Pff Believes Tennessee Titans Udfa David Gbenda Is A Player To Watch

The Tennessee Titans have wrapped up their rookie minicamp and are in the beginning stages of their OTAs. This football-in-shorts may not produce the excitement of training camp, but it does give the young players a chance to find their footing inside the organization. 

Every season, at least one undrafted rookie free agent catches the eye of the coaching staff during this phase, propelling him toward his NFL dream. Undrafted rookies can play a considerable role in roster construction and pay huge dividends in the long-term success of a franchise. 

The Titans have signed a few undrafted rookies who have created a buzz, with a few already pencilled in by analysts to be on the initial 53-man roster. Both wide receiver Xavier Restrepo and tackle Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson were considered steals after being signed by Tennessee following the draft, and some outside the organization believe they are locks. Ben Cooper of Pro Football Focus (PFF) points to another undrafted rookie, David Gbanda, as having an open path to the roster. 

Tennessee Titans: LB David Gbenda, Texas

The Titans’ starting inside linebacker corps will feature new faces after Jack Gibbens’ departure in free agency, Cody Barton‘s arrival, and Otis Reese IV’s likely promotion to a starting job. Perhaps Gbenda, who posted 87th-percentile or better marks in PFF run-defense grade and run-stop rate in 2024, can sneak onto the roster and make an impact there.

Wide receiver Xavier Restrepo, who has chemistry with quarterback Cam Ward from their time at Miami and earned two straight 80.0-plus PFF overall grades to end his college career, is another potential option to highlight here.

Gbenda is a seasoned linebacker who many outlets pegged as a mid-round prospect heading into the draft, and he has a chance. He was one of the most experienced linebackers in the NFL Draft, with 63 games of experience with the Longhorns. At 6-foot-0, 235 pounds, he is undersized and lacks the prototypical size to play inside linebacker in the NFL, but he does bring some coverage abilities to the table. 

The Titans are thin on experience at the inside linebacker corps and have limited depth. Cody Barton, Otis Reese, Cedric Gray, and James Williams are the only other linebackers on the roster after a complete overhaul during the offseason. With the Titans lacking depth at inside linebacker, Gbenda has a shot with a solid preseason. 

This article originally appeared on Titans Wire: PFF believes Tennessee Titans UDFA David Gbenda is a player to watch