The Tennessee Titans need to continue to give the best coaches the best players

Excluding Brian Callahan, the two best and most proven coaches on the Tennessee Titans staff are offensive line coach Bill Callahan and defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson.

Before the offseason, there were ideas on how the Tennessee Titans should take advantage of having great coaches like this. Should Ran Carthon focus on going cheap and taking high-upside guys with more risk and then hoping that those coaches can just get the best out of these players?

Or, should Ran Carthon spend money on blue-chip players to give those coaches proven players to make sure that the offseason acquisitions had the best chance of making and improving the roster?

Two months later, it is obvious what Ran Carthon is doing and it should make Tennessee Titans fans excited.

Take a look at the defensive backs. Not only did Carthon go out and sign one of the best cornerback options on the market in Chidobe Awuzie, but he also made the blockbuster trade to acquire shutdown cornerback L'Jarius Sneed.

Either one of those moves would have been enough to earn a thumbs-up from this fan base and the coaching staff, but making both moves has turned the Titans secondary into one of the best trios in the NFL.

Carthon hasn't stopped there either. While they haven't signed anyone yet, the Titans have been active in the safety market in free agency including looking hard at guys like Justin Simmons and Marcus Maye who would be perfect fits into what Wilson would want to do on defense.

Some people might think that the Titans are investing too much in the cornerback position when they could have added one good corner and maybe some more help on the defensive front or at linebacker, but that is missing the point. Carthon's approach shifted and adapted as free agents were being signed, but at the end of the day, he made sure that his best coach on defense (and you could throw Chris Harris in this conversation as well) had the tools to thrive.

Remember that pattern because I believe that it is going to apply to the Tennessee Titans draft strategy.

The Tennessee Titans will build a bully on the offensive line

That brings us to the offensive line and Bill Callahan, who hasn't been left out in the cold. The first big move the Tennessee Titans made in free agency was to sign standout center Lloyd Cushenberry to a big contract.

Cushenberry centers an offensive line where he will be surrounded by former first-round guard Peter Skoronski and veteran guard Daniel Brunskill. They are deep at guard too with former second-round pick Dillon Radunz likely to compete with Brunskill for a job in training camp, and Cushenberry's collegiate teammate Sadiq Charles on the bench.

However, there are two big question marks on the offensive line. Let's get right tackle out of the way because you are going to want to get the bad news out of the way first.

Based on everything that has been said publicly and the moves that the Titans have made in free agency, it seems like the Titans are preparing for a season where Nicholas Petit-Frere is the starting right tackle.

If Bill Callahan has signed off on that (and it seems like he has) then Titans fans need to be willing to give him another shot. Maybe an offseason with a qualified offensive line coach (and without a gambling suspension) will help him improve on what was a solid rookie season.

All of that brings us to where we are now. Left guard, center, right guard, and right tackle seem to be taken care of, but there is a massive hole at left tackle.

Looking back at the overkill (and I mean that in the best way) at cornerback, and looking at the 2024 NFL Draft class, it would be a massive surprise if the Tennessee Titans did anything other than drafting an offensive tackle with their first pick.

It has been well-documented at this point, but Bill Callahan is an amazing coach who can get the best out of any offensive lineman. However, if you want him to turn a player into a star, history says that you are going to have to spend a first-round pick on that player.

Whether we are talking about taking Joe Alt with the seventh pick, or trading down and drafting someone like Olu Fashanu, Taliese Fuaga, or Troy Fautanu it isn't a position that Tennessee can afford to ignore in the first round.

The best decision would be to let Bill Callahan look at the entire tackle class and give him the player that he believes will be the best pro with the seventh pick. Since Joe Alt is almost unanimously considered to be the top left tackle in the class at this point, that means that the Titans would walk away with an offensive line that has added two potential Pro Bowl players in Alt* and Cushenberry.

Trying to balance a team and build a complete roster is a valiant idea, in reality, the goal should be to make the best team. That means that you don't need equal talent at every position, you need overwhelming talent at a few positions.

Having a dominant offensive line and an outstanding group of defensive backs would make the Titans a formidable team, and it would allow them to go as far as Will Levis could take them, which could be very far considering just how impressive he was for stretches during his rookie season.