Free Agency: Quiet But Purposeful
The Titans didn't splash. They patched.
General manager Ran Carthon added veteran interior lineman Dalton Risner on a two-year, $14 million deal. Depth signing. Stops the bleeding at guard. Nothing that moves the needle alone.
Safety Quandre Diggs came over on a one-year, $6.5 million prove-it contract. Smart. He's 32. Still range. Buys time while the young secondary develops.
Tight end Tyler Higbee signed for two years, $11 million after the Rams released him. He's a blocker first now. Fits what Tennessee wants to build. Nobody's confusing him for a playmaker anymore, but he won't embarrass you.
Cornerback depth was thin. Charvarius Ward didn't come cheap — three years, $42 million. That's the big swing. He's 28. Coming off a rough 49ers year. Carthon is betting on scheme fit over recent tape. Risky. But necessary.
The Draft: Carthon Went Trenches Early
Titans held the seventh overall pick. They took Ohio State offensive tackle Donovan Jackson. Versatile. Played both sides in Columbus. PFF had him as a top-five offensive lineman in the class. Fills a hole that's been open since Taylor Lewan fell apart.
Round two, pick 39 — Georgia linebacker Jalon Walker. Motor never stops. Good in coverage for a 'backer. Brian Callahan's defense needs that kind of chess piece.
Round three brought Penn State wide receiver Omari Evans. 6-foot-1, 4.42 speed. Wasn't a household name before the combine. Became one after it. Levis needs weapons. This was the right instinct.
Day three: Tennessee grabbed Toledo cornerback Quinyon Mitchell — wait, no, he was gone years ago. They grabbed Memphis corner Darien Porter in round four. Long, physical. Still raw. Project player.
Round five, Arkansas running back Ja'Quinden Jackson. Dual threat. Tony Pollard isn't young forever.
Positions Addressed
Offensive line is better. Not dominant, but better. Ward shores up corner. Diggs adds experience at safety. Tight end is functional.
Positions That Still Keep You Up at Night
Wide receiver is thin beyond DeAndre Hopkins — who turns 33 in June and isn't the same. Evans is a rookie. Calvin Ridley remains a rumor, not a reality.
Edge rusher. Harold Landry is the guy. He shouldn't have to be the only guy. No proven complement opposite him.
And then there's Levis. Year three. The leash isn't invisible anymore — it's short and fraying. He has better blockers now. Better weapons than last year. Callahan has simplified the system.
Runs out of excuses in 2025.
The Titans built a better house around their quarterback. Whether he can live in it — that's the whole season.