J.C. Latham and T'Vondre Sweat entered training camp with big expectations for theTennessee Titans, and they'll need them both to be difference-makers in Year One.
Anticipation was high to see what those two mammoths would look like when the pads came on. After months of speculation, that finally happened earlier this week and everyone got to see them on Tuesday and Wednesday before the team took an off day on Thursday.
With the first week of pads in the books, the rookie who has arguably shined the most is...Jarvis Brownlee Jr., and that is no slight at Latham and Sweat, who have been good in their own right.
By all accounts, Latham looks like the plug-and-play starter at left tackle that this team needs. Sweat is producing all of the force you would expect from someone with his size and quickness.
Instead, this is a testament to how well Brownlee has held his own.
With Chidobe Awuzie expected to miss a large chunk of training camp with a calf injury, and L'Jarius Sneed on a workload management schedule that limits what he is going to do in practice, more responsibility is falling on the shoulders of the other corners.
Specifically, Brownlee, Tre Avery, Gabe Jeudy-Lally, and Caleb Farley. Everyone in that group is stepping up, but Brownlee just looks different than his competitors.
The latest example is a two-and-a-half-minute compilation of one-on-one reps from Wednesday's training camp practice posted by Jim Wyatt. In that clip (below) two players look like they are just better than the rest of the group.
Roger McCreary (No. 21) is the first, and Titans fans should know that McCreary is one of the better slot corners in the league. The other standout is Brownlee Jr. (No. 29) who looks like he has already mastered the blend of patience and aggressiveness that corners need in the NFL.
All the 1 on 1s this morning at @Titans camp. pic.twitter.com/mvPJtmbwky
— Jim Wyatt (@jwyattsports) July 31, 2024
This isn't an isolated incident, either. Brownlee has been one of the best cornerbacks on the practice field since training camp opened. He is one of the few cornerbacks who has been able to hold his own against Calvin Ridley in one-on-ones and. He also possesses the flexibility to line up both inside and outside, something the Titans appreciated through the pre-draft process.
With Sneed, Awuzie, and McCreary on the roster, Titans fans should hope they don't need to see Brownlee Jr. in action with any frequency. However, it is reassuring knowing that the Titans are finally deep at the cornerback position and that they won't have to worry about depth throughout the offseaosn, nor should they make sizable investments at the position next offseason.
Brownlee Jr. is performing like a reliable depth piece.