Nearly a month into training camp, and almost nine months into Robert Saleh's tenure as Tennessee Titans coach, it's almost becoming easy to feel numb to all the newness.
By The Tennessean's count, 24 of the Titans' 42 most important contributors to this point are new to the team in some way, be they rookies, free agent signees or trade acquisitions. Put another way: More than half the players you should expect to see making plays for the Titans on Sundays will be guys who didn't play for them a year ago.
Sitting at roughly the midpoint of training camp, let's take the opportunity to put all of the most important newcomers on the page together. Here are The Tennessean's rankings of the most consequential new faces, sorted by how well they're playing
in training camp and how much they'll be expected to contribute come fall.
Titans newcomers for 2026, ranked
24. OT Austin Deculus
Deculus hasn't done much to impress in camp, then graded out as the NFL's third-worst pass blocking tackle in the preseason opener. Hard to see much of a role for him in a non-emergency situation.
23. C Pat Coogan
It's not that Coogan's playing poorly. He's just not going to be the Titans' starting center, and he's a little bit pigeonholed in the position, limiting the other roles he can play himself into.
22. QB Mitchell Trubisky
Trubisky's plenty qualified to be the Titans' backup quarterback, but that's an awfully limited role on game days.
21. DE Malik Herring
Don't sleep on Herring's likelihood of making the team and being on the field in a rotational capacity, especially after Jaylen Harrell's injury.
20. OG Cordell Volson
The veteran guard has been leapfrogged by someone else who'll appear later on this list, but he's still competing for a starting spot.
19. LB Mohamoud Diabate
As third-year linebacker James Williams Sr. has continued to develop, Diabate's role seems less settled. But he's still a strong fit in Saleh's scheme.
18. DB Tony Adams
Adams is a natural backup at safety and at nickel, so expect him to play. But it's hard to say we've seen too many highlights moments from him yet.
17. LB Anthony Hill Jr.
By the end of the year, don't be shocked if Hill's in the top 10. But for now, he's a rotational piece with plenty of potential.
16. CB Joshua Williams
For now, he's the No. 4 cornerback option. As he gets healthier, there's a world where he gets more looks. Either way, he's got the tools to impress.
15. RB Nick Singleton
One of the pleasant surprises of training camp, Singleton looks like he belongs in a pro backfield already.
14. CB Cor'Dale Flott
Here's someone who needs to be a lot higher on the list than he really is. Flott's got plenty of solid pro tape to prove who he is, but the starting CB wore it through a rough week in San Francisco.
13. P Tommy Townsend
Can't put the punter too high, but also no question that he'll be the punter.
12. DL Jordan Elliott
If someone earns the title of "Mr. Thankless" this season, it'll be Elliott the space-eater. His role matters, though.
11. DL Solomon Thomas
Kinda have to lump Thomas and Elliott together as veterans of Saleh's system who'll rotate in the middle and be major factors in the Titans' ability to get a push up front.
10. CB Alontae Taylor
Though Taylor hasn't caught as much flak as Flott, the fact that he's not up in the top five is concern enough.
9. DE Keldric Faulk
Like Hill, Faulk's role should expand the year. Unlike Hill, Faulk's Week 1 expectations should be fairly robust.
8. TE Daniel Bellinger
Bellinger is going to play a lot. Maybe even more than fans realize. He might not be the most involved pass catcher, but he's integral to offensive coordinator Brian Daboll's system.
7. OG Fernando Carmona
Who would've thought the fifth-round guard would rank ahead of Faulk and Hill? That's what a quality couple of weeks of training camp can do for you.
6. DE Jacob Martin
The likeliest candidate to win the "bang for his buck" award, Martin's going to have plenty of opportunities off the edge and he's looked more than capable of taking advantage.
5. C Austin Schlottmann
For the sake of the offense, Schlottmann's got to be as good as the coaches believe he can be. Early returns have been positive.
4. DL John Franklin-Myers
Really the only reason he isn't No. 1 here is it's been harder to read who he'll be on the defensive front as he has dealt with a back injury.
3. DE Jermaine Johnson II
As defenses focus their double teams on Franklin-Myers and Jeffery Simmons, expect Johnson to be the greatest beneficiary and a real threat to log double-digit sacks if he stays healthy.
2. WR Carnell Tate
He's going to be the Titans' No. 1 receiver, whether that's by season's end or by season's start. The Titans seem to have made a good investment with the No. 4 overall pick, and it's easy to see a world where Tate develops into a pillar of this organization . . .
1. WR Wan'Dale Robinson
. . . but Robinson is going to be quarterback Cam Ward's safety blanket, the first person he looks for on third downs and the highest-volume target the Titans have had since maybe ever. Tate is going to be the big-play threat. Robinson's going to be the most effective player on a down-by-down basis.
Nick Suss is the Titans beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Nick at nsuss@gannett.com. Follow Nick on X @nicksuss. Subscribe to the Talkin’ Titans newsletter for updates sent directly to your inbox.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Ranking how 24 Titans newcomers look in training camp. Where's Carnell Tate?
