After predicting the Tennessee Titans’ starting offense following mandatory minicamp, it’s time to dive into a projection for the starting defense.
Last year, the defense emerged as one of the most productive and physically imposing units in the league, a shocking development after a 2020 campaign that included one of the worst Titans defenses in franchise history.
Tennessee ended last season as a legitimate top-five defense, finishing first in rush defense, fourth in points per game, and 10th in yards per play from Week 9 on.
Tennessee also accounted for 52 total sacks — including nine in the playoff loss to the Cincinnati Bengals — after having just 24 sacks (playoffs included) the year prior.
This season, the Titans return nearly the entire unit that helped lead the drastic turnaround, and the defense intends to pick up where it left off.
Let’s take a closer look at who I expect to be starting on defense when the New York Giants come to Nashville to kick off the regular season on Sept. 11.