Titans Draft Pick Fighting For Roster Spot

The Tennessee Titans are hoping sixth-round rookie Kalel Mullings could be part of the team's backfield for the foreseeable future.

The Michigan alum ran for 948 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2024 with the Wolverines and served as a backup to Blake Corum on the school's national championship team.

Now, Mullings is competing to be the team's third running back against veteran Julius Chestnut, who held the role last season.

"Mullings missed time during the offseason, but he took part in the minicamp and he's expected to be fully back for training camp," team reporter Jim Wyatt wrote.

"He'll look to beat out Chestnut for work as the third back, while also competing on special teams. Chestnut is a consummate pro who played in all 17 games in 2024, and he won't go down without a fight. Chestnut had a solid offseason, and he'll try to convince the team he's worthy of keeping around. The bet here is the team keeps three RBs on the active roster and one on the practice squad, but competition here – and at other spots – will ultimately determine how things shake out."

Chestnut, 24, ran the ball 22 times for 102 yards while appearing in every game for the Titans last season. He played in 50 percent of Tennessee's special teams snaps, making him a key part of that unit.

Mullings is likely the favorite out of the two to get the roster spot. If both Mullings and Chestnut perform well during training camp, he'll get the roster spot as the recent draft pick.

The choice between Mullings and Chestnut will likely come down to special teams as Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears will handle nearly all of the carries.

Mullings and the Titans report to training camp on July 22.