Predicting the Titans' 53-man roster ahead of training camp

The Tennessee Titans are counting down the final days before training camp, with rookies reporting on July 23 and veterans following five days later.

Once in camp, players will battle it out until cutdown day, when the Titans will trim their roster from 90 to 53 before their Week 1 matchup with the New York Jets. Tennessee has an interesting roster with a solid mix of veterans and youth, and while many jobs are locked up, there will be plenty of competition on every unit.

Here's a look at the pre-training camp 53-man roster projection from Titans Wire.

Quarterbacks (2)

Starter: Cam WardReserves: Mitch Trubisky

Ward is the unquestioned leader of the offense, and now with a real offensive coordinator in place, he could be poised for a breakout season. Trubisky was brought in by Brian Daboll to be the No. 2 and help Ward assimilate into the system. Will Levis is somewhat of a wildcard; if he proves he is healthy, he could make it tough on the Titans if they cannot find a trade partner to deal him before the start of the regular season, but that remains to be seen. Tennessee brought in Hendon Hooker during the offseason, and he could find his way to the practice squad.

Running backs (4)

Starter: Tony PollardReserves: Tyjae Spears, Nick Singleton, Kalel Mullings

The stable of running backs is much more defined than the quarterback room. Pollard is the leader in the clubhouse, although he could see Spears cut into the load-share, with head coach Robert Saleh attempting to keep both backs fresh throughout the season. The battle between Mullings and Singleton will be a fun one to watch, but in the end, the Titans decide to keep them both, with both Pollard and Spears on the final year of their contracts.

Wide Receivers (6)

Starters: Calvin Ridley, Wan’Dale Robinson, Carnell TateReserves: Elic Ayomanor, Chimere Dike, Bryce Oliver

Tennessee completely overhauled the unit by adding Robinson and Tate to help offset Ayomanor and Dike, who had solid rookie campaigns. With the added competition, there will be a tremendous battle at the bottom of the depth chart, with Oliver squeaking it out due to his special teams value. This may be one of the positions to watch throughout training camp.

Tight ends (3)

Starter: Gunnar HelmReserves: Daniel Bellinger, Jaren Kanak

Helm looks like the clear-cut starter with Bellinger coming in with Daboll to add experienced depth. The Titans drafted a utility knife in Kanak in the seventh round, and he should be able to come in and add some special teams value while developing his skills as a receiver.

Offensive linemen (10)

Starters: Dan Moore Jr., Peter Skoronski, Austin Schlottmann, Jackson Slater, JC LathamReserves: Cardell Volson, Pat Coogan, Fernando Carmona, Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson, Aamil Wagner

While Latham, Moore, and Skoronski are locked in, the other two starting positions will be battles to watch in camp. Slater will compete with Volson, and Schlottmann will battle Coogan and late addition Andre James. Tennessee drafted Coogan and Carmona this year, and they could work their way into the lineup sooner than some expect.

Defensive line (10)

Starters: Jeffery Simmons, John Franklin-Myers, Jermaine Johnson, Jordan ElliottReserves: Femi Oladejo, Keldric Faulk, Solomon Thomas, Jacob Martin, Jackie Marshall, Jalyn Holmes

Head coach Robert Saleh will rotate his defensive linemen and plans to be around nine deep on game day, so keeping 10 makes sense. There could be a heated competition for the defensive end/edge roles, and this will be a fun unit to watch in training camp.

Linebackers (5)

Starters: Cody Barton, Cedric Gray, Anthony Hill Jr.Reserves: James Williams, Mohamoud Diabate

This is one area that will have to shake out in camp with the new system being installed by Saleh and defensive coordinator Gus Bradley. If the season started today, this is how they could shake out, but more information is needed before a true assessment can be made.

Cornerback (6)

Starters: Cor’Dale Flott, Alontae Taylor, Marcus HarrisReserves: Joshua Williams, Keydrain Calligan, Micah Robinson

Tennessee made some changes to this unit with the additions of Flott, Taylor, and Williams, but could still add another veteran ahead of camp. If they don’t make any changes, the real battle will be with players such as Calligan, Robinson, Latrell McCutchin Sr., and Jalen McMurray, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see some other names slide into the bottom of the depth chart.

Safety (4)

Starters: Amani Hooker, Kevin Winston Jr.Reserves: Tony Adams, Bishop Fitzgerald

Hooker and Winston should be the unquestioned starters, with Adams a reliable No. 3 behind them. Fitzgerald unexpectedly fell through the draft and landed in Nashville as an undrafted rookie, and he will have to prove himself, but should be able to slide into the final slot.

Special teams (3)

Starters: Joey Slye (K), Tommy Townsend (P), Morgan Cox (LS)

Tennessee made only one change to their specialists this offseason by adding Tommy Townsend to take over punting duties from Johnny Hekker under John Fassel. With no type of competition in camp, unless there is an injury, these three are in.

This article originally appeared on Titans Wire: Predicting the Titans' 53-man roster ahead of training camp