When the Tennessee Titans drafted JC Latham with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, they did so because they needed an offensive lineman who could put an end to the revolving door at left tackle.
As a rookie, there were ups and downs, but it was positive for the most part, despite playing at a position he hadn't played since high school. That is why everyone expected big things in 2025 when the team signed Dan Moore to play left tackle and moved Latham back to his natural position on the right side.
However, training camp injuries led him to miss a few games to start the 2025 season, and when he got back, he didn't look like a player who was confident enough in himself to take a second-year jump. In fact, he often looked out of place or confused, and he certainly wasn't asserting himself physically in the way that you would expect him to.
Tennessee Titans RT JC Latham enters a critical season in 2026, and it starts in Week 1 versus the New York Jets
This has led a sizeable portion of the fan base to sour on Latham, but those who paid close attention in training camp should be cautiously optimistic about what he showed. He was fully healthy, he looked the part, and he is saying all of the right things at the podium.
With the momentum he has, he can't afford to hit a bump in the road against the New York Jets in Week 1. He will face the perfect test this week when he matches up with rookie EDGE David Bailey.
Bailey was fantastic in training camp, and by all accounts, he seems like he is exactly the kind of EDGE that Titans fans thought he would be when it looked like he might be the team's pick this year. Instead, he went second overall to the New York Jets, and the Titans selected Carnell Tate two picks later.
Armed with quick twitch and bend, Bailey is going to put stress on a hulking offensive tackle like Latham, but Latham's natural width and deceptive foot speed could be an equalizer in the matchups.
While the pass reps should be a toss-up, Latham has to assert himself as a physical run blocker when he is called upon. That shouldn't be hard because Bailey was criticized for his run defense coming out of college.
More than anything, Latham needs to play through the echo of the whistle and play with violence and anger that he has talked about but never consistently shown. Latham's infamous training camp quote, "There is no revolution without bloodshed," means nothing if he has his hands on his hips after giving up a sack.
On Wednesday, Robert Saleh summed it up best when he described how it is the job of the offensive linemen to be the "big brothers" for the running backs, quarterbacks, and wide receivers. He used stronger language, but his message was that the bigger players on the team can't sit by idly and watch the smaller players get pushed around. It is their job to go handle that business, and if they don't, then they can expect the head coach to think less of them.
He is absolutely right, and this is a prove-it year for Latham in more ways than one. Whether he wants to be the right tackle of the future is in his hands, and it starts with a tough matchup against one of the most talented young EDGEs in the NFL.
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