1 Tennessee Titans UDFA to watch closely in training camp

As hard as it is to believe, the Tennessee Titans are just a few days away from the unofficial start of training camp. In fact, a week from today is when the rookies are supposed to report to team facilities.

Throughout the OTAs and minicamp, the spotlight has been on rookies at the skill positions like Malik Willis, Treylon Burks, Kyle Philips, Chig Okonkwo, and even Hassan Haskins.

However, in a few weeks, the NFL will allow the pads to come on and that is when the trench players will have a chance to shine. Guys like Nicholas Petit-Frere, Chance Campbell, and Theo Jackson are going to be able to start popping players on the other side of the line of scrimmage, and their physicality can be recognized and appreciated.

The rookies listed so far have all been players that the Tennessee Titans spent a draft pick on, but they aren’t the only rookies on the roster. Obviously, the bulk of the rookie class comes from the UDFAs that were signed after the draft process.

Rosters around the league are loaded with UDFA talent even if it isn’t always front and center, and the Tennessee Titans are no different. Players like Teair Tart, Aaron Brewer, Dontrell Hilliard, Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, and Naquan Jones are all expected to make an impact on the Titans roster this year and some of them might even start.

A few players from the UDFA class have a shot at making the Titans’ 2022 roster, but the one with the best chance is former Ohio State DT, Haskell Garrett.

Tennessee Titans have another talented UDFA defensive tackle

While Haskell Garrett wasn’t one of the most expensive UDFAs, he has a few things that make him a strong contender to shine during the preseason and training camp.

For starters, Garrett is from Ohio State and that means that he is someone that Mike Vrabel is going to be familiar with and comfortable with given his connections at his alma mater. In fact, Vrabel was probably very upfront with Garrett about his chances of making the Tennessee Titans roster, and the fact that he ended up in Tennessee bodes well for how that conversation went.

It doesn’t hurt that Garrett is also one of the most effective pass-rushing defensive tackles to leave the Big Ten in the last five years. Despite playing defensive tackle, the 300 lb. defender led his team in sacks, and good production is something that pops up often when you look at successful UDFAs.

The last thing that is going to help Garrett is that he has the size and the mobility of an NFL defensive tackle and he is going to get to work with a group of coaches that have seen and developed UDFA defensive tackles every single year Mike Vrabel has been the Head Coach.

Given Garrett’s ability, past production, and the competition he is going to face from preseason backup interior linemen, it wouldn’t surprise me to see him make a strong argument for staying on the roster or at least being one of the first players signed to the practice squad this season.