On the bubble
Matt Dickerson
Amani Bledsoe
Joey Ivie
Teair Tart (2020 UDFA)
Kobe Smith (2020 UDFA)
Analysis: With the Titans having carried six defensive lineman into the season last year (Simmons wasn’t counted in that total because he was placed on the PUP list) and already likely having five locks, there won’t be much room for these players to make the roster.
Of these five players, only Dickerson and Ivie have suited up in a regular season game, giving them a slight advantage over the others.
Bledsoe did do some positive things during last year’s training camp, so he has some credibility in this competition. He also spent the entire 2019 season on the Titans’ practice squad, giving him some familiarity with the system.
Both Tart and Smith are the biggest wild cards of this group and each thrived in different areas in college.
Tart was the superior pass-rusher of the two after he posted a pass-rush win rate of 12.9 percent in college. The FIU product compiled an overall PFF grade of 85 or better the past two seasons, albeit in limited action.
As for Smith, his specialty is stuffing the run. The South Carolina product finished his collegiate career with a run defense grade of 78.0, ranking him No. 88 among interior defenders with a minimum of 500 snaps.