Tennessee Titans have the perfect duo to fix the offensive line
By Will Lomas
Despite years of poor player development, draft mistakes, and bad coaching decisions from the Tennessee Titans in the past, this is going to be the offseason where the offensive line finally gets fixed.
I don't think that anyone familiar with my work will accuse me of looking at the Tennessee Titans situation with rose-colored glasses. When you look at the depth chart on the offensive line, there is only one clear-cut starter who will return next season and that is obviously left guard Peter Skoronski.
Daniel Brunskill, Dillon Radunz, and Nicholas Petit-Frere will all compete for jobs at guard and tackle, but no one in that group is guaranteed a starting job next year.
With four offensive line jobs open, why would anyone be confident that the Titans will be able to rebuild their offensive line this offseason? Ultimately, it comes down to two names.
It all starts with Bill Callahan whose name you already know and have heard a lot about since he was hired by the Titans. The new offensive line coach has been crucial in the development of dozens of starting offensive linemen in the NFL including Hall of Famers and All-Pros.
You might not think an offensive line coach is as important as the players, but you would be wrong. For example, look at any draft guide worth its salt and point me to the ones that said that Dillon Radunz and NPF were both going to be busts and neither was worth a top-100 pick.
Find a draft guide that said that Peter Skoronski would be underwhelming at guard for the majority of his rookie season.
They are few and far between because all of those players were looked at as guys who should be at least average-level starters by their second season. The talent was always there, but the coaches couldn't put them in situations that emphasized their strengths and they never really made them any better.
Having an offensive line coach who knows what he is doing will be huge for the Tennessee Titans, and it will be the first time the Titans have had that since Russ Grimm.
Remember back to 2016 and 2017, when Grimm helped third-year tackle Taylor Lewan get to his first Pro Bowl. In the same season, Grimm helped Jack Conklin adjust from left tackle in college to right tackle as a rookie. That transition went so smoothly that Conklin was named an All-Pro in his first season.
No matter what anyone tells you coaching matters, and the Titans upgraded from back-to-back failures to one of the best offensive line coaches in the last 30 years.
The Tennessee Titans secret weapon
The other person who will help the Tennessee Titans offensive line get back to where they need to be is Anthony Robinson.
Robinson has the title of Assistant GM, but he is more than that. The most accurate way to describe his role in the organization is to say that he is the head of the NFL draft process. While Chad Brinker focuses on free agency and pro scouting, Robinson is the one who is going to be in charge of the scouting staff and draft evaluations.
He earned this role by being one of the best Directors of College Scouting in the NFL when he was with the Atlanta Falcons.
Just look at the first-round picks that the Falcons made when Robinson was leading the draft process:
2019: Chris Lindstrom OG, Boston College (2x All-Pro)
2019: Kaleb McGary OT, Washington (5-year starter)
2020: A.J. Terrell CB, Clemson (1x All-Pro)
2021: Kyle Pitts TE, Florida (1x Pro Bowl)
2022: Drake London WR, USC (Back-to-back 800-yard receiving seasons)
2023: Bijan Robinson RB, Texas (1,464 all-purpose yards as a rookie)
The guy has absolutely nailed those picks, including hitting on a five-year starter at right tackle and the best guard in the NFL.
Combining a draft expert who hasn't missed on a first round pick since he was given the title of Director of College Scouting, and an offensive line coach who has created some of the best offensive lines in the NFL over the last two decades, is a match made in heaven for Tennessee Titans fans.
Heading into this offseason those two have the money, draft picks, and (most importantly) the skills to fix this offensive line, just in time to help protect Will Levis so that he can grow into a franchise quarterback.