The Tennessee Titans entered last offseason needing to address the offensive tackle position in a major way. With the No. 7 overall selection in the 2024 NFL Draft, now former general manager Ran Carthon selected University of Alabama product JC Latham. Unfortunately for the Titans, they totally botched the right tackle position, one that is a priority for new GM Mike Borgonzi.
As far as Latham goes, he was a steady performer that appears to be a long-term answer.
Latham initially struggled, allowing five pressures and a sack in his Week 1 debut versus the Chicago Bears. The Crimson Tide standout eventually settled into a groove. Latham was credited with allowing just six pressures and zero sacks in the successive four appearances.
After being assigned blame for two sacks and four pressures against a stout Buffalo Bills defensive line in a blowout Week 7 defeat, Latham once again settled down. The 335 pound blocker again went four consecutive showings without forfeiting a sack.
Despite the occasional impressive stretches, Latham concluded his rookie season in slightly lackluster fashion. The blindside protector allowed four sacks from Week 12 onward. In four of those seven contests, Latham allowed between four and five pressures, putting forth some of his worst performances of the campaign.
For that reason, Latham left some meat on the bone during his rookie season. It makes him a true breakout candidate as a sophomore in 2025. Pro Football Focus recently identified him as such.
Pro Football Focus names JC Latham breakout candidate
"Tennessee’s entire offense floundered for most of 2024, including its offensive line," Bradley Locker correctly wrote. "Latham, though, flashed his skill set with a 67.8 PFF pass-blocking grade, including six games above a 75.0 mark. The former No. 7 pick will need to improve his run-blocking consistency, but potentially sliding back to right tackle in 2025 could make him more comfortable."
The Titans will likely have a new starting quarterback next season. They could choose to draft Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders with the No. 1 overall selection in the 2025 NFL Draft, or they could pursue a veteran quarterback like Aaron Rodgers, though franchise legend Warren Moon thinks that would be a bad idea.
Whoever plays quarterback for the Titans next season will be relying on Latham to keep the pocket clean. Latham needs to enjoy a breakout season by becoming a more consistent blocker, avoiding the lapses in production. His sophomore form will help dictate Tennessee's offensive success or failures in 2025.