Usually when a Tennessee Titan is included in a list of 2023 breakout players, it’s tight end Chigoziem Okonkwo who gets the nod. However, Touchdown Wire’s Jarrett Bailey went in a different direction recently.
Bailey compiled a 2023 “All-Breakout team” and listed Titans projected left tackle Andre Dillard as his offensive line choice. Here’s what he had to say:
Dillard is a former first round pick who didn’t see the field in Philadelphia because all of their lineman watched Tuck Everlasting a little too closely and found out how to become immortal. However, he gets his shot in Tennessee, where the Titans have given their offensive line a makeover. That potential Dillard had coming out of Washington State is still there, and he gets to showcase it full time.
From Farrar’s lips to the football gods’ ears.
The Titans signed Dillard to a three-year, $29 million deal this offseason, with an almost universal presumption he would start at left tackle.
And that presumption looks to be correct after the biggest threat to his job, first-round pick Peter Skoronski was confirmed to be working at guard to start camp, according to head coach Mike Vrabel.
But Dillard, who has had his issues early on with new edge rusher Arden Key in practice, remains a relative unknown with just nine career starts.
The good news is, Dillard is following one of the worst left tackles the sport has ever seen in Dennis Daley, who was an absolute turn style in place of an injured Taylor Lewan in 2022.
Thus, he doesn’t have to do much to be an improvement, but ideally he’ll be in another stratosphere from what Daley was.
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