Titans Film Study: How Titans’ Andre Dillard Dominated Two Elite Pass Rushers

The Tennessee Titans biggest free agent signing so far has been offensive lineman Andre Dillard. Dillard is no sure thing, but there is evidence on film of him dominating a pair of the best pass rushers in the NFL in Micah Parsons and Brian Burns.

The Tennessee Titans biggest free agent signing so far has been offensive lineman Andre Dillard. Dillard is no sure thing, but there is evidence on film of him dominating a pair of the best pass rushers in the NFL.

NASHVILLE — The Tennessee Titans first free agent signing of the 2023 offseason was offensive tackle Andre Dillard. Dillard received a three-year deal worth $29 million and an opportunity to start after being the sixth man on the offensive line in Philadelphia for the last two seasons.

Dillard should have every chance to come in and start at the left tackle position. Dillard was a first-round draft pick in 2019 because of his potential to be that franchise tackle the Titans are now looking for, but injuries, inconsistency and competition prevented him being that so far. While there have been some lows, it’s undeniable that Dillard’s highs inspire optimism that he can be that level of tackle still.

In 2021, Dillard got to start at left tackle in a few early season games due to injury and during that time he matched up against two of the best pass rusher in the NFL. First, in week three, he faced off against Micah Parsons of the Dallas Cowboys. Second, in week five, he went toe-to-toe with Brian Burns of the Carolina Panthers. In those two matchups, Dillard only allowed three pressures total and gave up zero sacks combined. Two incredible games.

Let’s dive into the film and take a look at what Andre Dillard can do at his best..

Micah Parsons Matchup

Dillard does a fantastic job here of using Parsons speed and quickness against him. Dillard can do that because of his own quickness. Dillard has the ability use his tremendous lateral agility to meet Parsons at the correct point in his rush arc and use that momentum to ride him past the quarterback. Great rep for Dillard even if the pass ended up being intercepted.

The one thing that stands out right away with Dillard from his pre-draft scouting to his pro tape is his foot quickness. Dillard can flat out move his feet. It gives him the ability to mirror pass rushers as they do their dance. He got quickness needed to bounce back and forth with the guys in the league off the edge. In both these clips, Parsons, one of the quickest in the NFL, tries to dance around Dillard, but he matches Parsons step for step.

We have seen Dillard beat Parsons with athleticism, but he had a few examples of winning with intelligence as well. This is a quick screen from the Eagles’ offense and Dillard needs to find a way to not let Parsons completely disrupt it. Dillard comes out of his stance wider than normal and it naturally invites Parsons inside. As soon as Parsons takes the bait, Dillard seals him inside and completes his task.

Brian Burns Matchup

We saw Dillard have success mirroring Parsons, but he is able to do it again against Burns. Burns uses his quickness perfectly to terrorize quarterbacks every Sunday. He has racked up 38 sacks in four seasons in Carolina with 21.5 coming in the last two years. In the play, Burns loses on his initial move so he tries to use the matchup next to him as a way to reset. When he goes back to engaging with Dillard they dance until the ball is eventually thrown. Burns never gains an advantage.

The foot quickness we’ve been seeing not only allows you to mirror some of the quickest rushers, but it also helps you recover if you do get beat initially. Burns comes right off the line and into Dillard’s chest and you can see he is off-balance. Dillard is able to slam his right foot back down quickly to regain his balance and recover. Once he resets, he matches Burns. He wins the rep long enough that the ball should be out, but when you are blocking for a playmaker like Jalen Hurts, things like this can happen.

Finally, we see Dillard win against Burns in two classic ways like we saw earlier with Parsons. He’s able to ride Burns past the quarterback on one rep and then pin Burns inside on the other. Just taking what the rusher gives you and being able to win in multiple ways.

Dillard may not have been able to show it all the time in Philadelphia, but you can definitely find enough on tape to get excited. Especially at the price tag the Titans had to pay. It is a low risk, high reward deal that may turn into a very cheap starting left tackle for two to three years if Dillard can consistently put performances like this on tape. The Titans and their fans have to hope that is what happens.

TITANS SIGN DILLARD: The Titans' biggest area of need entering free agency has their first new member with the announcement that former Eagles tackle Andre Dillard will sign with Tennessee. CLICK HERE

TITANS LOSE DAVIS: The Tennessee Titans will need to find a new starting right guard after free agent Nate Davis joins the Chicago Bears on a three-year deal. CLICK HERE

FREE AGENCY FORESHADOWING: The Tennessee Titans are set at the starting line of NFL Free Agency with a ton of needs on the roster. How they choose to address those needs will tell us a lot about how the front office sees the team’s potential in 2023. CLICK HERE