2026 NFL draft: Prospects Tennessee Titans should watch during Friday's bowl games

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The Tennessee Titans are heading into the final weekend of the 2025 regular season and their Week 18 matchup with the Jacksonville Jaguars, but all won’t be quiet at the team’s facility.

The Titans’ front office will be busy finding the next head coach, preparing for free agency, and the NFL draft. The Titans currently hold the fourth-overall pick, but could see some minor movement depending on how Week 18 plays out.

With a draft-and-develop philosophy, Tennessee must find quality players throughout the draft, and its scouting department should be immersed in the college bowl season to evaluate prospects on the field in real time. They will have that chance again today, with four bowl games scheduled.

Here is a quick breakdown of the players the Titans should key in on today.

Armed Forces Bowl: Rice vs. Texas State

Player spotlight: Rice CB Omari Porter

Tennessee will enter the offseason in dire need of adding some cornerback competition and depth to the roster. It should be on the lookout for potential additions at any stage of the NFL draft, and Porter could be in the mix in the later rounds.

At 6-foot-2, 198 pounds, Porter has the size that NFL teams look for in an outside cornerback. An older prospect, he has six years of college experience between Stanford and Rice, and is coming off his best season.

Other players of note:

Rice LB Ty Morris
Texas State OT Dorion Strawn
Texas State RB Lincoln Pare

Liberty Bowl: Navy vs. Cincinnati

Player spotlight: Cincinnati TE Joe Royer

This matchup did take a hit when two of its top prospects, Cincinnati linebacker Jake Golday and defensive lineman Dontay Corleone, opted out of the game to prepare for the draft. That leaves Bearcats' tight end, Joe Royer, as the top prospect to watch.

With Chig Okonkwo an unrestricted free agent, the Titans could be in the market for a tight end to pair with rookie Gunnar Helm. Royer is still developing as an in-line blocking tight end, but has the athleticism and size teams look for at the position. The 6-foot-5, 250-pounder started college at Ohio State before transferring to Cincinnati, and has steadily developed into a receiving threat during his two seasons, pulling in 79 passes for 937 yards and seven touchdowns.

He enters the draft as a mid-round prospect, which could be a sweet spot for the Titans’ interest and could be on their radar.

Other players of note:

Navy DL Landon Robinson
Navy WR Eli Heidenreich
Cincinnati OL Evan Tengesdahl
Cincinnati RB Evan Pryor

Holiday Bowl: Arizona vs. SMU

Player spotlight: Arizona CB Treydan Stukes

The Titans have significant needs at cornerback, edge, and wide receiver this offseason, in addition to a broader goal of improving the quality of the roster as a whole, and should be open to adding as much competition as possible. Stukes is an experienced cornerback prospect who could be in their crosshairs.

At 6-foot-2, 200 pounds, Stukes has the size teams covet at the cornerback position and has six years of college experience under his belt, and has shown some playmaking skills.

With L’Jarius Sneed’s future with the organization a complete unknown, Darrell Baker an unrestricted free agent, and rookie Marcus Harris coming off a knee injury, Tennessee will no doubt add multiple defensive backs during the offseason, and experienced college players could be an attractive option in the later rounds of the draft.

Other players of note:

Arizona S Genesis Smith
Arizona RB Kedrick Reescano
Arizona OL Alexander Dost
SMU S Isaiah Nwokobia
SMU OL Logan Parr
SMU WR Romello Brinson
SMU TE RJ Maryland
SMU TE Matthew Hibner

Duke's Mayo Bowl: Wake Forest vs. Mississippi State

Player spotlight: Wake Forest WR Carlos Hernandez

The Titans definitely need to add some talent to their receiving corps, and Hernandez could be an interesting target. While he is an underclassman and could return to school, the 6-foot, 192-pound wideout has flashed some potential during his time at Washington State and Wake Forest.

Doing the math, Hernandez would be familiar with Titans’ quarterback Cam Ward from their time at Washington State, and that familiarity could factor in during the pre-draft process. A big performance against Mississippi State could also help propel him onto the Titans’ draft board.

Like many bowl games, this one did see a prospect opt out. In this case, it was Wake Forest running back Demond Claiborne, who is a mid-round prospect.

Other players of note: