The Tennessee Titans held their first training camp practice in pads on Tuesday morning. It felt like real football practice, with a physical intensity unmatched by previous sessions. On the injury front, reserve offensive lineman Blake Hance missed practice with a calf injury, per Paul Kuharsky.
Which players managed to stand out — for better or worse? Let's take a closer look at what occurred at Tuesday's training camp session by identifying the studs and duds from the Titans' first practice in pads.
Stud: TE Gunnar Helm
The pads help physical players shine, and rookie tight end Gunnar Helm took immediate advantage. The 6-foot-5 and 241-pound Helm enjoyed an outstanding practice as a route runner and blocker, per 104.5 The Zone radio host Zach Lyons. The former Texas standout was relatively quiet at the first few camp practices, so Tuesday's showing was a welcome sight.
Stud: EDGE Arden Key
Arden Key is the lone returnee at EDGE in a revamped position room. His speed and explosiveness especially shines at legitimate football practices. On Tuesday, Key defeated right tackle JC Latham for a would-be sack, according to Terry McCormick. The veteran pass-rusher could lead the Titans in sacks this year.
Dud: IOL Kevin Zeitler
The offensive line won the day, but interior guard Kevin Zeitler struggled in one-on-one drills, per sources in attendance. Zeitler was signed to help upgrade the offensive line, so hopefully this qualifies as an off day. The veteran blocker was awarded rest days throughout minicamp, so perhaps he's still getting up to speed.
Inconsistent: QB Cam Ward
With the offensive line putting forth a dominant performance, rookie quarterback Cam Ward had time to dissect the field. He took advantage on multiple occasions, hitting Bryce Oliver up the left sideline for the "throw of the day," per Parker Kelley. Ward was also picked on three occasions, however, one of those passes was deflected, and another saw Chig Okonkwo run the wrong route, via multiple reporters at practice. He also connected with Helm on a diving catch, but his third INT was a lob into traffic under pressure.
Dud: EDGE Femi Oladejo
Rookie EDGE Femi Oladejo was a standout at the first few practices, but Tuesday wasn't his finest day. The second-round playmaker struggled when the pads came on, according to Kuharsky and other sources at practice. Oladejo is still acclimating to EDGE after playing off-ball linebacker for the majority of his time at UCLA. His rawness was evident on Tuesday.
Stud: IOL Peter Skoronski
Titans third-year guard Peter Skoronski possesses all the intangibles required to develop into a Pro Bowl-caliber guard this season. Skoronski was stonewalling rushers in pass-rushing drills, per Kuharsky. The Titans' offensive line should be quite good on the left side this season.