Tennessee Titans: Byard, Lewan, Walker, Casey Make NFL Top 100 of 2018
NFL Network came out with their player-voted top 100 list of 2018, and the Tennessee Titans have four representatives.
Every year, right after the NFL Draft, NFL Network gradually releases a list of the Top 100 players in the league. The list is determined by players themselves, with a variety of players around the league voting for fellow peers. As the Tennessee Titans have become more and more talented over the past few seasons, the Two-Tone Blue is now being represented much better on these lists.
This year, the Titans have four players on the list. Those four players are absolutely well-deserving of their spots on the list, although two of them should and could have easily been much higher and no one would have batted an eye.
Here are the four Titans representatives on the Top 100 Players of 2018 list by NFL Network.
#80, Kevin Byard, Safety
2018 Stats: 8 interceptions, 16 passes defended, 87 total tackles, 2 fumble recoveries
2018 PFF Rating: 89.0 (#4 safety)
Byard followed up an impressive rookie season by turning into one of the premier safeties in the entire league in 2018, earning All-Pro honors in the process. He led the league in interceptions, even though he was consistently tasked with playing closer to the line of scrimmage due to Johnathan Cyprien’s absences. Byard’s range as a center field safety and innate run-defending ability makes him one of the best two-way defensive players in the NFL.
#78, Taylor Lewan, Left Tackle
2018 Stats: 18 total games started
2018 PFF Rating: 80.1 (#16 overall tackle)
After frustrating a bit with inconsistency in his first two years, Lewan has put it all together and become a prototypical left tackle that every coach wants on their team. Lewan made his second-consecutive Pro Bowl this past season and is a cornerstone piece of the offense.
#72, Delanie Walker, Tight End
2018 Stats: 74 receptions, 807 yards, 3 touchdowns
2018 PFF Rating: 84.1 (#4 tight end)
Despite struggling with minor nagging injuries that caused him to drop a few crucial passes throughout the season, Walker was once again arguably the Titans’ best player on offense for what seems like the umpteenth year in a row. Going on 34, Walker has shown no signs of slowing down as a top five tight end in the league.
#66, Jurrell Casey, Defensive Tackle
2018 Stats: 60 total tackles, 6.0 sacks, 1 forced fumble
2018 PFF Rating: 89.7 (#9 defensive interior lineman)
What more is there to say about Casey? Since coming in as a third round rookie in 2011, Casey has been the Titans’ most consistent and reliable player on defense. Casey has become a staple on this list virtually every year, and it’s well-deserved once again after a great 2018 Pro Bowl season.