Top Titans to Watch on Offense in Saturday's Preseason Tilt with the Minnesota Vikings
The Tennessee Titans just completed two days of joint practices with the Minnesota Vikings and will now follow that up with Saturday's preseason game. The Titans enter their second preseason game of the year with a ton of unanswered questions along the roster.
There are young players in a position to move up the depth chart, take a starting role or earn a roster spot. While there is intrigue at nearly every position, here are some of the top players to watch on offense during Saturday's matchup.
Malik Willis - Quarterback
With the news of a potential Will Levis injury, there is now a chance Malik Willis could have the entire game to himself. This represents an opportunity for Willis to take hold of the backup quarterback job and potentially place himself ahead in the race to be the team's quarterback of the future.
Willis could reasonably do that even if Levis plays, but having an entire game knowing you aren't going to come out would be a freedom Willis hasn't fully experienced in his NFL career after getting pulled in his first preseason game ever. It would also be a chance for Willis to gain a rhythm as well.
If Levis doesn't play, it will be a huge chance for Willis to put out a great performance, but the other side of that is, if Willis doesn't play well, it is more opportunity for his play to be scrutinized and for his coaches to wonder about the rookie. That makes the Malik Willis show the most exciting thing in town.
Young Wide Receivers
Reggie Roberson Jr. has been impressive in Titans training camp. He has developed a chemistry with both Willis and Levis on the Titans' reserve teams. Going into his second season, Roberson has benefited from the game slowing down a bit and is much more able to utilize his own speed.
Rookie Tre'Shaun Harrison could get some of the same adulation that Roberson Jr. got above. Harrison has been a standout on the reserve teams for the Titans and as a rookie could be a more interesting project to take on than say a second-year player like Roberson Jr. or third-years Mason Kinsey and Racey McMath.
Kearis Jackson is another rookie that really stood out against the Bears. He played in the slot mostly as a receiver, but also played on three special teams units. If Jackson can continue to prove his value as a slot receiver with the special teams ability clearly being there, he could set himself apart from his competitors.
Jaelyn Duncan - Offensive Tackle
Jaelyn Duncan was the second-string left tackle for the Titans against the Bears. He had both good and bad moments in his first NFL action of his career after being drafted in the sixth round in this year's NFL draft.
Duncan whiffed on a defensive line stunt that ended in a sack that was on him and guard Xavier Newman-Johnson. He also drew the ire of many for a sack of Levis, that looked like Levis could have stepped up to avoid the pressure.
Despite those two plays, Duncan overall looked comfortable. He won some isolation blocks, drove some defenders in the run game and had nice moments in pass protection. Watching Duncan, who was considered an athletic project, develop, is one of the more fun storylines of the preseason.
Check out the top players to watch on defense HERE
Titans Related Stories
- MALIK WILLIS FILM ROOM: Tennessee Titans second-year quarterback Malik Willis made his preseason debut on Saturday against the Chicago Bears and there was a lot of good and bad on tape. CLICK HERE
- BURKS INJURY UPDATE: The Tennessee Titans got a major scare at practice on Wednesday when wide receiver Treylon Burks was carted off with an injury, but according to a recent report, the Titans and Burks may have avoided the worst possible outcomes. CLICK HERE
- WILL LEVIS INJURED: The Tennessee Titans dealt with more potential injury news on Thursday as rookie quarterback Will Levis exits practice early. CLICK HERE
