The Tennessee Titans completely turned around their stagnant offense in Week 7 after a 2-4 start, which largely had to do with Ryan Tannehill replacing Marcus Mariota at quarterback.
The team made it all the way to the AFC Championship game in an unexpected run, with Tannehill and running back Derrick Henry getting a lot of the credit from the media for the team’s success.
But it’s going to take the team coming together at every position for the them to expand upon last year’s success, and that includes at tight end.
When Pro Football Focus’ Steve Palazzolo recently released his tight end room rankings for the entire NFL, the Titans sat at No. 22 overall.
He placed them ahead of the Atlanta Falcons and behind the Buffalo Bills. Here’s a look at what Palazzolo had to say about the group.
Jonnu Smith had a breakout year in 2019 with a 79.3 receiving grade and a second-ranked 8.1 yards after the catch per reception mark. He brought some stability to the position after Delanie Walker was limited to just six-plus games of action. Walker is gone, so Smith should take on an even bigger role, but he needs help from Anthony Firkser, who posted a solid 70.6 receiving grade last season.
Like Smith, Firkser is under 250 pounds and hasn’t been great as a run blocker, but they are both added pass-game weapons to take pressures off the receiving corps. MyCole Pruitt is also in the mix after catching 10 passes a year ago.
Palazzolo makes some fine points here despite the poor ranking.
The Titans have a lot of promise and potential in the tight end room, especially with Jonnu Smith, who posted a career year in 2019 and was one of the most explosive players at his position. In a contract year, Smith is primed to have a great campaign in 2020.
Anthony Firkser will serve as the primary backup pass-catching tight end behind Smith. While he didn’t get a lot of opportunities last season, he has shown flashes over two years in Nashville.
Further down on the depth chart is MyCole Pruitt, who isn’t really known as an offensive weapon but is among the best blocking tight ends in the NFL.
If anything, the Titans’ group should have been ranked higher thanks to its promise and versatility, however there’s a good chance Tennessee’s tight ends will make enough of a mark to earn a better ranking after the season.
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