Ranking Tennessee Titans rookies who can make immediate difference after 2024 NFL Draft

Rookies played a whopping 4,270 snaps for the Tennessee Titans in 2023. Maybe it won't come to that again, but the members of the Titans' 2024 NFL Draft class will have roles to play.

The Titans picked seven players in the 2024 draft, prioritizing size and power with nearly all of their picks. It doesn't take much imagination to foresee starting roles for a couple of these rookies, while other picks might have a little more of an adjustment process.

Here are The Tennessean's rankings for which Titans 2024 draft picks will contribute most as rookies.

7. OLB Jaylen Harrell (Round 7, pick 252)

Fourth or fifth edge rushers don't get a ton of reps in the NFL. Expect Harold Landry III and Arden Key to rotate a little more with a new defensive coordinator and without Denico Autry to share reps with. Harrell's going to have to jump Rashad Weaver in the pecking order to get significant time as a situational pass rusher, though.

6. LB James Williams (Round 7, pick 242)

The college safety has an uphill climb learning a new position, but Otis Reese IV made the same transition last year as an undrafted free agent. Williams' main problem might be competition from his own rookie class. Still, expect him to be a fixture on special teams.

5. CB Jarvis Brownlee Jr. (Round 5, pick 146)

Consider this ranking more a product of positional depth than Brownlee's ability. L'Jarius Sneed, Chidobe Awuzie and Roger McCreary are in the driver's position as starters, and Brownlee will have to contend with returning backups Eric Garror and Tre Avery, plus former first-round pick Caleb Farley if he's healthy. Brownlee can jump any of those players to be first in line behind Sneed, Awuzie and McCreary, but that's still doesn't mean a big expectation for playing time.

4. WR Jha'Quan Jackson (Round 6, pick 182)

What the Titans have in cornerback depth, they lack in receiver depth. Jackson probably shouldn't be penciled in above Treylon Burks or Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, but it wouldn't be a shock if he ends up earning a similar number of reps as those two. Combine that with Jackson's expected contributions returning kicks and punts and he's higher on this list than his sixth-round status might indicate.

3. DT T'Vondre Sweat (Round 2, pick 38)

Concerns about Sweat's stamina may be overblown. He played 36 defensive snaps per game last season at Texas. Over a 17-game campaign, that rank would've landed him in the top 40 in snaps among NFL interior defensive linemen last season. Sweat's bound to have some level of adjustment period, but still expect him to play starter-level snaps and contribute as the Titans' second- or third-most productive defensive lineman.

2. LB Cedric Gray (Round 4, pick 106)

Here's the place where need meets pro-readiness. Gray was hyper-productive at UNC with the maturity to step into the middle of an NFL defense today. The Titans need a presence like that at inside linebacker. The premium on a downhill tackling machine isn't what it used to be in today's pass-first NFL, but the Titans roll with Gray's skills from the outset and he plugs gaps from Day 1.

ESTES:What I liked, didn't like about Tennessee Titans' 2024 NFL Draft class

1. OT JC Latham (Round 1, pick 7)

Not really much of a question here. The Titans will call upon Latham to be their starting left tackle as soon as rookie camp starts. There isn't and shouldn't be much competition for the role. Latham is going to have a learning curve after playing right tackle in college, but when it comes to which draft pick will have to handle the most responsibilities, there's a huge gulf between Latham and the rest.

Nick Suss is the Titans beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Nick atnsuss@gannett.com. Follow Nick on X, the platform formerly called Twitter, @nicksuss.