Titans Need Massive Upgrade at One Position

The Tennessee Titans should be asking for more from their defensive line.

Nov 26, 2023; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) is sacked by Tennessee Titans defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons (98) during the second half at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports / Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

The Tennessee Titans are rebuilding their team with the hiring of new head coach Brian Callahan and defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson.

The team made considerable upgrades on the offensive side of the ball, signing running back Tony Pollard, wide receivers Calvin Ridley and Tyler Boyd and signing center Lloyd Cushenberry III. The Titans also signed some key players on defense with cornerbacks L'Jarius Sneed and Chidobe Awuzie, but the team needs some growth from their defensive line.

"The new look Tennessee defense leaves a lot to be desired in Brian Callahan's first season as head coach. The roster was constructed to accentuate second-year quarterback Will Levis," CBS Sports contributor Josh Edwards writes.

"Tennessee's defensive line has changed drastically over the past few years losing key pieces like Denico Autry and Teair Tart. It is a collection of misfit toys beyond Jeffery Simmons. The team added a few ex-Longhorns, T'Vondre Sweat and Keondre Coburn, but that does not bring clarity to the matter. The Titans need to find a more consistent way to generate pressure having finished in the bottom five in team pressure rate a year ago, per TruMedia."

The Titans hope the depth behind Simmons can grow, but it is an unproven unit. They need to be able to find ways to succeed if the Titans are going to try to get out of last place in the AFC South.

With the Titans adding strong players in the secondary, teams could look to target the weaker defensive line by adopting run-heavy game plans when playing against Tennessee. In order to combat that, the defensive line needs to step up and apply pressure.

Perhaps second-round rookie T'Vondre Sweat can be an automatic starter and play early and often, and the team is somewhat banking on that happening. Sweat had some legal issues coming into the draft and dropped to the second round, but the Titans feel like he could have been a first-round pick and are happy with selecting him.

If Simmons and Sweat can build chemistry and start playing well together out of the gate, it will quell some of these concerns and add some optimism for the Titans defense.

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