linebackers (5)

IN: Cody Barton, Cedric Gray, Anthony Hill Jr., James Williams Sr., Mohamoud Diabate

Anthony Hill Jr. was the standout from this past week's game, garnering thousands of likes on social media for his breakout performance. The second-round rookie logged seven tackles and an impressive interception jumping the gun on Jalen Milroe.

Even Diabate, at the bottom of this unit, initiated a particularly gnarly sack in the fourth quarter that helped Tennessee close the game out. The Titans LBs have panned out nicely as a well-rounded, five-man unit.

Cornerbacks (6)

IN: Alontae Taylor, Cor’Dale Flott, Marcus Harris, Josh Williams, Micah Robinson, Keydrain Calligan

The cornerback position continues to be a great point of contention for the Titans. Most of the noise has revolved around Cor'Dale Flott's struggles in his starting spot, but elsewhere, this group looks to be standing on relatively solid ground.

Aug 23, 2026; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Titans cornerback Keydrain Calligan (29) tackles Seattle Seahawks running back Jacardia Wright (31) during the first half at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Calligan comes in as the caboose here, but he even had a breakout play to force Seattle's first punt of Sunday's game. Robinson, who is listed right above Calligan, has seen consistent work with Tennessee's second team all summer.

Barring any surprises, the CB room appears more stable now than ever, for better or worse.

Safeties (4)

IN: Amani Hooker, Kevin Winston Jr., Tony Adams, Kendell Brooks OUT: Erick Hallett II

We had to make room for the aforementioned Herring somewhere. Kendell Brooks comes in at the back-end of this unit, securing the spot after making a slight impact (with two tackles) against Seattle and notching a notable stop defending Restrepo in yesterday's practice. These are tiny details, but sometimes those details are deciding factors in backup battles like these.

Hallett didn't play at all on Sunday. If anyone on the defense is set to fall away for Herring's addition, he seems to be an unfortunately natural candidate.

Specialists (3)

IN: Joey Slye, Tommy Townsend, Morgan Cox

Again, no movement here. Joey Slye is still perfect this preseason and has quieted any notion of movement or replacement at kicker for Tennessee. Townsend at punter and Cox at long snapper are both shoo-ins for the special teams unit.