Tennessee Titans: All signs point to Harold Landry becoming a star

Tennessee Titans edge rusher Harold Landry is primed to take a big step forward in 2019.

Tennessee Titans linebacker Harold Landry’s flexibility is something that can’t be taught. My favorite edge rusher in the 2018 NFL Draft, Landry ran a 6.88-second three-cone drill that put him in elite company with Demarcus Ware, Joey Bosa, Melvin Ingram, and J.J. Watt.

Each of them ran a sub 6.9-second three-cone drill, and all are a mean 250-plus pounds of first-round physicality.

It was easy to see that Landry was a top talent—possibly a blue-chipper. I wasn’t alone in my evaluation. You couldn’t come close to finding an analyst (or even a novice) that didn’t have Landry mocked in the first round last year.

Pro Football Focus was so kind as to point out how incredibly correct I was.

Due to injury concerns, Landry fell to the second round of the 2018 draft, and Titans general manager Jon Robinson pulled the trigger. Sound familiar?

Fresh meat

This year, a healthy Landry is ready to feast. Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport believes Landry could blossom into one of the next NFL stars.

"There were quite a few changes on the Tennessee defense this offseason, including the retirement of Brian Orakpo and the departure of Derrick Morgan, who remains a free agent. The Titans added some veteran help by signing Cameron Wake, but the lack of a big push at the position would seem to indicate a measure of confidence in the pass-rushers the team already has on the roster.The most promising of those is second-year pro, Harold Landry."

Davenport also believes that like Houston Texans linebacker, Whitney Mercilus, Landry “has the talent and potential to follow a similar path” to a better campaign in his second season.

While I agree with Davenport, his analysis is vague. Is he basing this solely on the opportunity?

Let’s be real, losing Brian Orakpo and Derrick Morgan hurt on paper and in the locker room, but how much was realistically left in the tank for them on the field? Landry was chomping at the bit, ready to take one of their jobs by Week 4.

Hold on a second, let’s back up a little

I was nine years old when former Titans defensive end Jevon Kearse erupted with 14.5 sacks and eight forced fumbles as a rookie. Kearse’s 1999 season is known as the best rookie year by a DE in NFL history, his shoes gigantic to fill.

And yet, I remember moments last year when Landry excited me as if I were that nine-year-old kid again. He’s got the purest pass-rush skills I’ve seen in a long time.

In Tennessee, that’s needed. After all, isn’t the ultimate goal to get after Indianapolis Colts quarterback, Andrew Luck?