If Tennessee Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill is going to re-create his success from 2019 in 2020, he’s going to need some players to step up in order to do so.
Here’s a look at five players who need to step up the most for their quarterback.
RT Dennis Kelly
Kelly’s spot as the starting right tackle isn’t guaranteed quite yet, but we have to give him the edge over Isaiah Wilson based on experience and the trust the coaching staff has with him.
Kelly will be tasked with taking over for Jack Conklin, who was an elite run-blocker in 2019. Where Conklin didn’t excel was in pass protection, although he was certainly more than serviceable in that area.
Kelly performed well in place of an injured Conklin in 2018, so there is precedent for him being an effective starter. However, that sample size is small and any drop-off in the quality of pass protection could be disastrous.
The Titans can only hope Kelly will at least carry the torch from Conklin at right tackle in 2020, or else Tannehill might be facing a lot of pressure from the right side.