Analyzing the Tennessee Titans secondary heading into training camp
In three weeks the Tennessee Titans will return to Nashville and open up training camp which signals that NFL football is nearly back.
That means it is the perfect time to take a look at position groups where we are pretty sure there won’t be any major changes. Today we will take a look at the Tenessee Titans secondary, how they were put together, and what that group looks like heading into the 2022 NFL season.
The status of the Tennessee Titans front-seven as “cash money” is undisputed as it features current and rising stars on both levels.
However, the inexperience at certain places is a cause for some concern in the eyes of many armchair GMs. Pro Football Focus had the secondary ranked seventh in its final rankings of 2021. After getting younger, faster, and healthier, PFF has the Titans falling out of the top 10 at 11.
Tennessee Titans projected secondary
There is a slight bit of competition here, but the presumed starters in the Tennessee Titans’ secondary are:
CB: Kristian Fulton
CB: Caleb Farley
SCB: Elijah Molden
S: Kevin Byard
S: Amani Hooker
Depth: Roger McCreary, Buster Skrine, AJ Moore, Theo Jackson
Fulton has been relatively healthy and productive, joining Byard and Hooker as the foundation of this Titans’ secondary. Molden has been impressive but lacks the top-end vertical speed to excel in certain matchups. Add in Farley’s injury history and it’s not hard to fathom the drafting of McCreary at 35th overall. Besides length, much like Farley he checks all of the proverbial boxes and provides massive upside at the position.
Can they come together behind an outstanding front seven without getting exposed?
Based on media availability from OTA’s, all signs lead to a healthy Farley being ready for Week 1, and barring setbacks, we might get to see him without a brace. Roger seems to be digesting the playbook and flashed brilliance in 7-on-7s. Theo Jackson appears to be capable of filling Dane Cruikshank’s shoes, which is an underrated role in this defense.
With or without Farley, put me on record for predicting a top-5 defense for the Tennessee Titans in 2022. This will be the case for most if not all of the season including the finish barring the catastrophic.