NASHVILLE — The Tennessee Titans have been among the NFL's biggest spenders in free agency this offseason, and they still won't be able to fill all the remaining holes on their roster with only seven selections in next week's draft.
Neither general manager Ran Carthon nor first-year head coach Brian Callahan are giving hints to the position Tennessee will fill first. Even after a busy start to the rebuild, this remains a roster under major renovation after the Titans lost 18 of their past 24 games, which cost Mike Vrabel his job after six seasons in Nashville.
Callahan, who will call the offense after being a coordinator with the Cincinnati Bengals, has dropped hints that a coach can never have enough fast, explosive players. Carthon knows the Titans still must bulk up both the offensive and defensive lines.
"We're still working on that," the second-year GM said.
Callahan said the Titans know what they need for a team that went 6-11 and finished at the bottom of the AFC South after winning back-to-back division titles in the 2020-21 seasons and contending in 2022 but missing the playoffs.
"When you pick at seven and you pick at 38, and you're picking at the high end of these rounds, you want to be open and free to take ultimately what the best player is available to you," he said.
The Titans made a splash in March by signing receiver Calvin Ridley, running back Tony Pollard, center Lloyd Cushenberry and cornerback Chidobe Awuzie, and then they traded for cornerback L'Jarius Sneed to remake the secondary.
Unless the Titans make a move, after picking once in each of the first two rounds, they won't have another selection until the fourth round. Carthon traded his third-round pick for 2024 a year ago to move up and take quarterback Will Levis early in the second round.
Tennessee had three seventh-round picks but traded one to the Cleveland Browns this month, reuniting young reserve offensive lineman Leroy Watson IV with position coach Bill Callahan. Watson could provide depth, but a starting left tackle is at the top of the draft needs list for Tennessee.
That position that has been a revolving door of late, with four starters at that spot as Tennessee gave up 64 sacks last season. Only the Carolina Panthers, New York Giants and Washington Commanders allowed more.
Andre Dillard, the big free agent signed to fix that spot a year ago, was cut after 10 starts and one season. Notre Dame's Joe Alt could help the Titans if he's available when they pick.
Tennessee also needs help on the defensive line and at edge rusher and linebacker after losing Azeez Al-Shaair to the Houston Texans — the reigning AFC South champions — in free agency.
Despite also losing prolific running back Derrick Henry in free agency, the Titans seem set at that position. Pollard joins Tyjae Spears, a third-round pick last season, in giving the Titans the ability to disguise Callahan's offensive schemes with both of those backs serving as capable targets in the passing game who are also able to run up the middle for tough yardage.
Kicker Nick Folk is back after setting an NFL record with 78 consecutive field goals made under 40 yards, a streak started in 2017. The 39-year-old is coming off his best season, making a league-best 96.7% of his field-goal attempts.
Receiver could also be a position of strength as Ridley joins the Titans a year after they signed five-time Pro Bowl wideout DeAndre Hopkins, but Treylon Burks — the 18th pick overall in 2022 — still has only one touchdown catch through his first two pro seasons as injuries have limited his opportunities. He had 16 catches on 30 targets for 221 yards in 11 games last season.
To that end, Malik Nabers of LSU or 6-foot-3 Rome Odunze, who helped lead the Washington Huskies to a national runner-up finish in his final college season, could be intriguing additions after Levis settled in as the team's starter midway through his rookie season and showed his potential to expand the passing game.
In addition to losing Al-Shaair to Houston, Denico Autry — who had a career-high 11 1/2 sacks last season — departed Tennessee to join the Texans. The Titans must account for that absence, and they were among the first teams to visit with University of Texas defensive tackle T'Vondre Sweat after his arrest for driving while intoxicated earlier this month. The 6-4, 362-pounder helped the Longhorns reach the College Football Playoff last season.
Callahan said looking into players with off-field problems or character concerns means finding out what happened. He remembers some of what he did at the same age of players available in this draft, so homework is key.
Said the coach: "There's a ton of time invested into making sure that we get whatever those issues might be ironed out and (learn) whether they're real issues that have to be dealt with or they're things that maybe aren't as detrimental as the perception might be."