Secret superstars of the divisional playoffs

Though any are unknown, every player in the postseason has the opportunity to turn that around. Here are eight such players.

Tennessee Titans: EDGE Harold Landry III

(Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports)

It didn’t take long for former Boston College edge man Harold Landry to impress me once the Titans selected him in the second round of the 2018 draft — by his third regular-season against the then-Super Bowl champion Eagles, he had done enough to merit a writeup. Limited to 4.5 sacks and 34 total pressures in his rookie season, Landry put on a bit of weight for the 2019 season, adding counter moves to his repertoire, and it paid off in 2019. Under the radar in a Tennessee defense known more for its secondary, Landry put up nine sacks and amassed 56 total pressures as a major part of Dean Pees’ game plan.

That defense will be tested to the extreme by Lamar Jackson and the Ravens on Saturday evening, but if he keeps his discipline together, Landry has the speed and agility to at least make things slightly more difficult for Jackson and Baltimore’s seemingly unstoppable offense. This adjustment from pressure to coverage against the Eagles in 2018 was a sign of that ability.

Though Jackson presents sterner tests than any other rusher in the league when he turns on the jets, it will be fascinating to see how Landry faces off against him — as a passer to be pressured, and as a rusher to be adjusted to and (perhaps) taken down.

Previous Titans secret superstar: Safety Kevin Byard

Danielle Hunter | Dee Ford | Harold Landry III | Matthew Judon |
Duke Johnson, Jr. | Charvarius Ward | Poona Ford | Kenny Clark