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The Tennessee Titans roster is coming together for this upcoming NFL season, and we now have a decent idea of what it will look like in Week 1. Now, the next time we see the 2023 squad will be at Titans’ training camp when players start competing for playing time and starting roles. Following the Titans' 2023 NFL draft, several Titans rookies will push veterans for time on the field. Second-round pick, quarterback Will Levis, is one of those players, but there are several more as well.
Hassan Haskins vs. Tyjae Spears
There were a lot of Derrick Henry rumors this offseason, but for now, it looks like the All-Pro running back will still be the man toting the ball for the Titans in 2023. However, he is in the last year of his deal, and it is time for the Titans to start considering the future.
Additionally, Henry has led the league with over 300 carries in three of the last four seasons, and last year’s 349 runs were the second-most of his career.
Tennessee needs to take some of the load off of Henry, especially if they want to keep him healthy for a potential playoff push down the stretch. That’s one of the reasons why the team drafted Tulane RB Tyjae Spears in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
Spears is a much smaller, shiftier back than Henry, who will make for a good change of pace. The former Green Wave runner was ultra-productive in college, including capping his career with a 17-carry, 205-yard, four-touchdown, MVP Cotton Bowl performance.
Spears won’t challenge Henry (at least right away), but he will have to duke it out in Titans training camp with RB2 Hassan Haskins.
This will be a tough competition as Spears is the better runner, and Haskins is probably the better pass catcher. In the end, though, the Lions rookie’s upside may win out.
Chigoziem Okonkwo vs. Josh Whyle
Last season, 2022 fourth-round pick out of Maryland, Chigoziem Okonkwo surprised a lot of people by becoming the tight end on the Titans roster with the most receiving yards (450) and touchdowns (three) over veteran Austin Hooper.
The Titans let Hooper go this offseason because of Okonkwo’s emergence but also drafted Cincinnati TE Josh Whyle in Round 5 as a backup plan.
Whyle is a big (6-foot-6 ½, 248 pounds) athletic tight end who is also a tenacious blocker. There will be plenty of opportunities for Mike Vrabel to get both of these guys on the field in 2023, but only one can be TE1.
After last season’s breakout performance, Okonkwo has the edge in Titans training camp. Still, both players are talented, so this will be a battle to watch.
Nicholas Petit-Frere vs. Jaelyn Duncan
The Titans' roster on the offensive line is a group in transition. Gone are long-time starters Taylor Lewan and Ben Jones, replaced by Andre Dillard and Aaron Brewer.
Dillard, the former Eagles player, heads into Titans training camp as the starting left tackle. And Peter Skowronski, the No. 11 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft who played tackle at Northwestern, is penciled in as a starting guard.
That leaves second-year veteran Nicholas Petit-Frere to compete with sixth-round pick Jaelyn Duncan out of Maryland for the starting right tackle gig.
Petit-Frere started 16 games last season for the Titans but was also one of the worst-graded players at the position, per PFF. Duncan was a four-year starter for the Terps at left tackle but has the size and athleticism to play on the right side in the pros.
This is a crucial Titans training camp battle to watch, and honestly, if a backup guard outplays both these players, Skowronski could start his career at RT and both these players could be on the bench.
Ryan Tannehill vs. Will Levis
Of all the Titans rookies, it is Will Levis who will get the most press on the Titans roster. The Kentucky quarterback slipped to the second round and will now likely be the team’s QB of the future over Malik Willis.
What will be most interesting, though, is to see if Levis can beat out veteran Ryan Tannehill in Titans training camp. Tannehill is in the last year of his deal and likely his last with the organization. In a perfect world, the team will get Levis up to speed as soon as possible to start the Titans’ next chapter.
Levis is supremely talented but also has his weaknesses. A year sitting behind Tannehill might do him good. That said, the majority of NFL rookie QBs get at least some time to sink or swim in Year 1, and in 2023, the Titans may want to see what they have in Levis and give him a chance under center.
