The Tennessee Titans lost their preseason opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium on Saturday, 29-7. Led by quarterback Cam Ward, there is a lot of optimism as their 2025 rookie class looks to be a banner one for the second year in a row.

Let’s take a look at how they performed on Saturday and grade those performances.

QB Cam Ward

Ward made his NFL debut and played two series for the Titans Saturday night. The young signal caller bounced back from a shaky first drive and led the Titans to their only points of the night. He finished 5-of-8 for 67 yards, but looked poised and in control of the offense. 

Grade: A

LB Femi Oladejo

Oladejo played limited snaps early in the contest and assisted on four tackles. He had some uneven moments, but did flash some upside. With his lack of experience at the edge position, some growing pains are to be expected. 

Grade: C

WR Chimere Dike

Dike flashed both in the return game and as a receiver. This dynamic wideout looks explosive, and could see an increase in rep share moving forward. Unfortunately, for Dike (and Elic Ayomanor) both Brandon Allen and Tim Boyle struggled, so their opportunities took a hit after Ward left the game. 

Grade: B

TE Gunnar Helm

Helm has continued to work his way up the depth chart and appears to be settling in behind Chig Okonkwo on the depth chart. He pulled in one pass for 16 yards and looks like he could develop into a reliable weapon for the offense. 

Grade: A

WR Elic Ayomanor

Ayomanor played limited snaps in the first half and did not have a reception. Between the lack of snaps and the backup quarterback play, it was hard to evaluate his performance. 

Grade: C

RB Kalel Mullings

Mullings finished as the Titans’ leading rusher and showed off explosion and some downhill power in his limited opportunities. The former linebacker finished with seven carries for 33 yards and looks like a solid compliment to Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears. 

Grade: A

Undrafted rookie free agents

On offense, none of the rookie free agents made an impact. Wide receiver Xavier Restrepo was held without a catch and was invisible. He definitely lost ground to T.J. Sheffield who did flash in the return game with two kickoff returns for 57 yards. Defensively, Cam Horsley, Isaiah Raikes, and Clarence Lewis made their presence felt, combining for six tackles. 

Grade: B

Incomplete

Rookie safety Kevin Winston Jr. was held out as a precautionary measure as he is recovering from ACL surgery. Look for him to make his debut in Week 2 against the Atlanta Falcons.Â