Tennessee Titans: 5 bold predictions for 2019 NFL season

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NASHVILLE, TN – DECEMBER 24: Safety Kevin Byard #31 of the Tennessee Titans celebrates after making a stop against the Los Angeles Rams at Nissan Stadium on December 24, 2017 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images) /

4. Kevin Byard wins Defensive Player of the Year

2019 bold prediction stats: 10 INT, 100 tackles

It isn’t often a safety wins the Defensive Player of the Year award, but it has been done before. Former Pittsburgh Steelers safety Troy Polamalu was the last to do it back in 2010 and Kevin Byard will be the next in line at the position to win that honor.

Byard has already proven to be two things, on top of being perhaps the best safety in football: a tackle machine and a ballhawk who can pick passes off with the best of them. Byard totaled 90 tackles a season ago and led the league with eight interceptions in his sophomore campaign.

Byard is so good, these numbers don’t even seem that outrageous. Crazy, but undeniably true.

With such a stacked front seven, opposing offenses are going to try and test the defense deep, leaving plenty of opportunities for the Titans secondary to go to work, including Byard. How nice it must be as a corner having an elite talent like Byard to back you up.

Having a great nose for the ball, Byard will be making plays all over the field, whether those come in the form of tackles or interceptions. Don’t be surprised if he even takes one to the house, something he has never done before.

Sure, all of this still might be considered bold, but if there’s anyone talented enough to pull it off, it’s Byard. Those of us close to the Titans know how great he is and now it’s time for the world to know that the best safety in the game resides in Nashville.

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