The Tennessee Titans spent their two first-round picks on Carnell Tate and Keldric Faulk, but so far the standout rookie has been second-round linebacker Anthony Hill Jr.
Considering his size and athleticism, it wouldn't have been shocking to see him start his career as a sub-package player in three linebacker sets. However, an unforeseen UTV accident led to a concussion for Cedric Gray before the start of the season, which thrust Hill into the starting role in Week 1 with very little warning.
Not only did Hill survive, but he thrived as the lone bright spot in an otherwise terrible Week 1 performance by the Titans. However, when it became obvious that Gray was going to return in Week 2, Hill's role was unclear.
Titans rookie LB Anthony Hill Jr. is developing into a star
Instead, the team went with more three-linebacker sets on defense than usual. However, the only linebacker who played 100% of the snaps was Hill, and the message couldn't be any stronger. It is obvious that the coaching staff thinks that he can be a star in this system, and it is hard to argue with that after two games.
Even if you ignore what should have been a forced fumble in Week 1, he has made an impact with two pass break-ups, and he leads the league with 26 tackles through two weeks.
As the Titans continue to improve and understand their roles on defense, this side of the ball should emerge as the identity of the team. Jeffery Simmons plays like a grizzly bear with an anger problem, so he is always going to be the star of this unit, but the more havoc he (and others) create, the more opportunities there will be for Hill to make plays while the offensive line is preoccupied.
There is still a long way to go before Hill can draw comparisons to former Saleh linebackers like Dre Greenlaw, C.J. Mosley, or Fred Warner, but he is starting off strong in this defense, and the coaching staff clearly believes he is going to be a great linebacker in the NFL. Not only are they saying that, but they are backing it up by giving him the reps he needs to develop into an elite player.
Before the season started, Saleh said that the team would get better every week as they gained experience and understanding of the schemes on offense and defense. After two weeks, that appears true, so fans should be excited by what that means this team could be in the coming weeks. If you need proof of concept, look no further than what Hill has been able to accomplish in such a short amount of time.
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