The Tennessee Titans have found a lot of success lately with Ryan Tannehill at quarterback, but his supporting cast had a lot to do with the team’s turnaround from a 2-4 start in 2019.
In addition to some of the veterans they rely on, the Titans also have a lot of young talent to be excited about.
When ESPN’s Scott Spratt released his under-25 rankings by team, he placed the Titans at No. 15 overall — that’s quite a jump from their spot at No. 29 on the list from last year.
Here’s a look at what Spratt had to say about some of the team’s under-25 talent. It’s important to note that Spratt only includes players who will be 24 or younger on September 1, so tight end Jonnu Smith isn’t included in the evaluation.
The Titans have a lot of their eggs in the Brown basket this season with veterans Delanie Walker and Tajae Sharpe leaving in free agency and Davis landing on the preseason PUP list for undisclosed reasons in his own contract season. But the team did add some young skill talent in third-round running back Darrynton Evans. Evans was not asked to catch many passes at Appalachian State, but his quickness and kick-returning prowess suggest he could offer that complement to veteran power back Derrick Henry. Meanwhile, the team’s run-focused offensive attack will likely benefit from two under-25 starters on the right side of the offensive line. Third-round guard Nate Davis already made 12 starts as a rookie in 2019. He struggled overall with 4.2% blown block rate, but his improvements in the second half of the season coincided with the Titans deep playoff run. 2020 first-round tackle Isaiah Wilson is massive at 6-foot-6 and 350 pounds, which might make him a curious fit for a zone-blocking rushing scheme but should help reduce Ryan Tannehill’s untenable 9.8% sack rate. The Titans might not have a blue-chip under-25 defender, but their defense is riddled with young starters and likely contributors. Adoree’ Jackson improved his coverage success rate from 43% in 2018 to 51% in 2019. That still does not fully match his original promise as a first-round draft selection, but it makes him a capable starter in a secondary that likely drafted another future starter in second-rounder Kristian Fulton. Amani Hooker might be pressed for playing time behind those corners and veteran star free safety Kevin Byard, but he turned in a solid rookie season with a 55% coverage success rate and only really struggled to contain the uncontainable Tyreek Hill in the playoffs. Linebackers Rashaan Evans and Harold Landry are strong if not exceptional run and pass defenders, respectively. The former had a 72% run stop rate that was in the top 10 at the position, and the latter led the team with 38 hurries. And while 2019 first-rounder Jeffery Simmons didn’t pile up statistics as a part-time starter in his rookie season, he flashed the potential to excel against both the run and the pass and could see improved play with more time lined up in the interior of the defensive line.
Of this group, wide receiver A.J. Brown is obviously the standout. In fact, Spratt labels the Ole Miss product as the team’s “blue-chip” player after he had a better rookie season than the Titans could have dreamed of. Brown should expand upon that in 2020.
The Titans also sport notable under-25 talent on the defensive side of the ball.
Cornerback Adoree’ Jackson is on the cusp of being an elite player at his position, defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons is set to make the leap in Year 2 after an impressive rookie campaign, and both outside linebacker Harold Landry and inside linebacker Rashaan Evans took a step forward in 2019.
The Titans appear to be on the upswing ahead of the season, but it will be interesting to see if they can keep the momentum building after years of inconsistency.
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