By DREW BEATTY, film analyst
Note from PK: I'm thrilled to have Drew Beatty join PaulKuharsky.com today as a film analyst. His work will apear regularly through the season on Wednesdays. This piece is a preview for all. Next week he will be part of what's for members only, so get ready for that by signing up now.
The Tennessee Titans released their regular-season unofficial depth chart on Tuesday. While there aren’t typically many worthwhile takeaways from these depth charts, this is the first release with a finalized 53-man roster.
As the dust settles from camp, preseason games, roster cutdowns and waiver claims, this depth chart release gives a preliminary glimpse into what the Day One 2025 Titans may look like. This outline can also provide valuable insight into significant position battles.
The linebacker room
Tennessee’s linebacker room has been one of the most prominent roster battles of the 2025 offseason. While free agent addition Cody Barton is the clear leader of the group, the second linebacker spot has been a glaring question mark.
A pair of 2024 draft picks, James Williams and Cedric Gray, have spent the offseason as the two premier candidates for the job. Providing starkly contrasting skillsets, this depth chart’s listing of Gray over Williams is a telling indicator of what this defensive coaching staff values.
The case for James Williams
I’ve been a vocal supporter of James Williams in his campaign for the second linebacker spot. He only played defensive snaps in the last four games of the 2024 season. However, he made the most out of his limited chances. He has continued to pick up right where he left off, adding an impressive 2025 pre-season outing to his resume.
Standing at 6-foot-5 and 232 pounds, Williams possesses rare measurables for an inside linebacker. To pair with his size, he’s also a top-end athlete at the position. His length and athleticism allow him to be a top-tier block shedder when defending the run.
Despite looking like a starting-caliber run-fitting linebacker in his limited opportunities, Williams’ inexperience at the position is clear. He exhibits a clear lack of instinct and tends to make sluggish play diagnoses.
In addition to these faults, Williams also tends to struggle heavily when placed into a coverage role (an unfortunate theme throughout the Titans’ linebacker room). While Gray seems to have gotten the early nod at the second linebacker spot, Williams' athleticism allows for a much higher ceiling if the staff can continue to develop him).
Why Cedric Gray is the early winner
Although Gray’s (albeit extremely limited) 2024 film was unimpressive, his pre-season showed promise. Between his impressive training camp and preseason, he has continued to show development, giving the staff reason to believe he can grow into a potential starting piece for Tennessee’s defense.
In sharp contrast to Williams’ skill set, Gray has a clear trust in his instincts when diagnosing plays. However, his athleticlimitations give him somewhat of a lower ceiling. In addition to his athletic limitations, he also shares Williams’ inability to play in coverage.
While Gray was listed as the starter opposite Barton on this depth chart, Titans fans should expect to see a healthy dose of all three linebackers in the rotation.
How the addition of Kyzir White changes the position group
Although he isn’t listed on this depth chart yet, Tennessee’s signing of former Arizona Cardinals linebacker Kyzir White has the potential to drastically change the Titans’ linebacker room. Recording 137 total tackles in 2024, he adds another veteran presence to the position group.
Beginning on the practice squad, it will be an important caveat to determine if White is still in playing shape (considering he hasn’t been with a team in roughly eight months). Assuming he is, his impact on the linebacker rotation could be much more significant than many realize.
Despite being a 29-year-old vet, White still displayed impressive movement skills and a dangerous closing burst. Paired with his ability to slip second-level blocks, he can still serve as a more-than-serviceable run defender. While he may not be the longest or most physical run defender, he makes up for it in his technique at the point of attack.
While his 2024 film was impressive, there’s also a reason he remained unsigned until recently. His glaring lack of length and anchor are on full display when second-level blockers can get into his frame. In addition to the play strength concerns, he also won’t solve Tennessee’s coverage woes in the position group.
It’s unlikely that White takes on a more significant role than the third or fourth linebacker in the room, but he can still make an impactful contribution in Tennessee’s rotation.
Major change in the receiver room
Alongside the linebacker rotation, Tennessee’s youth-filled receiver room has been another topic of heavy debate. Specifically, the X receiver spot battle between Van Jefferson and fourth-round rookie Elic Ayomanor.
To anyone paying attention, it’s been clear that Ayomanor was the more physically talented between the two. The question was whether or not Jefferson’s veteran presence and experience would be enough to give him the edge to start the season.
However, after an impressive pre-season from Ayomanor (and a dramatic one from Jefferson), the depth chart has the day-three rookie in the starting lineup ahead of Jefferson.
Measuring in at 6-foot-2 and 206 pounds, Ayomanor is a much more stereotypical fit in the X role. In addition to his size, he also consistently displays impressive athleticism and above-average separation ability.
While it’s typically irresponsible to place starting-caliber (especially day-one) expectations on a fourth-round rookie, Tennessee’s razor-thin receiver depth has forced him into an early spotlight.
Unofficial depth charts are far from gospel -- however, the first release after roster-cutdowns is often extremely telling. After a dreary offseason full of speculation, Tennessee’s roster outline is finally taking shape as its Week One matchup against the Denver Broncos rapidly approaches.
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Follow Drew Beatty on X/Twitter at @IronCityFilm.