Tennessee
3 ways Tennessee Titans can thrive like the Chiefs (other than cloning Patrick Mahomes)
Let’s avoid the obvious here.
The Kansas City Chiefs are Super Bowl champions for the third time in five years, and the answers to “how” and “why” are pretty obvious: The Chiefs have quarterback Patrick Mahomes, and the rest of the league doesn’t. Mahomes is the gold standard, the catalyst, the star-maker. The three-time Super Bowl MVP is the suffocating kind of great who lost the capacity to surprise any opponent with his talents half-a-decade ago but still manages to bewilder any time he steps on the field.
For a team like the Tennessee Titans, playing in the AFC in the shadow of Mahomes’ dominance can feel like a curse. No team can out-Mahomes the Chiefs. But while the blueprint for the Chiefs’ dynasty centers around Mahomes, it doesn’t end there.
Here are three lessons the Titans can learn from Kansas City, other than of “just have Mahomes.”
Don’t worry about making an offseason about one thing
After losing the Super Bowl to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers amid offensive line injuries and struggles, the Chiefs spent the 2021 offseason fortifying the front. They signed All-Pro guard Joe Thuney and drafted guard Trey Smith and Pro Bowl center Creed Humphrey, ensuring Mahomes wouldn’t need to worry about protection again.
After losing the AFC Championship game to quarterback Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals’ high-flying pass attack the next year, the Chiefs spent the 2022 offseason rebuilding their secondary. They signed safety Justin Reid and drafted five defensive backs, including All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie. In two seasons, the Chiefs went from No. 26 in yards allowed per pass play to No. 3.
Sometimes turning one weakness into a strength is more valuable than trying to plug leaks across the entire roster. Sure, it’s easier to do that when you already have a strong roster than when you’re at the beginning of a rebuild. But there’s clearly something to the idea of picking one concern and eliminating all doubt about it.
It’s time to reevaluate the offensive identity
Here are quick fact that illustrates to what degree the NFL has become a passing league: The NFL has put out a player-ranked list of the 100 best players in the league every offseason since 2011. There are 33 running backs who’ve ever ranked in the top 50. Only two went on to win a Super Bowl the season after earning that honor: Ray Rice in 2012 and Marshawn Lynch in 2013.
It’s been more than a decade since one of the NFL’s best running backs won a Super Bowl. No player who’s even finished in the top-five in rushing has won a Super Bowl that year since 2004. In the years the Chiefs won their three Super Bowls, their leading rusher has ranked No. 18, No. 25 and No. 39 in rush yards.
There’s obviously still a place in the league for running backs. Christian McCaffrey and the San Francisco 49ers were a blocked extra point away from rendering this trend obsolete Sunday. But as the Titans enter into a new era, their 25-year identity as a run-first team needs to be reevaluated, whether that means favoring more of a running-back-by-committee approach or deemphasizing the run entirely.
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Replace, but also rebuild
The Chiefs haven’t been immune to roster turnover as they’ve built their dynasty. Stars like Tyreek Hill, Tyrann Mathieu, Orlando Brown Jr., and Frank Clark have all moved on or been moved on from. And while there have been some instances where the Chiefs replaced a player with a comparable talent, like Mathieu for Reid, there are just as many instances where Kansas City used a departure to rethink their roster.
Instead of replacing Hill with another top-tier receiver, the Chiefs recast their offense as a more efficient, short- and intermediate-pass heavy attack. Instead of panicking about Mahomes’ blind side without Brown, the Chiefs signed a high-price right tackle instead and reconfigured the line to get more players in optimal positions. Without Clark’s consistency off the edge, the Chiefs went from blitzing on 24.2% of defensive snaps in 2022 to blitzing 32.9% of the time in 2023.
There’s no one way to win. The Chiefs seem less concerned with getting better “the Chiefs way” than they do with getting better by any means possible. The Chiefs don’t need to reinvent themselves, which makes the fact that they keep finding small ways to do just that even more inspiring.
Nick Suss is the Titans beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Nick at nsuss@gannett.com. Follow Nick on X, the platform formerly called Twitter, @nicksuss.
Published on Mar. 3, 2026
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According to ESPN’s latest NFL mock draft, three former Tennessee Volunteers players are projected to be selected in the top 60 picks of the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft. Cornerbacks Jermod McCoy and Colton Hood are both projected to be first-round picks, while wide receiver Chris Brazzell II is projected to be a second-round selection.
Why it matters
The strong NFL Draft projections for Tennessee players highlight the continued talent development and success of the Volunteers football program under head coach Josh Heupel. If these projections hold true, it would mark the first time Tennessee has had two first-round picks and three players selected in the top 60 overall during Heupel’s tenure.
The details
Cornerback Jermod McCoy is projected to be selected 29th overall by the Los Angeles Rams, despite not participating in on-field workouts at the NFL Combine due to a previous ACL injury. Teammate Colton Hood is projected to be the final pick of the first round, going 32nd overall to the Seattle Seahawks. Wide receiver Chris Brazzell II impressed at the Combine with a 4.37 40-yard dash and is projected to be a second-round pick, going 60th overall to the Buffalo Bills.
- The NFL Combine was held in late February 2026.
- Tennessee’s Pro Day workouts are scheduled for the end of March 2026.
- The 2026 NFL Draft will take place in April-May 2026.
The players
Jermod McCoy
A cornerback for the Tennessee Volunteers who is projected to be a first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, despite missing the 2025 season due to an ACL injury.
Colton Hood
A cornerback for the Tennessee Volunteers who is projected to be a first-round pick, going 32nd overall to the Seattle Seahawks in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Chris Brazzell II
A wide receiver for the Tennessee Volunteers who impressed at the NFL Combine with a 4.37 40-yard dash and is projected to be a second-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
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What they’re saying
“If we’re going strictly by talent, McCoy is a top-10 prospect in this class. But he hasn’t played a game since 2024, missing all of last season after suffering an ACL tear in January 2025. We’re still not sure where he’s at in his recovery, as he did not participate in testing or drills at the combine. This gives the Rams — who haven’t drafted a corner in the first round since 2006 or before Day 3 since 2019 — the potential to get a steal here. McCoy is an easy mover who has squeaky-clean technique.”
— Jordan Reid, ESPN Analyst (ESPN)
“The reigning champions have a clear need at corner, as Josh Jobe and Riq Woolen are both scheduled to be free agents. Hood is a scheme-versatile player who can thrive in press man while also having the fluidity to excel in zone. A former all-state center fielder in high school, Hood’s ball skills frequently show up on tape (10 pass breakups and an interception last season). With his poised technique and wrap-up-and-finish tackling, he would fit well on the outside of Mike Macdonald’s secondary.”
— Jordan Reid, ESPN Analyst (ESPN)
“The Bills need someone who can separate on the outside, and Brazzell is an ‘X’ receiver who can be a deep vertical threat. He can also sink his weight and run a true route tree, making him a good fit with quarterback Josh Allen.”
— Jordan Reid, ESPN Analyst (ESPN)
What’s next
Tennessee’s Pro Day workouts are scheduled for the end of March 2026, where McCoy plans to participate in on-field drills to further showcase his recovery from the ACL injury. Strong performances at the Pro Day could potentially push McCoy back up draft boards into the top half of the first round.
The takeaway
The strong NFL Draft projections for Tennessee players demonstrate the continued talent development and success of the Volunteers football program under head coach Josh Heupel. If these projections hold true, it would mark a significant milestone for the program, with Tennessee potentially having two first-round picks and three players selected in the top 60 overall for the first time during Heupel’s tenure.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WCYB) — Tennessee Athletics’ “Big Orange Caravan” presented by Pilot will roll into the Tri-Cities on April 30, bringing some of the university’s most recognizable faces to Kingsport.
The statewide tour, a collaboration between Tennessee Athletics and the UT Knoxville Office of Alumni Affairs, features Vice Chancellor/Director of Athletics Danny White, men’s basketball coach Rick Barnes, women’s basketball coach Kim Caldwell, head football coach Josh Heupel and “Voice of the Vols” Mike Keith.
The Tri-Cities stop is scheduled for Thursday, April 30, at Meadowview Convention Center, 1901 Meadowview Parkway, Kingsport, Tennessee. Doors open at 5 p.m., followed by a meet-and-greet session with the headliners from 5:30-6:15 p.m. The program begins at 6:15 p.m.
Hosted by Keith, the evening will include stories, program insight and a question-and-answer session with Tennessee’s athletics leaders and coaches. The UT Spirit Squads also will be in attendance.
Tickets are $30, plus taxes and fees, and include light food options. A cash bar, along with additional light food and appetizers, will be available.
Of each ticket sold, $5 will benefit the local UT Alumni chapter’s scholarship endowment and $10 will go toward the My All Campaign.
The Tri-Cities event is the final stop of the three-city spring tour. The caravan opens in Chattanooga on April 28 before heading to Nashville on April 29. As announced last spring, Chattanooga and Memphis will alternate as tour stops each year.
The Big Orange Caravan is designed to connect Tennessee coaches and administrators with fans across the state, offering behind-the-scenes insight and celebrating the support of the Volunteer community.
Tickets for the Tri-Cities stop can be purchased at https://www.gofevo.com/event/BOCTriCities26
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Tennessee star Nate Ament will miss a game against South Carolina on Tuesday, the program announced on Monday night. Ament was injured during a weekend contest against Alabama.
Ament was injured when he was rolled up on while going for a loose ball. His leg twisted awkwardly underneath him, and Ament immediately went to the locker room.
He would return briefly in the second half. Nate Ament even made a basket, but then he appeared to tweak his injury shortly after and returned to the bench. He did not re-enter the contest.
Tennessee issued a short statement on his availability against South Carolina. The program released the statement on Twitter.
“Nate Ament will not play tomorrow night at South Carolina,” Tennessee wrote. “Ament is out due to a right leg injury sustained Saturday against Alabama. The timetable for his return is to be determined and he will continue to be evaluated.”
A 6-foot-10, 207-pound freshman, Ament has been one of Tennessee’s best players all season. He is the team’s second-leading scorer, averaging 17.4 points per game. He’s also the team’s leading rebounder, securing 6.4 rebounds per game.
Nate Ament signs NIL deal with Reebok
On3’s Nick Schultz recently published a list of some of the top brands to sign college basketball freshmen to NIL deals. Ament was one of the top signees.
In addition to Arkansas star Darius Acuff, Ament signed with Reebok this year. Ament was the crown jewel of Tennessee’s recruiting class. He signed with the brand in October 2024 while he was the No. 4 overall player from the 2025 cycle, according to the Rivals Industry Ranking.
Nate Ament sits second on the Tennessee roster with 17.4 points per game, and his 6.4 rebounds on average leads the Vols. Additionally, his $1.3 million On3 NIL Valuation ranks No. 14 in college basketball and No. 56 in the On3 NIL 100.
On3’s Nick Schultz also contributed to this report.
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