Titans’ veteran officially on notice after NFL Draft

The NFL offseason roster turnover is separated into two parts: free agency and the draft. Both of these transactional periods involve teams addressing needs and bolstering depth throughout their rosters. For the Tennessee Titans, this offseason was maxed out after spending the most money in free agency, drafting eight players, and adding 11 undrafted rookies.

Their next step is figuring out playing time for all of their new pieces and which rookies will be asked to contribute immediately. While their first-round picks, WR Carnell Tate and DL Keldric Faulk, are projected to either start or get significant playing time early, their second-round pick was pegged as a player who could steal a starting position over a veteran.

Is a Cody Barton-Anthony Hill Jr. battle looming?

ESPN NFL analyst Ben Solak listed 14 veterans who could be on the hot seat after the draft, with Titans LB Cody Barton included. He had the following to say about the potential of Titans’ second-round pick Anthony Hill Jr. taking snaps away from Barton:

Barton played 1,061 snaps last season for the Titans — every single possible snap available to him. And now, he might be out of a job.

He wasn’t terrible for Tennessee last season. His coverage metrics were actually quite good: 53.0 passer rating allowed and only 4.8 yards against per target. But Barton has always been more wily and assignment-sound than he is athletically talented, and the lack of speed impacted his ability to beat blockers to the point of attack and get involved in plays at the sideline. For new coach Robert Saleh, who needs his linebackers to flow fast, Barton’s current legs might be disqualifying.

Second-round linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. has that sort of speed, but critically, he was a multiyear signal-caller at the heart of the Texas defense. He seems better suited to slide into Barton’s shoes at middle linebacker than Cedric Gray’s spot at weakside linebacker, but I would wager both jobs are up for grabs in different combinations as Saleh explores the best version of his roster in 2026. If Barton is indeed shelved for Hill, expect trade calls.

Cody Barton is just one year removed from signing a three-year, $21 million contract in Tennessee after playing for the Denver Broncos. He has consistently been a starter since his fourth season in the NFL in 2022 with the Seattle Seahawks and grabbed a career-high three interceptions for the Titans last season.

As with any coaching change, a different philosophy might not cater to a certain player’s strengths. Robert Saleh’s defenses usually rely on speed at the linebacker position, and that is Barton’s weakness. Anthony Hill Jr. poses a threat to Barton’s starting role with the Titans and will be one of the primary position battles to watch when training begins in late July.