Tennessee Titans offensive starter deserves more praise for preseason showing

For the first time in years, the Tennessee Titans played several starters in Saturday's preseason game.

That meant that instead of hyper-fixating on role players, Titans fans got to see a lot of new things all at once. Players like T'Vondre Sweat, Treylon Burks, Will Levis, J.C. Latham, and Calvin Ridley would have been a mystery until Week 1 in the past, but fans got around a dozen snaps from all of those guys to help answer some of their questions.

With so much to focus on, one Titans starter is getting particularly overlooked.

The Titans' first-round pick from the 2023 NFL Draft, Peter Skoronski, looked every bit of the guard that fans were hoping he would be as a rookie.

Skoronski struggled at times last season, but his shortcomings were largely a result of suffering an emergency appendectomy before Week 2.

Skoronski lost a ton of weight as a result after spending the offseason beefing up in preparation to transition from offensive tackle to guard. Skoronski's technique and strength faltered at times, stalling his development in the midst of his rookie season.

On Saturday, Skoronski proved that all of those issues are in the past.

A noticeably bigger Skoronski paired with rookie tackle J.C. Latham for some heavy run blocks throughout their their two drives together. Sheer power that the two generated was on the display and was the definition of "displacement" for offensive linemen around the NFL.

In pass protection, Skoronski's anchor appeared far improved as he was rarely beaten with Will Levis standing tall in the pocket. Skoronski's quick feet highlighted were often highlighted in his play and he was more violent with his hands than he was last season.

What the Titans got out of Skoronski's on-field play last year was what you would expect out of a Day Two guard, appendectomy notwithstanding. But the version of Skoronski that played on Saturday is a great reminder of why he was considered an elite prospect in the 2024 NFL Draft. That reputation will quickly be re-earned. this season under the tutelage of new offensive line coach Bill Callahan.

This is just the beginning of Skoronski;s career and there's a lot still to be determined. After an entire offseason of praise, Skoronski is poised for a big year and he could be one of the building blocks of this team going forward. It's especially hopeful given the looming questions on the right side of the offensive line.