Although it’s only the preseason, the Tennessee Titans finally play football this week when they travel to Baltimore to face the Ravens on Aug. 11 at M&T Bank Stadium.
These exhibition games are largely seen as irrelevant to the casual football fan; however, the preseason has several intriguing storylines that go well beyond the scoreboard.
This article is going to identify seven players who aren’t exactly stealing the headlines, but may end up stealing a roster spot when it’s all said and done.
The majority of the players on this list will likely be playing a ton in the coming weeks. Truth be told, a lot of these players are probably competing to stick around via a spot on the practice squad more than anything else.
Nonetheless, there are always those hidden gems every year who sneak their way onto the final 53-man roster.
It should be noted that rookies who were recently selected in the 2022 NFL Draft were excluded from this list since they naturally garner a ton of attention in the preseason.
With all that said, let’s take a look at which under-the-radar players we should be keeping a close eye on in preseason games over the coming weeks.
CB Shakur Brown
The Titans dipped their toes into the USFL pool of talent by giving former Pittsburgh Maulers cornerback Shakur Brown, a chance to compete in camp.
At first, this seemed like a typical camp body signing around this time of year. However, the Michigan State Product has impressed in the short time he’s been in Tennessee.
Terry Godwin vs. Shakur Brown. #Titans pic.twitter.com/Ijs1QvhL6j
— Ben Arthur (@benyarthur) July 30, 2022
He’s already had a pick-six in camp and has made several plays to garner praise from several media members, including Jim Wyatt, Ben Arthur and Turron Davenport.
Shakur Brown has come into #Titans camp and stood out so far.
— TURRON DAVENPORT (@TDavenport_NFL) August 6, 2022
Brown is coming off an impressive season in the USFL where he recorded 36 tackles. He was also Pro Football Focus’ (PFF) highest-graded cornerback in the Big Ten during the 2020 season (84.2).
If Brown is able to keep up his impressive showing throughout the preseason, he may be able to steal that final cornerback spot on the roster, or at the very least, a spot on the practice squad.
DT Haskell Garrett
This is one that I genuinely feel has a chance to make the roster. Haskell Garrett is a talented player who had a fantastic collegiate career.
Haskell Garrett attempting to solve #Ohiostate’s defensive line issues himself. pic.twitter.com/ikPTaySZbY
— Bucknuts (@Bucknuts247) October 24, 2020
The former Buckeye received PFF’s second-highest grade for pass-rush win rate by any defensive tackle in the last four years (17.3 percent)
Garrett has favorable competition for the final roster spot along the interior defensive line. His biggest competition figures to be Larrell Murchison, who has struggled to stay healthy on a consistent basis and hasn’t flashed much, whether it be in regular season games or during this year’s training camp.
Barring something dramatic happening, I could easily see the Titans deciding to give one of these young players a chance instead of latching on to an investment that hasn’t returned much.
Garrett also has an incredible life story that includes surviving a gun shot to the face. You can hear that story for yourself here:
.@OhioStateFB DT Haskell Garrett joins #GMFB and shares his incredible story, as well as, what it means to him to have the #NFLDraft in his hometown. pic.twitter.com/3kN9uNKk5M
— Good Morning Football (@gmfb) April 26, 2022
DT Jayden Peevy
For everything I said about Garrett’s chances of being on the team, the same can probably be said for Jayden Peevy. The Texas A&M product is another potential candidate to possibly dethrone Murchison.
I like this from Jayden Peevy. Knows Ekiyor is setting on him, swipes by and throws a shoulder into the RT and chases the RB down from the backside. Smart. Also, putting in work. pic.twitter.com/klQJ4cWITB
— Matt Alkire (@mattalkire) February 20, 2022
Peevy played for five seasons at Texas A&M and accounted for 137 tackles (19 for loss), 7.5 sacks, one forced fumble, and one interception during that time. The former Aggie has a unique combination of size, length, and power.
The COD for 290+ pounds isn’t regular from Texas A&M defensive lineman DeMarvin Leal working against the read… but mannnnnn, what a nice play from Jayden Peevy (@JAYDENPEEVY). Shows quick, aggressive hands to split the gap and threaten the mesh. Forces the issue. pic.twitter.com/oLoeyX1fWt
— Ryan Roberts (@RiseNDraft) September 22, 2021
With some fine-tuning to the fundamental aspects of his game, Peevy could prove to be one of the hidden gems on the team.
LB Jack Gibbens
The man Titans’ head coach Mike Vrabel recently called “Dr. Gibby” earned his way onto this list after earning praise for how intelligent he has been thus far.
Vrabel called Jack Gibbens “Dr. Gibby” because he answered all the questions in the meeting rooms. Said he told a vrabel he was not pre-med. Vrabel said, “I know, it was a joke.”
— Terry McCormick (@terrymc13) August 7, 2022
After transferring from Abilene Christian University before the 2021 season, Dr. Gibby ended up starting all 13 games at linebacker for Minnesota, where he led the team in combined (92) and solo tackles (56). Gibbens also tallied 4.5 tackles for loss, three pass break-ups, and one forced fumble.
Gibbens may be considered a long shot at this point, but if the former Golden Gopher routinely plays well on defense and special teams, he could find himself with a role in 2022.
OL Jalen McKenzie
Jalen McKenzie is an intriguing offensive lineman who is capable of playing both tackle and guard. That is a valuable trait for a Titans team that prefers to have their reserve offensive linemen be versatile enough to contribute at multiple spots.
McKenzie is a USC Product who excelled in his final season. According to PFF, the talented offensive linemen didn’t allow a single sack throughout the entire 2021 campaign.
#USC OL Jalen McKenzie declares for NFL Draft
Trojans lose an experienced lineman, who was playing best ball of his career. McKenzie did not allow a sack this season and had his three highest PFF single-game grades the last three games of the season. https://t.co/T1bsI64zvS pic.twitter.com/I0rRtgnC6E
— Shotgun Spratling (@ShotgunSpr) December 7, 2021
The majority of the reserve offensive linemen spots are there to be had for anyone willing to seize the opportunity in front of them. Keep an eye out for the former Trojan as he tries to earn a spot on the roster in the coming weeks.
OL Xavier Newman
The talented interior lineman out of Baylor is another player who possesses the type of versatility and experience that Tennessee values in their backup offensive linemen.
Newman started 33 games over his five-year career, playing multiple games at left guard, center, and right guard.
My highest graded #Titans UDFA is Baylor G Xavier Newman-Johnson. Well-rounded LG with a good chance of making the roster pic.twitter.com/TtLuy4KnJp
— James Foster (@NoFlagsFilm) June 6, 2022
Being a Swiss-Army knife is something that is bound to increase a player’s chances of making a Mike Vrabel-led football team, especially when there are reasonable openings for each of the backup interior lineman roles.
@BUFootball OL Xavier Newman-Johnson has been SOLID so far this week #ShrineBowl pic.twitter.com/y262lzbCTN
— 🇺🇦Mike Spencer Hrynyshyn🇺🇦 (@MikeHrynyshyn) January 30, 2022
Every season there are a few undrafted gems who sneak their way onto the roster. Newman feels like someone who can be the 2022 version of that as long as he stays healthy.
WR Reggie Roberson Jr.
Of all the under-the-radar wide receivers on the roster, Reggie Roberson Jr. is the one who personally intrigues me the most.
Reggie Roberson with one of the nastiest moves of the century
— PFF College (@PFF_College) October 3, 2020
If Roberson can stay healthy, the former Mustang offers the type of blazing speed that can take the top off a defense at any moment, something the Titans’ offense has desperately been yearning for.
Robb Moore said he went band looked Reggie Roberson's junior tape and noticed his explosiveness pre-injury. That's the player he feels the #Titans can get.
— TURRON DAVENPORT (@TDavenport_NFL) August 4, 2022
The SMU product also adds value to the short passing and return games. Prior to some unfortunate injury mishaps, Roberson accumulated 301 kick return yards and one touchdown on nine return attempts (33.4 YPR) in college.
In total, Roberson caught 168 passes for 2,704 yards (16.1 YPC) and 23 touchdowns during his time at SMU.
Celebrate 9⃣8⃣ days to game one with Reggie Roberson's 98-yard kickoff return TD. #PonyUpDallas pic.twitter.com/0o2nAzjSF9
— SMU FootbaIl (@SMUFB) May 25, 2019
Roberson’s best chance to earn himself a spot on the roster may come via the return game, an area he has seen reps in during training camp. He was also listed as a backup returner on Tennessee’s first unofficial depth chart.
Several reports have indicated that Roberson has performed well throughout camp. If he is able to combine those good practices with a strong preseason performance, the former SMU star could set himself up to possibly have a practice squad spot at the very least.
Honorable mentions: RB Julius Chestnut, DL Da’Shawn Hand, DL Sam Okuayinonu, WR Mason Kinsey, TE Tommy Hudson
