The Tennessee Titans will have their second practice with pads on Friday. Any coach will tell you that they can’t give you a good evaluation of their team until they’ve practiced in pads, so we will get a better idea of where Brian Callahan thinks his guys are when practice concludes.

Every day that there’s practice, we’ve been discussing various position battles on the team. With the pads coming back out, it’s time to cover one of the most underrated skill positions on the field: Tight end.

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Tight ends are an integral part of the offense and rarely get credit for much of anything. Unless your name is Travis Kelce or Rob Gronkowski, the tight end position is often overlooked. However, tight ends are asked to do more than most players, blocking, receiving, route running, having strong hands, and getting down and dirty so someone else can have the glory of carrying the football. It’s a thankless job, but very important nonetheless.

The Titans are carrying six tight ends in camp, but they won’t all make the final 53-man roster. Chig Okonkwo is locked in as the starting tight end, entering his fourth season with the Titans, and has historically been the most reliable tight end on the roster. In 2024, Okonkwo recorded 52 receptions for 439 yards and two touchdowns.

Behind Okonkwo, things are more uncertain. Thomas Odukoya is likely to remain on the roster as an excellent blocking tight end. Gunner Helm is a draft pick with whom the team has a significant investment, and he has shown promise in camp and during offseason practices, making him a likely lock.

Now we’re down to Josh Whyle, David Martin-Robinson, and Drake Dabney. Dabney is a rookie with raw talent who uses his length to secure contested catches. Whyle and Martin-Robinson were both on the Titans’ team last season, but both are on the roster bubble. Whyle is trending down while Martin-Robinson is trending up in camp so far.

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Final roster cuts aren’t due until August 26, so players still have time to show the organization what they are capable of. How they perform in practice with pads on and how they perform during preseason games will determine their fate.

This article originally appeared on Titans Wire: Titans training camp: Position battle to watch on Day 7