By Blake Bedingfield
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — For the Titans front office and coaching staff, the focus going into the first preseason game isn't on the veterans, but on the rookies and how quickly they can contribute to the team this season. Understanding how many times a player will play and what situations they can handle is paramount to roster construction.
Chance Campbell and the Titans defense celebrate/Tennessee Titans
The 2024 draft picks will be heavily scrutinized in August, with many expected to play key roles in their first year.
The class showed in a 17-13 win against the 49ers on Saturday night.
First-round draft pick, left tackle JC Latham: Powerful in the run game, quick off the snap and able to move defenders on down blocks and kick-outs. He's become more effective at blocking down and inside, but also has the width and length to create a wall in zone blocking schemes and position himself to block, which should see him thrive as a run blocker this season.
In pass protection, it will take time for him to play at a high level. Physically he can hold up, but technically he needs to adapt to the different pass rush moves he's going to see. He got out-rushed to the outside with a quick inside step and an outside speed rush with a rake, and the next rush was a power move that pushed him into the quarterback's body. Two bad snaps in limited pass protection.
His quickness and excellent footwork for his size are impressive, and Latham is a talented player who plays with a good motor, which should help him make the necessary adjustments.
Second-round pick, defensive tackle T'Vondre Sweat: Possesses the size and strength to be a force in the run game. Sweat has been effective at forcing his way into the backfield on both run and pass plays. His strength and length allow him to control smaller offensive linemen. Sweat is still working on controlling, shading and making plays on blocks, but this will come with improving his block recognition and understanding how the offense is trying to attack him and Jeffrey Simmons.
Without Simmons next to him during the game, it wasn't the same situation as we see during the regular season.
Sweat struggled at times with the lineup and arriving late to his pre-snap spot, but he looked to be playing hard with plenty of intensity, keeping his eyes on the ball and having the ability to get back into the play even after initially being blocked.
Sweat struggles against the pass rush at the moment. He can push off with his power, but he gets neutralized by combo blocks and reach blocks while reading the play. He is more confident in his role as a one-gap defender and can win on those repetitions. He is not playing mentally fast at the moment, but that should improve with more game repetitions.
Fourth-round pick, inside linebacker Cedric Gray: Did not play (shoulder)
Fifth-round pick, cornerback Jarvis Brownlee: Quick on his feet, with good step and drive quickness, allowing him to rush to the ball in front of him. Confident in his speed and ability to mirror his receivers, he is conscious of playing zone and man-to-man. Excellent man coverage skills at the point. In the first quarter, he missed coverage while running a shallow cross and the opponent couldn't get to it, but the pass was intended to go under the receiver but was overthrown and fell incomplete.
Brownlee did a great job of running and mimicking the receiver's movements without grabbing the receiver. A straight vertical route broke up a competitive pass, but his speed allowed him to easily match the route and make a play on the ball in the air without any pressure. He allowed an undercatch in the zone, but reacted quickly to make the tackle.
Overall it was a good game and showed promise.
Ja'Quan Jackson, 6th round wide receiver: Was re-routed on an out route and got caught by a defender, throwing off timing and resulting in an incomplete pass. Jackson is showing quickness coming in and out of the break. His vertical speed from the slot is good and consistent. Right now he's playing cautiously and trying to do the right things. Games will open up for him soon. He needs to be able to get through contact and play faster. He caught one ball for minimal gain and went down on contact.
7th Round Pick, Inside Linebacker James Williams: Developing as an ILB. Preseason Game 3 will be important to see how he continues to develop and where he fits in the depth chart. Right now, the game is fast for him and 5-yard action from the line of scrimmage is an area he needs to improve on. Inside blockers get to him quickly. As he sees more action, his reads and reactions will improve. But when he sees it and isn't blocked, he reacts quickly to the ball. Had two nice chase tackles and one pressure on a blitz. Room for improvement as a 3-down linebacker.
Jalen Harrell, outside linebacker, picked in the seventh round: Not quick in step when reading the play and stepping forward, misstepping and limiting immediate impact on the ball. Plays with good effort and rushes to balls on the ground. On one deep speed rush, was easily pushed by the quarterback and only had enough flex to get back into the play. Very average or below average player in zone pass coverage, puts in effort but is not comfortable in the role. More of a power rusher than a speed player. Still developing.
The best I've seen:
*The depth of the starting offensive line is better than last year.
*Even without DeAndre Hopkins, the team's wide receiver depth proved it could overcome the absence of key players.
*The running back tandem would be effective as Tyjay Spears and Tony Pollard have similar skill sets.
*The only downside to having two solid backs is not having that special player in Derrick Henry, who is the focal point of the defense every week and a true game-changer.
*Defensive lineman Marlon Davidson can be an effective rotational pass rush option if used situationally. While he's not dynamic as a rusher, he can win one-on-ones and also make disruptive plays as a one-gap penetrator.
*Inside linebacker Kenneth Murray uses his speed, athleticism and aggressiveness to make plays, but he also gives up plays by wandering around and slipping through blocks. His slow reactions off the snap can also get him caught by blocks at the second level.
The worst I've seen:
*The pass rush will lack impact from the defensive front and edge, so the cornerbacks will have to hold up every week.
*With a thin pass rush, Harold Landry and Simmons will be under pressure to perform at their best every week.
*The defense needs to develop a strategy to apply pressure with additional blitzes.
attention:
*Inside linebacker Chance Campbell has been on my list of players to watch for the third straight year. He has the size, speed and instincts for the position.
*Wide receiver Kearis Jackson carved out a role for himself on the return, with a straight-up aggressive running style that allowed him to avoid and break weak-arm tackles and break through the defender's initial scrum.
*I like Brownlee's competitive game, and he's one to watch this season and into next as someone who can develop into more than just a two-deep backup. He has the skill set to play both inside and outside.
*The Titans offensive line will be better than usual, but it may take time. I like Latham, but he'll need to get used to playing on the left side, and the better pass rushers he'll face will slow his progress.
*Left guard Peter Skoronski will be better with Latham on either side and center Lloyd Cushenberry on the other side, but the consistency will improve. Skoronski could be a breakout player this season.
*Right guard Dillon Ladanse and right tackle Nicolas Petit-Frere have each shown flashes of starter quality during their careers. Both players have plenty of experience and will be competing for their NFL futures this season. Both players are talented, but their consistency as NFL starters has room to improve.
Future Outlook:
*I would love to see Jamal Adams, Quadre Diggs, Simmons and Landry on the field during preseason games to get a true sense of what the full unit looks like defensively.
*I'd like to see more from the backup defensive linemen and outside linebackers and see who takes the open roster spots.
*Will Revis' six pass attempts were good, but I'd like him to avoid the run in the preseason. Or get off earlier.
stock:
Positives: Skoronski, Brownlee, Murray, Campbell, Kearis Jackson
Downsides: There are no real downsides.
