As expected, the Tennessee Titans are hardly a finished product with one week left in the 2025 NFL preseason.

They have three more practices scheduled this week in preparation for the preseason finale on Aug. 22 against the Minnesota Vikings at Nissan Stadium (7 p.m. CT, CBS). In short order, the Titans will have to cut the active roster to 53 players, make a final round of waiver claims and get ready for the season opener on Sept. 7 in Denver.

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These next few weeks will be crucial in determining the shape of the roster through the first month of the season, and the options the coaches will have in the Broncos game and beyond. With that in mind, here are four final questions about the Titans before the final week of the preseason.

ESTES: These are quickly becoming Cam Ward’s Tennessee Titans

1. Who’ll be able to beat the waiver wire?

The best consequence of finishing with the worst record in the NFL is earning the No. 1 pick in the next draft. The second-best consequence is holding on to the No. 1 spot in the waiver wire through the start of the next season. When the other 31 teams make roster cuts next week, the Titans will have first priority in claiming any of the hundreds of players who hit the market.

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Given the Titans’ major depth issues at spots like cornerback, edge defender, defensive tackle and linebacker, as well as opportunities for veteran help at spots like tight end, receiver and offensive line, it wouldn’t be a shock to see the Titans make five or more claims after cut-down day.

That means fewer roster spots for the guys competing at the bottom of the depth chart, so those players are going to have to make extra efforts to earn their roles before the scouts and coaches are tempted by high-productivity players who didn’t make the cut on stronger squads.

2. What wins: Youth or experience?

The Titans are clearly in a rebuild, but that doesn’t absolve the coaches from needing to win. So pay attention to how this struggle manifests itself at places like wide receiver, tight end, outside linebacker and safety. How the coaches decide to use rookies like Elic Ayomanor, Chimere Dike, Gunnar Helm, Oluwafemi Oladejo and Kevin Winston Jr., versus veterans Tyler Lockett, Van Jefferson, Chig Okonkwo, Arden Key, Amani Hooker and Xavier Woods will be plenty telling for roster strategy moving forward.

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3. How healthy are T’Vondre Sweat, Kevin Winston Jr.?

Winston, the third-round pick out of Penn State, was drawing near-universal praise from coaches, teammates and the media before he went on the shelf for two-plus weeks dealing with lingering effects after having ACL surgery in fall 2024. Getting him Week 1 ready isn’t the biggest priority, with Hooker and Woods standing strong at safety, but the Titans still want to see as much of Winston as possible.

Defensive tackle T’Vondre Sweat has missed a couple of weeks with an abdominal injury and then because of a tonsillectomy. The Titans need him for Week 1 in a big way, and getting him into playing shape after missing time will be crucial.

4. How ready is Cam Ward to carry a team?

The question isn’t whether rookie quarterback Cam Ward is ready to start an NFL game. It’s not even whether he’s good enough. At this point, the Titans need to know if he is capable of being a game-changing playmaker, or if he needs to fade into the system for the first couple of weeks.

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This entire offseason has been about evaluating Ward. Now’s the time to finalize the decision on whether Ward is the scheme, or if the scheme needs to insulate Ward as he develops.

MORE TITANS ANALYSIS: The Titans are trying hard to be a closer team. Will that make them a better one? | Estes

Nick Suss is the Titans beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Nick at  nsuss@gannett.com. Follow Nick on X @nicksuss. Subscribe to the Talkin’ Titans newsletter for updates sent directly to your inbox.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: 4 huge questions Titans still need to answer before NFL preseason ends