The Tennessee Titans announced their undrafted free agent signings Thursday evening, making official the class of 16 players we'd been tracking independently. Here are the newly-signed rookies joining the Titans nine draft picks at rookie minicamp this weekend:
- WR Xavier Restrepo (Miami, Fla.)
- RB Micah Bernard (Utah)
- T Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson (Florida)
- DL Philip Blidi (Auburn)
- DT Cam Horsley (Boston College)
DT Devonte O'Malley (Northern Illinois)
DT Isaiah Raikes (Auburn)
OLB Desmond Evans (North Carolina)
LB David Gbenda (Texas)
CB Jermari Harris (Iowa)
CB Garnett Hollis Jr. (West Virginia)
CB Jalen Kimber (Penn State)
CB Virgil Lemons (West Florida)
CB Clarence Lewis (Syracuse)
CB Davion Ross (Memphis)
S Jerrin Thompson (Auburn)
It will be an uphill battle for each of these young men fighting to prove worthy of a roster spot this summer. However, three of them stick out as early favorites to make a splash and potentially stick around:
Xavier Restrepo | WR | Miami
No surprise here! Not only does Restrepo have the best odds to make the team as a rookie UDFA, but he comes into camp with legitimate public expectations. The former Miami Hurricane finished his college career as the school's all-time leader in receptions (200), receiving yards (2,844), and touchdowns (21). A favorite target of Cam Ward, his quarterback was pounding the table for the Titans to go get his guy Restrepo all throughout draft weekend. When he fell out of the 7th round, it was a no-brainer decision to sign him.
A 2024 consensus NCAA First Team All-American, Restrepo fell out of the draft due entirely to his lackluster frame and athleticism. Put simply, the NFL didn't see him as a guy big or fast or strong enough to be likely to pan out at the next level. He comes into Titans camp intent on proving them wrong, and showing how what he managed to accomplish on tape transcends his disappointing testing numbers. At 5'10 202lbs, he ran a 4.8s 40-time at his Pro Day due apparently to having a hamstring injury. In fairness to him, he looks more like a high 4.6s/low 4.7s guy on tape, and his short area quickness is where he'll be looking to win anyways. He'll have plenty of opportunity to prove himself in camp.
Jermari Harris | CB | Iowa
Harris stands above the rest of a very crowded UDFA cornerback group thanks to his productivity at Iowa. In six years he logged 105 total tackles, 3.5 TFLs, 27 passes defended, 8 interceptions and 1 pick-six. At 6'1 191lbs, he's got the length to play at the next level and the aggressive mentality to fit right in on Dennard Wilson's defense. The only obvious reason he fell out of the draft is his questionable top-end speed, but even then, it's a bit surprising such a productive college player from a elite defensive program was available to sign. I recommend reading more in-depth on Harris's profile in our profile of him right here.
Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson | OT | Florida
The Titans reportedly signed Crewnshaw-Dickson to a somewhat significant deal, which is always worth noting when trying to read the tea leaves on how competitive a player's market was. It's no secret the Titans are looking for serviceable depth behind their starting tackles, and that presents a pretty straightforward path for someone like this to carve out a role for themselves this summer.
A four-year starter, the towering 6'7 316lb offensive tackle fits Bill Callahan's preference for big linemen with natural anchors. He has 35 college starts under his belt split evenly between left and right tackle. What he lacks is the athleticism to be a high-upside starting tackle in the NFL, but his experience and size make him a strong contender to fight for a roster spot.
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