Nov 19, 2015; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Tennessee Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota (8) dives for a touchdown in the third quarter against the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Field. Mandatory Credit: Logan Bowles-USA TODAY Sports
The Tennessee Titans are not a good team right now. Despite that, they still have several different good pieces to build around.
First and foremost they have a clear franchise QB. Marcus Mariota is great and he is playing well behind a bad offensive line, with bad receivers and an interim head coach that lacks offensive creativity.
Secondly, they have two borderline elite pass rushers. Derrick Morgan and Brian Orakpo have combined for 11.5 sacks despite Morgan not playing full snaps.
Outside of the edge rushers, they have another pair of great rushers in Wesley Woodyard (who knew) and Jurrell Casey, who combine for 10 sacks of their own.
This team as a unit leads the league in sacks per passing play, and they are second in total sacks behind only the Denver Broncos. The most impressive thing is that Dick LeBeau is scheming this without his two starting corners ever playing together this year. So, if they can keep LeBeau this defense should only get better.
With those key pieces and players like Delanie Walker, Taylor Lewan, Kendall Wright, and DaQuan Jones who have all looked very good at times in the past this team doesn’t have a ton of holes, where are analysts and draft experts giving the Titans help in the 2016 NFL Draft?