Projections for key contributors in Titans secondary in 2020

2020 Projections for key contributors in the Tennessee Titans secondary.

The Tennessee Titans defense finished with 14 interceptions in 2020, 12 of those from the secondary.

The Titans secondary is one of the best in the league. Last season, they weren’t able to cause quite as many turnovers as they would have hoped. This was likely caused by the absence of Malcolm Butler and Adoree Jackson for several games.

Adoree Jackson, who I consider the Titans best cornerback, wasn’t able to get any interceptions in 2019. In addition to that, Malcolm Butler only managed to add 2.

It is worth mentioning that if these two players were able to stay healthy throughout the season then the Titans interception numbers would have been much higher. Regardless, the team was still able to finish top 10 in interceptions.

When talking about the Tennessee Titans secondary between last season and the upcoming season, you can’t forget to mention Logan Ryan. With 4 interceptions in 2019, Ryan was only one behind the team leader Kevin Byard. Unfortunately, Logan Ryan will not be returning to the team in 2020. This is a huge loss to the defense and specifically a huge loss at slot cornerback.

The 2020 NFL Draft brought the Titans a rookie hopeful to fill Logan Ryan’s shoes next season. Kristian Fulton fell to the end of the second round ultimately to be drafted by the Tennessee Titans at 61 overall. Based on Fulton’s athleticism and college production, this could be another Day 2 draft pick that we look back at in awe of Jon Robinson’s genius.

Last weekend on the Titans Time Podcast, I gave my expectations for the Tennessee Titans secondary in 2020. Here’s how I think each key contributor will perform next season.

Amani Hooker

Amani Hooker played 84% of snaps on special teams for the Tennessee Titans in 2019. Any player that gets that much time on special teams and manages to earn 30% of defensive snaps as a rookie is bound to play an increased role the next season.

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Hooker might not be the most athletic player on the Titans defense, but he uses his strength and smarts to be a reliable defensive player. Hooker only missed 4.8% of tackles in 2019, which was 4th best on the team among players who played more than 10 games.

Amani Hooker is a special value to the Titans considering his versatility. He is very reliable as a special teams player as well as a safety. But one thing you must remember about Hooker is that he can also slide down and play the slot corner position effectively.

My projection for Amani Hooker in 2020 is that he sees at least 10% more of defensive snaps bringing him up to 40%. I believe he still stays under 5% of missed tackles. In addition to all of that, I think you can count on Hooker to bring in at least one interception in 2019.

Malcolm Butler

Malcolm Butler had a horrific start in 2018 when he was first picked up by the Titans. He allowed a passer rating of above 100 for 5 of the first 8 games of the 2018 season. This led to many people questioning the $61 million contract that he was signed to the previous offseason.

Fortunately for the Titans, Butler was able to turn it around before the end of the 2018 season. He finished the year with 3 interceptions and 1 of them went for a pick-six.

Malcolm Butler finished the year off strong and carried it into 2019. He started the first 9 games of 2019 and had 2 interceptions before breaking his wrist and being put on IR.

Statistically, I see Malcolm Butler finishing in 2020 very similar to the way he did last season, without the broken wrist hopefully.

My projections for Malcolm Butler next season are simple, I see him playing every game of the season and finishing with two interceptions. I think he will accomplish all of that while only allowing over a 100 passer rating twice.

Kevin Byard

Kevin Byard has cemented himself as the best safety in the NFL over the past few seasons. Well, for some at least.

While some NFL fans choose to remain living under a rock, others have woken up to realize how great Kevin Byard has been since 2017.

Of course, 2017 was Byard’s breakout season and he hasn’t been quite as good since. But even last season he was able to tie for 4th in interceptions.

Kevin Byard has become one of the most loved players by fans in recent years. His playing days at Middle Tennessee State University combined with his pro career has earned him the nickname “Mayor of Murfreesboro.” Of course, the real reason for the nickname is the legendary voice of the Titans, Mike Keith.

The fact that Mike Keith created the nickname makes is a million times better.

My projections for Kevin Byard in 2020 are pretty hefty. In fact, I’m feeling a defensive player of the year coming on. I say that for the first time in his career, Kevin Byard will finish with double-digit interceptions (10) and will force one fumble. On top of that, I am going to add 2 sacks into the mix for what will undeniably be the best defensive performance by a player next season.

Adoree Jackson

The biggest news story surrounding Adoree Jackson this offseason is that the Tennessee Titans have decided to pick up his 5th-year option. In my opinion, this is a great move by the organization. Admittedly, last season wasn’t Jackson’s best work. He managed to end the season with a total of zero interceptions and a nagging injury.

Now Adoree Jackson will look to return to his 2018 self in which he finished the season with 2 interceptions.

It’s a bit depressing that Jackson only has two interceptions in his entire career. Hopefully, 2020 will be the year to change that. Jackson will have an improved pass rush from last season so hopefully, he will be able to capitalize on the fact that QBs will be getting the ball out much quicker.

For 2020, I see Adoree Jackson finally breaking out into the star he is and finishing the season with 4 interceptions. This would more than double his career total and might even get him a Pro Bowl appearance. Of course for all of this to happen he would have to stay healthy for the entire season. Small nagging injuries have been a bit of an issue for Jackson lately so all we can do is hope.

Kristian Fulton and Kenny Vaccaro

For the last slide, I decided to pair a veteran and the rookie since I see their production being very similar.

Kristian Fulton was great at LSU. He and Derek Stingley Jr. made for one of the most dangerous CB duos in the country. I think you can expect a dangerous trio between Fulton, Butler, and Jackson next season.

Next season I see Fulton finishing at least top 3 for defensive rookie of the year. I think that he will have 3 interceptions and at least one sack. Kristian Fulton’s athleticism makes me excited to see how he can fit into the secondary next season. I expect big things for him coming in, which might be unfair considering how weird the offseason has been so far. Regardless, I think a big rookie year is in store for Fulton.

Kenny Vaccaro is another player that I am projecting 3 interceptions for in 2020.

I believe that the Titans secondary as a whole is going to benefit insanely from an improved pass rush. The Tennessee Titans could have easily finished with 3 or 4 more interceptions last season if the pass rush didn’t allow 5+ seconds at times for opposing QBs.