Titans Roster Battle: Kevin Rader vs. Thomas Odukoya for Last Tight End Spot

The Tennessee Titans may put a premium on tight ends when they put their roster together. If they decide to keep four, Kevin Rader and Thomas Odukoya are likely battling for the final spot.

NASHVILLE — The Tennessee Titans appear to have the top three spots of their depth chart set in stone at the tight end position, but the real question is if the new offense and lack of talent at other positions will cause the Titans to keep a fourth tight end. If they do, the battle could likely come down to Kevin Rader and Thomas Odukoya.

In a champion-against-contender comparison, the defending champ would be Kevin Rader. Rader played 14 games for the Titans last year and was used as a versatile piece. Rader played nearly half of his offensive snaps as a fullback/H-back type, lining up in the backfield 46 times.

Rader still played 72 snaps in a traditional tight end alignment with a hand in the dirt on the line of scrimmage. This ability to align in multiple places gives the Titans a chess piece that allows them to have depth at tight end while still having a deployable fullback. Saving them a roster spot.

Rader also gave the Titans decent performance while he was out there. Among tight ends with at least 100 blocking snaps, Rader posted the 25th-best pass blocking grade and the 26th-best run blocking grade per Pro Football Focus in 2022. 

Not to imply Rader is a hidden gem who can turn into a roster lock, but Rader definitely provides some value on offense. Not only on offense though, Rader played 194 special teams snaps for the Titans last year, stamping his versatile tag with another phase of the team.

That brings us to the contender, Thomas Odukoya. With Rader providing so much value and versatility, it'll be tough for Odukoya to breakthrough, but if anyone can, it is the 6-foot-6, 253 pound tight end from the Netherlands.

Odukoya is a part of the NFL's international pathway program and was with the Titans in 2022 on the practice squad. Odukoya was always a project and based on some recent quotes from Mike Vrabel, that project could be coming along nicely.

.@Titans HC Mike Vrabel: TE Thomas Odukoya (@ThomasO_) has been a fantastic addition to our team. It has been great having him around. He's improved a lot since last year; as a staff we talked about him yesterday

— Jim Wyatt (@jwyattsports) June 14, 2023

With limited football experience compared to most of his teammates, Odukoya could tap into some previously untapped potential with the type of coaching he is receiving at a professional level. He has size and some natural gifts that the Titans could be close to harnessing.

While he is much of a mystery, clearly Odukoya has made an impression on the coaching staff with his improvement from last year. Odukoya could make a push during training camp and sneak on the roster to get a chance to show it, even if Rader is a heavy favorite to win the fight.

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