The pass-rush
The Titans’ secondary got exposed during the AFC Championship Game loss to the Kansas City Chiefs last season, and that was mostly because Tennessee couldn’t get pressure on Patrick Mahomes.
Overall, the Titans did see an improvement in their pass-rush last season compared to 2018, but it wasn’t enough. If Tennessee is going to take that next step and become a Super Bowl contender, the defense needs to generate more pressure on opposing quarterbacks like Mahomes.
The biggest offseason addition to try and help that was the signing of Vic Beasley, who can hopefully be an improvement over Cameron Wake and help take pressure off Harold Landry.
However, Beasley doesn’t come without question marks, as he has been incredibly inconsistent and his effort has been questioned on multiple occasions during his career.
The Titans have also been in pursuit of Jadeveon Clowney, but until he signs on the dotted line, there’s no telling if he’s coming to Nashville or not. If he does, the Titans will have upgraded their pass-rush to a championship level, at least in this writer’s opinion.
The need for more pressure doesn’t just come from the edge, though. The Titans also need to see a vast improvement from the defensive line in that department.
The hope is that Jeffery Simmons can replace Jurrell Casey and will fully develop into the star we all think he can be after a full offseason that isn’t spent rehabbing an injury.
The only question after that is: who provides pressure along the rest of the defensive line?