Do the Tennessee Titans have the pieces to pass the "Championship Formula"
By Will Lomas
![Los Angeles Chargers v Tennessee Titans Los Angeles Chargers v Tennessee Titans](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_3869,h_2176,x_0,y_155/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/GettyImages/mmsport/35/01hvkzm0xq1q17h410f8.jpg)
Pass rushers (2): Jeffery Simmons (blue), Harold Landry (green)
Jeffery Simmons and Harold Landry are the Tennessee Titans dynamic duo on the defensive line and both players are still at the beginning of their prime. Harold Landry has had 10+ sacks in each of the last two seasons that he has played and he is poised for another big season now that he has fully recovered from his ACL injury in 2021.
Over the last three seasons, Simmons has 21 sacks and has averaged 0.49 sacks per game. The only defensive tackles with better numbers are Chris Jones and the recently retired Aaron Donald. Simmons is a menace and he is only going to get better with an aggressive playcaller and better coverage in the secondary.
Defensive playmakers (3): L'Jarius Sneed (blue), Chidobe Awuzie (yellow), Roger McCreary (green)
If you could promise me that Awuzie would play all 17 games, I would have him graded out as a green player. As it stands, I just can't trust that which means that he falls just short and he keeps this group from being quite as dominant as it looks on paper.
Sneed is Sneed and he is going to be a dominant force for the defense this year and that is going to bring more eyes on McCreary. McCreary is one of the best-kept secrets in the NFL, but that won't be the case after the rest of the NFL learns about the best young SCB in the game.
Final score: 2 blues, 5 greens, 2 yellows, and 3 purples
There is much more good than bad on this list, but whether this is a good, average, or bad roster hinges on the three purples on this list. Can an improved supporting cast and much better coaching help Will Levis and Peter Skoronski become the players that they showed glimpses of last year? Can Tyjae Spears sustain his explosiveness with more volume this season?
Depth is important, but if the Titans can nail this draft, then they will have a strong chance to finish the season with as many of these boxes checked as anyone else in the NFL. All they have to do is make the easy decision in the first round and find good scheme fits with the rest of their draft picks.
Even though the gap seemed large heading into the offseason, it is interesting just how close the Titans are. Chemistry and development are important and health is always going to decide the fate of any roster in the NFL, but this roster has added great talent at key positions this offseason.
Time will tell, but right now it feels like the Tennessee Titans are on the precipice of something exciting.