2025 Tennessee Titans Preview

Brian Callahan returns for a second season to lead the Tennessee Titans. He went 3-14 in his rookie head coaching experience, which was three wins lower than the 2023 season. His coaching career started in 2010 with the Denver Broncos. Callahan ran the Cincinnati offense from 2019 to 2023. He was part of the Broncos’ coaching staff (offensive assistant) that won the Super Bowl in 2015 with Peyton Manning behind center.

Nick Holtz took over the Titans’ offense in 2024, a year after holding the Jaguars’ pass game coordinator job. He worked in the Raiders’ coaching system from 2012 to 2021, before jumping to UNLV (offensive coordinator). Tennessee finished 27th in points scored (311) and 26th in offensive yards. They’ve ranked in a similar range over the past three seasons.

Tennessee also brought back Dennard Wilson for a second shot as their defensive coordinator. His previous experience came from working with defensive backs. He began his coaching path in the NFL with the Rams in 2012. Surprisingly, the Titans’ defense allowed the second-fewest yards but the third-most points (460).

Offense

The Titans finished 20th in rushing yards (1,855) while gaining only 4.1 yards per carry with 11 touchdowns. Offenses average 26.5 rushes per game.

They ranked 26th in passing yards (3,621) with 22 touchdowns and 21 interceptions. Their offensive line gave up 52 sacks.

Quarterbacks

Cam Ward, TEN

Over his three seasons in college, Ward played in 38 games between Washington State and the University of Miami. He completed 66.0% of his 1,436 pass attempts for 11,281 yards with 87 touchdowns and 23 interceptions. His highlight year came in 2024 when he threw for 4,313 yards with 39 passing touchdowns and seven interceptions. He gained an impressive 9.5 yards per pass attempt.

As a runner, Ward made more significant plays last season (3.4 YPR), but he carried the ball only 60 times for 204 yards and four touchdowns. With Washington State, his opportunity to run was much higher (227/202/13) with minimal gains per carry (0.9 yards). Sacks (46 and 38) were more of an issue with the Cougars than with the Hurricanes (22).

His college career started at the University of the Incarnate Word (Division I), where Ward made 19 starts over two seasons. His success in 2021, with a 10-3 record and completing 384 of his 590 passes for 4,648 yards, 47 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions, led to his recruitment by Washington State. He gained only 67 yards rushing with three touchdowns over his 112 carries at UIW.

Ward plays with his eyes up pre- and post-snap. His goal is to get the ball out quickly and take home run swings when given one-on-one coverage downfield. His arm is NFL-ready, and he has a good sense of where he wants to throw the football before taking the snap.

Pro defenses will force him to make more throws on the run, going to his left, where his accuracy will regress if Ward can’t square up and set his feet. He played out of the shotgun on most plays, showcasing the ability to extend the pocket either with his feet or by breaking through some tackles.

His challenge at the next level will be a weaker offensive line and a downgrade in receiving personnel. Additionally, defensive coordinators will make him think more when reading coverages, and his passing windows will be significantly smaller in the pros.

Ward can move the chains with his feet, but he is a throw-first quarterback. The next step in his development is finishing drives with passing touchdowns in the red zone.

Fantasy Outlook: As the first overall pick by the Titans in 2025, Ward should open the season as their starting quarterback. Tennessee ranked poorly in wide receiver catches (164) last season, but they did show a willingness to check down to their running backs and use their tight ends to move the chains. Ward brings a swag to his game, which some cockiness. With 17 starts, he has the tools to gain 4,000 combined yards with league-average touchdowns.

Will Levis, TEN

In the second round of the 2023 Draft, the Titans took another flier on what they believe would be their future quarterback. Levis came to the NFL with a big arm and the size (6’4” and 230 lbs.) that teams look for in a pocket passer.

He has a quick release and is willing to stand tall under duress. His most significant need is to improve his timing and rhythm of passes over short areas of the field, which starts with better footwork. He played through some injuries in his final college season, which affected his overall stats.

Over his last two years at Kentucky, Levis completed 65.7% of his 5,232 yards with 43 touchdowns and 23 interceptions. He rushed for 376 yards and nine touchdowns in 2021 on 107 carries, but his value as a runner was severely diminished the following year (72/107/2). After passing for more than 300 yards in three of his first four games in 2022, the rigors of the SEC led to him failing to gain more than 230 yards via the air in his next seven starts while averaging only 23.7 pass attempts.

Tennessee handed Levis the keys to their offense in Week 8 of 2023 vs. the Falcons, and he delivered a tease game (249/4). Over his next seven contests, he failed to produce a game of value (1,600 combined yards with five touchdowns and four interceptions) while completing only 58.2% of his passes. Levis was only on the field for 13 snaps over the season's final three games due to a foot injury.

Last season, he went 2-12 while averaging only 174 passing yards, partly due to two early exits with right shoulder AC joint issues. Levis finished with 13 passing touchdowns and 12 interceptions. His value as a runner did improve (45/183).

Fantasy Outlook: His starting window looks to be over, giving Levis time to reflect on his shortcomings.

Other Options: Brandon Allen, Tim Boyle

Running Backs

The running back opportunity regressed for the second consecutive season in 2024, highlighted by their weakness in yards per rush (4.1) and yards per catch (6.5). They finished with similar catches over the past three years (70, 76, and 73).

Tony Pollard, TEN

Pollard was frustrating to manage over the first five games in 2022 due to his up-and-down usage by the Cowboys. He had empty production in Week 1 (22 combined yards and two catches) and Week 4 (eight combined yards and one catch) while flashing his explosiveness over his other three contests (289 combined yards with two touchdowns and four catches on 34 touches).

When given a chance to start in two games midseason, Pollard played at a high level (14/131/3 and 22/115/1) with four combined catches and 29 yards. Dallas gave him an uptick in chances over the next six weeks (83/367/3 with 24 catches for 237 yards and three scores), but ankle and leg injuries led to a missed game and a step back in play over his final three contests (28/118 with five catches for 23 yards).

Pollard was the ninth-highest-scoring running back (248.80) in PPR formats despite averaging 14.5 touches.

A lead running back opportunity in 2023 led to Pollard touching the ball 307 times. Despite 75 more chances, he gained fewer yards (1,316) than in 2022 (1,378). Pollard has a sharp decline in his yards per rush (4.0 – 5.2 in 2022), yards per catch (5.7 – 9.5 in 2022), and touchdowns (6 – 12 in 2022).

His only game with more than 100 yards rushing came in Week 3 (23/122). Pollard scored over 20.00 fantasy points in PPR formats only three times (Week 1 – 22.20, Week 12 – 22.30, and Week 19 – 21.50). He finished 14th in running back scoring (223.70).

Tennessee had Pollard on the field for 64.1% of their plays last season. He finished with 301 touches, leading to 1,307 combined yards with five touchdowns and 41 catches. Despite his volume opportunity, Pollard slipped to 21st in running back scoring (203.20). He gained over 100 rushing yards in two matchups (28/120 and 21/102) while scoring between 18.00 and 22.00 fantasy points in five games in PPR formats.

Fantasy Outlook: Better quarterback plays should lead to improved scoring chances for Pollard, but the Titans will still rotate in Tyjae Spears on many plays. Let’s go with a pullback in touches to the 275 range. Even so, I could see him having an uptick in fantasy value. The high-stakes fantasy market expects regression based on his mid-June running back ranking (26th).

Tyjae Spears, TEN

Tennessee liked Spears enough in his rookie season to give him the same number of snaps (558) as Derrick Henry. He gained 838 combined yards with three touchdowns and 52 catches on 152 touches. His best fantasy value came in four contests (Week 5 – 69 combined yards with one score and four catches), Week 13 (16/89 with four catches), Week 14 (118 combined yards and six catches), and Week 18 (66 combined yards with a touchdown and three catches). Spears finished the year 34th in running back scoring (153.80) in PPR formats.

Last season, the Titans reduced his snaps over their first four games (29, 22, 20, and 27), resulting in 163 combined yards with a touchdown and 12 catches on 39 touches. Spears left Week 5 (6/27) with a hamstring issue. He sat out the following three games while posting empty snaps in his next four contests (17/71 with six catches for 14 yards). His season ended with three uptick showings in fantasy points (27.20, 21.60, and 13.30) in PPR formats. Spears missed Week 18 with a concussion.

Fantasy Outlook: Tennessee should get him between 175 and 200 touches this year if Spears can stay upright for 17 games. He has sneaky upside at times in chaser games, and Tennessee will give him goal-line chances. Possible cheat RB2, who comes off the board as the 43rd running back in mid-June.

Other Options: Julius Chestnut, Kalel Mullings, Tyrion Davis-Price

Wide Receivers

Over the past three seasons, the Titans ranked poorly in wide receiver stats, but they did set three-year highs in catches (164), receiving yards (2,280), touchdowns (14), and targets (282). Their wideouts gained 13.9 yards per catch while accounting for 63% of Tennessee’s receiving yards.

Calvin Ridley, TEN

Ridley had an up-and-down season with the Jaguars in 2023. Over his first nine starts, he posted three winning games (8/101/1, 7/122, and 7/103/2) while posting empty stats in five other matchups (2/32, 3/40, 4/30, 1/5, and 2/20). His floor and play picked up over Jacksonville’s final eight contests (41/545/6 on 75 targets), highlighted by four games (7/103/2, 5/89/1, 6/90/2, and 6/106/1). Ridley finished the season ranked 16th at wide receiver (231.50 fantasy points).

Last year, the change to Tennessee’s offense led to only a slight step back in overall production. He caught 64 of his 120 targets (53.3%) for 1,072 yards and five touchdowns. Ridley gained a career-high 15.9 yards per catch, but gained more than one hundred yards in one game (10/143).

His stats were much better on the road (37/624/3 on 67 targets). When at his best, he scored more than 20.00 fantasy points in three matchups (24.70, 23.60, and 25.40). Ridley had a disaster run from Week 3 to Week 5 (1/9, 1/15, and 0/9). He was the 27th-best wide receiver (200.50 fantasy points) in PPR formats.

Fantasy Outlook: I trust the Titans’ upgrade at quarterback this year, giving Ridley better chances to make plays and score touchdowns. Fantasy drafters won’t fight for him, based on his slide to a backend WR3 (ranked 34th) in early drafts this year. I’ll set his bar at 75 catches for 1,100 yards with about seven scores.

Tyler Lockett, TEN

The addition of Jaxon Smith-Njigba was expected to lower his opportunity in 2023, but Lockett finished with a three-year high in targets (122 – 107 in 2021 and 117 in 2022). Unfortunately, he had a regression in his big-play ability (11.3 yards per catch – 16.1 in 2021 and 12.3 in 2022), leading to his lowest output in receiving yards (894) since 2017.

Lockett failed to gain over 95 yards in any contests, giving him only three 20.00+ fantasy point days (8/59/2, 8/81/1, and 8/92/1) in PPR formats. He had a disappointing feel in nine games (2/10, 3/34, 4/54/, 4/38, 3/32, 3/30, 5/47, 3/21, and 1/20). The Seahawks had him on the field for 79.7% of their snaps (most on the team at wide receiver).

Lockett crossed the end zone 50 times over his previous 97 games. His catch rate (72.2) has been elite over this span. From 2019 to 2023, he ranked 13th (236.30), 8th (265.40), 16th (241.40), 13th (239.30), and 33rd (202.40) in fantasy scoring in PPR formats.

At age 31 last season, the wind left Lockett’s sail, leading to a sharp decline in his stats (49/600/2 on 74 targets). He continued to have a high catch rate (66.2) with no drops on the year. The Seahawks phased him out of their offense over their final eight matchups (2/19, 2/20, 3/16, 0/0, 1/22, 2/19, 3/20, and 2/28) on 21 targets. Over the first half of the year, Lockett scored double-digit fantasy points in five contests (13.70, 11.10, 11.50, 16.50, and 15.30).

Fantasy Outlook: Father Time is catching up to Lockett, but he should have a better opportunity in Tennessee’s offense while being free on draft day (WR7). At best, a rotational bye week cover unless his role is much more robust this season.

Treylon Burks, TEN

Over his three seasons at Arkansas, Burks gained 16.4 yards per catch, with growth in his scoring in 2020 (7) and 2021 (12) over 21 combined games. He set career-highs in catches (66), receiving yards (1,104), and touchdowns (12) in his final year. Burks finished his college career with 146 catches for 2,399 yards and 19 scores while chipping in with 38 rushes for 222 yards and one touchdown.

Burks is a physical wideout (6’3” and 225 lbs.). Arkansas sometimes used him out of the backfield, leading to some surprising big plays with his legs. Much of his action came past the first 10 yards of the line of scrimmage, where Burks won with his size and speed. Despite a 4.55 time in the 40-yard dash at the 2022 NFL Combine, he showed the ability to outrun defenders over the long field. Burks was expected to be a mismatch problem for defenses at the next level, but he needs better quarterback play and health to help his overall production.

In his rookie year, Burks missed six games while battling various injuries (lower leg, wrist, ankle, foot, toe, concussion, and groin) in training camp and during the season. Despite limited snaps (22 and 25) over his first two games, he surprised in Week 1 (3/55) and Week 2 (4/47) when considering his negative training camp reports.

Burks only caught six of his 11 targets for 51 yards over the following seven matchups (four missed games). He flashed in Week 11 (7/111) and Week 12 (4/70) while finishing the year with only nine catches for 110 yards and one score over four contests.

His sophomore campaign was a bust in 2023. He caught 16 of his 30 targets for 221 yards while missing six games (knee and concussion issues) and having short snaps (1 and 9) in two other matchups.

Tennessee gave Burks a minimal opportunity over their first five games (4/34 on eight targets) last season. Over this span, he did have WR3 snaps (44, 33, 26, and 35) in four contests. A right knee injury (ACL) ended his year after Week 5, which required surgery in October. Burks will have about 10 months of recovery time before the start of the 2025 season.

Fantasy Outlook: The fantasy market won’t remember who Burks is this draft season, forcing him to earn his playable value on the field. His injuries in the NFL slowed his development and lowered his profile in the Titans’ offense.

Elic Ayomanor, TEN

Over the past two seasons, Ayomanor was a productive wide receiver in the Cardinals' starting lineup. He missed his freshman season due to a torn ACL, followed by 62 catches for 1,013 yards and six touchdowns while gaining 16.3 yards per catch.

Regression in Stanford’s offense and a move to the ACC led to shorter catches (13.2 yards) with a similar opportunity (63/831/6) last season. Ayomanor gained over 100 yards in three matchups (7/102, 4/108/1, and 10/109).

He brings an interesting combination of speed (4.44 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine) and size (6’2” and 205 lbs.) to the Titans. Ayomanor has a feel for creating space out of his breaks despite lacking quickness, but he does give some tells on certain plays, allowing a defender to read his next move. He wins in tight coverage and has the tools to become a more physical wide receiver.

His hands are in question coming into the NFL. Ayomanor works hard, which invites more development in his game. He has the tools to play in the slot or on the outside.

Fantasy Outlook: I don’t expect Ayomanor to carve out a playable fantasy role this year, but his foundation skill set may be a winning piece to this developing offense down the road. He does have some downside risk due to his previous knee issue, which is why Tennessee drafted him in the fourth round this year.

Other Options: Van Jefferson, Chimere Dike, Mason Kinsey, James Proche

Tight Ends

The Titans featured their tight ends more last season despite gaining only 8.9 yards per catch. They set three-year highs in catches (98) and targets (129).

Chigoziem Okonkwo, TEN

Despite a short resume (77/717/8 on 117 targets) over 30 games at Maryland, Okonkwo handled himself well in his rookie season after getting selected in the fourth round in the 2022 NFL Draft.

Tennessee gave him only 15 targets over his first 10 games, leading to eight catches for 172 yards and one score. His big-play ability was evident over three games (1/48, 1/41, and 1/31), providing him with increased opportunities over the final seven games. Okonkwo helped fantasy teams in four weeks (4/68, 6/45/1, 4/54, and 3/42/1) while doing most of his work much closer to the line of scrimmage (11.6 yards per catch). Over this span, he averaged 4.4 targets with an improved catch rate (77.4).

With seven of his 32 catches (21.9%) gaining 20 yards or more (three reached the 40-yard mark), Okonkwo offers a unique skill set to the tight end position. He has plus speed (4.52 40-yard dash at the 2022 NFL Combine) with a powerful frame that is a bit undersized (6’3” and 240 lbs.) for the blocking part of the tight end position. His route-running development will determine his ceiling in his NFL career.

In 2023, Okonkwo caught 54 of his 77 targets for 528 yards and one touchdown. Unfortunately, he gained only 9.8 yards per catch (14.1 in 2022). His only game with over 10.00 fantasy points in PPR formats came in Week 16 (6/63/1).

Last year, Tennessee gave Okonkwo about the same opportunity, leading to 52 catches for 479 yards and two touchdowns on 70 targets. His yards per catch (9.2) had further regression. He only had 30 catches for 297 yards and two scores over his first 13 games. The Titans upped his usage from Week 15 to Week 17 (8/59, 9/81, and 5/59) on 28 combined targets. Okonkwo left his final game after three snaps with an abdominal injury.

Fantasy Outlook: Even with an uptick in play late last season, Okonkwo will go undrafted in most 12-team leagues this season. To reach top 12 tight end status, he needs to score about 150.00 fantasy points in PPR formats or a 60/650/4 season. Okonkwo is a player to follow this summer, as he should have a TE2 floor with a couple of additional touchdowns.

Other Options: Josh Whyle, Gunnar Helm, David Martin-Robinson

Kicker

Joey Slye, TEN

Over his career, Slye made 26 of his 41 kicks from 50 yards or more. His career success rate on field goals (81.7%) is higher than in his previous two seasons (79.2% and 78.8%). Over the past three years, he missed eight of his 89 extra points. The Titans scored 33 touchdowns last season while creating only 27 field goal attempts.

Fantasy Outlook: Slye isn’t a lock to win Tennessee’s kicking job this year, putting him in the waiver pool. Any playable fantasy value starts with better offensive play by the Titans.

Defense

Tennessee’s defense ranked 26th against the run (2,277 yards) last season. They allowed 27 touchdowns with ball carriers gaining 4.5 yards per rush. Offense gained 20 yards or more on 18 runs.

The Titans surprisingly had the top defense in passing yards allowed (3,216), with 27 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. They recorded only 32 sacks. Quarterbacks only had four completions of 40 yards or more.