Titans NFL Draft Daily (Jan. 26): Brian Callahan Understands How to Build Through Draft

Brian Callahan saw firsthand how important success in the NFL Draft can be. The Cincinnati Bengals went from a bottom-feeder to an AFC contender in two seasons. The Tennessee Titans should follow a similar plan.

There are plenty of reasons for the Tennessee Titans to be excited about new coach Brian Callahan. One attractive quality that could be especially beneficial? Callahan understands the importance of building a team through the NFL Draft.

Callahan's first two seasons (2019-20) as the offensive coordinator in Cincinnati weren't pretty. The Bengals posted a paltry 6-25-1 record with a roster that was far from complete. 

In 2021, things began to turn around. Cincinnati went 10-7 and earned a trip to Super Bowl LVI. The following season, the Bengals had a 12-4 record and reached the AFC Championship Game. 

"A lot of adversity in those early years. We didn't quite have the roster to compete with some of the teams we were playing against, but we saw in those dark days the core of what our team was going to be," Callahan said during his introductory press conference Thursday. "There's a lot of players there in that first and second season that are still there now and that were there for sort of the 'glory' of it."

How did the Bengals see so much improvement? Draft success. Of the 22 starters on the Super Bowl LVI roster, 12 were selected by Cincinnati. 

Some of those key draft additions included offensive tackle Jonah Williams (2019), quarterback Joe Burrow (2020) and wide receivers Tee Higgins (2020) and Ja'Marr Chase (2021). 

By addressing concerns at left tackle and wide receiver, the Bengals flipped their fortunes and became a power in the AFC. Sound familiar?

Tennessee needs serious help at left tackle. It needs more playmakers at wide receiver. Will that solve all of the Titans' issues? No, but it's a solid starting point. 

Will Levis may not be the same caliber quarterback as Burrow, but he'll be just a second-year player in 2024. Callahan has experience working with some of the best at the position, including Peyton Manning, Matthew Stafford, Derek Carr and Burrow.

If the Titans actually provide Levis with adequate time to throw and surround him with more talent at receiver, perhaps this franchise can follow the Bengals' path to success. 

It might take some time, but Callahan also knows how to be patient. 

 "We just kept hammering the message, and we believed in what was happening even though the wins weren't taking place," he said. "There wasn't the tangible evidence that, 'This is what's happening,' but we felt it. We saw it in the locker room. We knew at some point as we kept building our roster that we were going to be a really good football team.

"Our players believed it, our coaches believed it and those are good lessons to be through some of those lean years."

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