The excitement in Nashville is building after a tremendous offseason led by new general manager Mike Borgonzi.
Borgonzi and his staff have followed a meticulous plan to rebuild the Tennessee Titans into contenders. They did a masterful job during the 2025 NFL draft to continue laying the foundation for future success. If it works out, their nine-pick class could provide solutions for the immediate future and the franchise’s long-term success.
While there has been much positivity surrounding this class, there is always a downside, and some players and coaches will feel the heat.
Following the draft, here’s a snapshot of the Titans’ biggest winners and losers.
Winner: HC Brian Callahan
Heading into his second season, Brian Callahan entered the offseason with much baggage left from the 2024 debacle. But after some staff changes and a more favorable roster, he should be poised for a much better season in 2025.
Borgonzi and Callahan worked well together, creating a plan for the organization’s future, which they followed throughout the offseason and the draft. Unlike his rookie season as a head coach, where everything was focused on making a splash and name recognition, Tennessee has turned toward character and leadership as core principles and has a more complete roster.
This is Callahan’s team now and he has the players and staff in place to take a huge step forward in 2025.
Loser: WR Treylon Burks
Not only did the Titans add two productive veteran wide receivers to the roster during free agency, but they also drafted two dynamic pass catchers in Chimere Dike and Elic Ayomanor during the draft. Following the draft, they brought in receiver Xavier Restrepo.
Treylon Burks will need to make considerable strides to stay with the Titans. Not only did the front office decline to pick up his fifth-year option, but he is still recovering from a torn ACL and may not be ready until the start of the season, limiting his chances of turning the corner and carving out a niche in Nashville.
Winner: LB Cedric Gray
Tennessee has revamped its inside linebackers throughout the offseason, allowing Cedric Gray to build on his performance late in his rookie season. The Titans did not address the position during the draft, which should give the 2024 fourth-round pick a pathway to playing time next to unrestricted free agent addition Cody Barton in the new-look unit.
Gray missed a large chunk of his rookie season due to injury but stepped up when forced into the lineup after injuries decimated the linebacking corps, recording 22 tackles (13 solo) in limited snaps down the stretch.
Loser: QB Will Levis
The Titans’ organization has said all the right things about Will Levis throughout the offseason, but the needle is moving in a different direction. After selecting Cam Ward with the first overall selection, Tennessee continued to build around the young signal-caller, even bringing in one of his favorite targets as an undrafted rookie free agent.
Borgonzi said that Levis would be given a shot to compete with Ward for the starting role, but after his 2024 performance, it’s hard to see that being anything more than a cursory look. Tennessee only carried two quarterbacks on the roster in 2024, but after signing two veterans in free agency and drafting Ward, that room is now rather crowded.
Winner: CB L’Jarius Sneed
L’Jarius Sneed appears to be safe with a new front office that has already cut bait with some of the high-priced free agents brought in during the previous regime who underperformed. Coming off a miserable, injury-plagued 2024 campaign, Sneed did not come close to being the shutdown cornerback the team was searching for.
Even though they had a chance to grab a viable option at cornerback early in the draft to bring in top-tier competition for Sneed, they bypassed it and looked at edge and safety early. They drafted Marcus Harris in the sixth round, but he is a developmental prospect who needs some seasoning before making a strong push for playing time.
Loser: DC Dennard Wilson
Tennessee did spend Day 2 of the NFL draft focused on defense, but they may not have done enough to help a unit that struggled throughout 2024. Tennessee had many defensive needs heading into the draft but did not land any sure-fire difference-makers in this class.
Third-round safety Kevin Winston Jr. should make an impact, but is coming off an ACL injury and may need some time to work his way back up to speed. Second-round edge Oluwafemi Oladejo has the traits teams look for but is extremely raw and inexperienced at the position. Cornerback Marcus Harris has a chance to compete, but he too needs development.
Tennessee did not address defensive line depth or inside linebacker during the draft and is an injury away from being in the same situation as they were in 2024. Heading into the draft, the defense needed to improve the run defense and pass rush, and the jury is out on whether or not they achieved that.
While Dennard Wilson didn’t choose the players selected, he is responsible for their performance on the field, and there are still major questions centered on his defense and whether they will be better in 2025.
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