Titans Building Talent on O-Line

The Tennessee Titans are using the offensive line as the foundation to build their team.
The Tennessee Titans first-round draft pick JC Latham poses with his new Titans jersey and General Manager Ran Carthon, left, and Head Coach Brian Callahan, right, at the teamÕs Ascension Saint Thomas Sports Park facility in Nashville, Tenn., Friday afternoon, April 26, 2024. The tackle was the No. 7 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
The Tennessee Titans first-round draft pick JC Latham poses with his new Titans jersey and General Manager Ran Carthon, left, and Head Coach Brian Callahan, right, at the teamÕs Ascension Saint Thomas Sports Park facility in Nashville, Tenn., Friday afternoon, April 26, 2024. The tackle was the No. 7 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. / Denny Simmons / The Tennessean / USA
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The Tennessee Titans are in the process of getting out of the gutter in the AFC South, and they hope to do that by building their foundation along the offensive line.

The offensive line has the most young talent on the team, and it was recognized by ESPN writer Aaron Schatz, who pegged the Titans at No. 22 in a ranking of talent under the age of 25.

"The Titans have used their last two first-round picks on the left side of the line, with 21-year-old rookie tackle Latham and 23-year-old second-year guard Skoronski. They also might be starting 24-year-old Nicholas Petit-Frere at right tackle, and backup tackle Jaelyn Duncan (also 24) started five games a season ago," Schatz writes.

It all started a year ago when the team selected offensive lineman Peter Skoronski with the No. 11 overall pick. While he was a standout at left tackle in college at Northwestern, the Titans opted to move him inside to left guard, feeling that was a more natural position for him in the pros.

The Titans then doubled down on the offensive line building by taking JC Latham with the No. 7 overall pick in this year's draft. Although he was a right tackle in college at Alabama, the team looks to move him to the left side to protect quarterback Will Levis' blindside.

The Titans have some uncertainty at right tackle, but they have two young promising options in Nicholas Petit-Frere and Jaelyn Duncan. Both will be in competition during training camp for the starting job.

There are a number of different ways teams can build, but without an offensive line to protect a quarterback to lead the team, he cannot have time to throw or set up the offense. It's very rare to see Super Bowl contenders that don't have a good offensive line.

While it's a thankless position that doesn't always receive a ton of merit and credit, the offensive line is paramount towards building a good football team, and the Titans are prioritizing it exactly how they should.


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Jeremy Brener

JEREMY BRENER