The 2025 Tennessee Titans didn't have a lot to be proud of, but one phase that consistently performed was special teams.
Coached by the legendary Bones Fassel, the Titans' special teams unit went from horrendous to outstanding overnight. Part of that was elite coaching, but another part was the additions that GM Mike Borgonzi made, specifically All-Pro return man Chimere Dike.
However, the players blocking for Dike were backups and depth players, but Fassel found a way to make that collection of talent work.
That is great, but what happens when you give him freakish athletes who are even more physical and explosive? Titans fans might just find out the answer to that question this year, and development at linebacker is a big reason why.
Tennessee Titans linebackers are dominating training camp storylines
A week into training camp, it looks like the Titans' starting linebackers will be Cedric Gray and Cody Barton, which makes sense. For all of Barton's ups and downs, he is a known quantity, and the coaching staff feels comfortable with him playing behind an attacking defensive front, and he gets to play next to the tackle machine that is Gray.
However, right behind him is the young tandem of James Williams and Anthony Hill. Both are taking turns making big plays in practice. Whether that means taking the ball away or just flying around and getting to the ball, the two young guys are drawing praise from the coaching staff.
While a future starting role is still on the table, they will have their chance to stand out on Sundays by working with Fassel on special teams. Even head coach Robert Saleh, a former linebackers coach, has to be excited about that.
These two aren't the only reason to be excited about special teams. The team has a secret weapon in rookie tight end Jaren Kanak, who might just be the only tight end in the NFL who had 100+ tackles in college.
On top of that, the developments at wide receiver suggest that Carnell Tate, Wan'Dale Robinson, Calvin Ridley, and Elic Ayomanor are going to be a four-headed monster at wide receiver. That means that Dike should be well-rested and ready to make a play when his time comes on special teams.
All of this is fantastic news for the Titans, and it just shows the exponential difference there is when you start to stack good draft classes on top of each other.
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