Five Tennessee Titans Players to Watch During the Preseason

2. CORNERBACK LeShaun Sims

In 2016, the Titans’ group of cornerbacks was their biggest weakness. Anytime the pass rush couldn’t get timely pressure, the secondary was exposed. As a result, star receivers in the AFC South such as DeAndre Hopkins and T.Y. Hilton had no issue torching the Titans week after week.

During the offseason, general manager Jon Robinson made a clear effort to fix the problem. Transactions he made included letting go of veteran Jason McCourty, signing Logan Ryan, and drafting Adoree’ Jackson. Those moves have received plenty of attention, but it’s possible that a solution to the cornerback woes of 2016 lies within.

Thus far in Training Camp, it hasn’t been Jackson, a first round draft pick, starting opposite Logan Ryan. Instead, that duty has gone to 2016 sixth round pick LeShaun Sims. Sims recently earned an award from head coach Mike Mularkey for his performance during the offseason, which included both the film and weight rooms.

Sims was given a sizable amount of playing time as a rookie, especially following the release of Perrish Cox. At times, he looked very good, especially when playing in man coverage (see interception vs. Kansas City Chiefs). At other times, he looked raw and undisciplined, particularly struggling to turn his head and make plays on deep passes.

He has prototypical size for a corner in today’s game, enough athleticism to get the job done, and he’s already proven that he can be effective. The things Sims must improve on in his second year are technique and consistency. Sims has had a nice camp so far, and the preseason will be a good test of just how much he’s improved since last year.