Tennessee Titans outside linebacker Harold Landry is in the midst of a breakout season in 2019.
Before the season started, outside linebacker Harold Landry was pegged as a potential breakout star for the Tennessee Titans — and right now he’s in the midst of meeting that expectation.
Landry burst onto the scene at the end of the 2018 season when he totaled two sacks and six QB hits in his last three games. The Boston College product’s progression in his rookie season was important, as one of the biggest needs the Titans had going into 2019 was a pass-rusher.
This season, Landry has been everything the Titans could have hoped for when they drafted him in the second round (No. 41 overall) of the 2018 NFL Draft.
In his first year as a full-time starter, he leads the team with nine sacks, and has 12 QB hits in total. Landry has been coming on particularly strong in his last five games after notching a sack in each.
Landry spoke about learning new pass-rush moves during the offseason as a means to get better, but he specifically credits his success to the speed at which he is playing at this season, according to ESPN’s Turron Davenport.
"“This year, I am just cutting it loose and going out there playing as fast as I can,” Landry said. “I am much more relaxed, flying off the ball, and it’s much more reactionary.”“I feel like there’s another level that I can take. I am just trying to finish these last games strong and get into the playoffs, then take it from there.”"
And you can see it when he’s on the field. Sometimes Landry just looks like he’s moving at a different speed than everyone else, and we saw that again in Week 13 when he exploded through a very good Colts offensive line for his ninth sack of the season.
Landry’s pressure also forced Colts QB Jacoby Brissett to throw a pick right into the hands of safety Kevin Byard, who was sure to thank his teammate afterwards.
Landry’s season is even more impressive when you consider he hasn’t had that much help on the other side.
Even before being placed on IR, Cameron Wake wasn’t playing consistent snaps, and the combination of Kamalei Correa and Sharif Finch haven’t done much to take pressure off the Titans’ star pass-rusher.
It’s scary to think that Landry could be even better than he is now once the Titans add another solid and consistent edge rusher opposite him.