Tennessee Titans preseason opener: 4 things to watch for

The pass-rush

One of the bigger needs for the Tennessee Titans on defense this season will be an improved pass-rush. Some experts believe the Titans didn’t do enough to improve in that regard, but a lot of this team’s help will come from players who were already on the roster.

It’s not clear how much some of these starting linebackers will play. Veteran Cameron Wake is 37 and may not see much time this preseason, however he’s an important piece towards improvement in the pass-rush, bringing six sacks with him to Tennessee after 2019.

Most importantly, we’re going to be watching second-year pro and edge rusher Harold Landry, who is slated to have a breakout year after notching 4.5 sacks in his rookie season, two of which came in three starts over the final three weeks of last season.

Alabama product Rashaan Evans is another name to watch. We’d expect him to be solid against the run up the middle and he should bring pressure from that area as well. It’ll also be interesting to see if Evans lines up on the outside in some situations this season.

Starters aren’t the only players to watch in the pass-rush, though.

The Titans need contributions from some of their young backups, like Roberson, Walker and Long. Wake won’t be seeing a huge amount of snaps all season, so the Titans need guys to fill-in behind him when he’s getting a breather.

If the Titans can get some consistent pressure on the quarterback during preseason Week 1, it will be a great sign that things are getting better in the pass-rush department ahead of the regular season.