Projecting Tennessee Titans' depth chart using 53-man roster

Nashville Tennessean
Now that the Tennessee Titans have trimmed their roster to 53 players, it's time to talk depth chart.
Per NFL rules, the Titans cut their roster down to just 53 players on Tuesday, parting ways with nearly 40 players who spent the offseason with the team over the course of a week. Some players who survived the cut were more surprising than others, including five undrafted rookies making the squad over veterans. But for the most part, the Titans roster looks the way it was expected to.
Now, in advance of the Titans' season opener against the New Orleans Saints on Sept. 10 (noon, CBS), it's time to properly project what the Titans' depth chart will look like.
Here is The Tennessean's projection for the Titans' 53-man depth chart.
Quarterback
Ryan Tannehill
Malik Willis
Will Levis
Tannehill is the starter, no questions asked. Willis makes more sense as the backup from the outset since Levis missed so much time during the preseason to injury. But Levis and Willis won't stop competing for positioning just because the preseason is over. Don't be shocked if Levis eventually ends up the backup this season.
Running back
Derrick Henry
Tyjae Spears
Julius Chestnut
This one's cut and dry. Chestnut looked good in the preseason, but Spears has looked great since the Titans picked him. He'll get plenty of touches out of the backfield, and probably a few from the slot. But this is still Henry's room, and expect him to be on the field for just about every first and second down all season.
Wide receiver
DeAndre Hopkins
Treylon Burks
Kyle Philips
Chris Moore
Nick Westbrook-Ikhine
Colton Dowell
Kearis Jackson
If and when Burks and Philips are healthy, they profile as starters alongside Hopkins. Moore, the offseason free agent signee, impressed in the summer and has veteran experience. But the wild cards are Dowell and Jackson. Are they on the roster for good, or are they insurance for Burks and Philips? The number of reps Dowell and Jackson get on offense compared to Westbrook-Ikhine is going to be interesting.
Tight end
Chig Okonkwo
Trevon Wesco
Josh Whyle
It's a surprise to only see the Titans carry three tight ends. But Whyle, the rookie the Titans picked in the fifth round, evidently did enough to not keep an extra player active like Kevin Rader or Thomas Odukoya. Okonkwo is going to be the Titans' top pass-catching option, but he's also taken some reps at fullback and in-line this summer, showing the Titans want to use him in more varied ways.
Left tackle
Andre Dillard
Dillon Radunz
Jaelyn Duncan
Getting Radunz healthy after he tore his ACL in December is big for the offensive line's depth. But it's unclear how quickly he'll be able to get fully entrenched in football activities, which brings the sixth-round pick Duncan into the fold.
Left guard
Peter Skoronski
Xavier Newman
Dillon Radunz
Skoronski's going to be a Day 1 starter for the Titans at left guard. Newman made the team as the Titans' extra guard over veteran Jordan Roos.
Center
Aaron Brewer
Xavier Newman
Brewer moves inside to center after starting at guard last season. Corey Levin had been the Titans' backup center, but the Titans waived him Wednesday afternoon as an offsetting roster move to make a waiver claim.
Right guard
Daniel Brunskill
Xavier Newman
Justin Murray
Brunskill, an offseason free agent signee, slots in at right guard but he's also capable of playing other offensive line positions if starters get hurt and the Titans need to shuffle players.
Right tackle
Chris Hubbard
Justin Murray
Dillon Radunz
The Titans signed Hubbard and Murray during training camp and Radunz only started practicing in late August. If this group feels like it's missing someone, it's because second-year tackle Nicholas Petit-Frere is suspended for the first six weeks of the year for violating the NFL's gambling rules.
Defensive tackle
Jeffery Simmons
Teair Tart
Jayden Peevy
Naquan Jones
Having Simmons and Tart would be enough for most teams. But Peevy emerged as one of the Titans' most improved players this offseason. Don't be surprised if he earns some significant playing time too.
Defensive end/Outside linebacker
Harold Landry
Denico Autry
Arden Key
Rashad Weaver
Caleb Murphy
In a completely fair world, Autry occupies his own position on the depth chart as a hybrid defensive tackle, defensive end and outside linebacker. As it stands, he's here alongside Landry and Key, but all three figure to be starters in a base defense.
Inside linebacker
Azeez Al-Shaair
Jack Gibbens
Monty Rice
Luke Gifford
Otis Reese
Rice is the big question mark in the group after he missed a good chunk of training camp for reasons he described to the Tennessean as "life related." But don't be surprised if the battle between Gibbens and Rice for No. 2 linebacker ends up being moot and the Titans run a number of packages with Al-Shaair serving as the only middle backer alongside six defensive backs.
Cornerback
Kristian Fulton
Sean Murphy-Bunting
Roger McCreary
Tre Avery
Kindle Vildor
Anthony Kendall
Fulton, Murphy-Bunting and McCreary all figure to be on the field as often as possible. But Avery has improved after being thrust into a tough position as a rookie last year and has enough experience playing on the outside to give the starters a breather when called upon. The wild card here is Vildor, who the Titans claimed off waivers from the Chicago Bears Wednesday and has experience as an NFL starter but will have to quickly learn the Titans' schemes.
Safety
Kevin Byard
Amani Hooker
Elijah Molden
Mike Brown
Matthew Jackson
Byard and Hooker are the Titans' stalwarts at safety, but Molden might end up being the swing man who plays a little bit of safety and a little bit of slot cornerback in dime packages.
Specialists
Kicker Nick Folk
Punter Ryan Stonehouse
Long snapper Morgan Cox
Trading for Folk on Tuesday gives the Titans an experienced kicker who can hopefully stabilize the Titans' struggling unit.
Kickoff returner
Tyjae Spears
Julius Chestnut
Kearis Jackson
The rookie running back was involved in the kick return unit throughout the preseason. The return game is just another way to get his hands on the ball.
Punt returner
Kyle Philips
Kearis Jackson
If Philips isn't ready for Week 1, Jackson makes the most sense as the Titans' punt returner. All of the other players the Titans repped at punt returner in training camp have been waived, so if Jackson and Philips are both unavailable the role would most likely fall to a receiver instructed to go out and fair catch.