If the Tennessee Titans are going to be legitimate contenders in 2023, the defense is probably going to have to lead the way.
The defense looks primed for another strong campaign as long as the group can stay on the field together, something that was unfortunately a major issue last season with the Titans being ravaged by injuries.
Outside of inside linebacker and maybe cornerback, there aren’t many real starting opportunities to be had on the defensive side of the ball. As a result, the majority of the position battles set to take place in training camp are for reserve roles.
With that in mind, I wanted to take a look at one veteran defender at each position group who figures to be on the roster bubble going into camp.
Some of these choices are by default due to the player being the only real veteran depth option of the group, while others could cause a real debate among fans.
In case you missed it, we did the same for the offense, which you can check out right here. Now, on to the defense.
DL Naquan Jones
This is one of those that is pretty much the choice by default. Naquan Jones is the only reserve player who has multiple years of experience on their resume.
After having a strong rookie season, Jones’ impact fell off in nearly every possible way.
The Michigan State product played in fewer games and had a smaller share of snaps, which subsequently led to him producing fewer tackles and sacks than the year prior.
With Jones seemingly falling out of favor in 2022 and the Titans having a handful of young players who are looking for the same opportunity he is, Jones isn’t exactly safe going into training camp.
LB Luke Gifford
This one was a bit more complicated to choose.
The Titans have two obvious candidates between Luke Gifford and Ben Niemann, but I ultimately decided to give the nod to the former.
Niemann has proven that he’s a competent backup linebacker in the NFL, tallying a combined 237 tackles over the last five seasons, 70 of which occurred in 2022 alone (career-high).
Meanwhile, Gifford has only totaled a combined 40 tackles over the last four seasons and did the vast majority of his work on special teams, where he thrived. If the Nebraska product sticks around beyond the preseason, it will be because of that.
But the Titans also have a pair of young linebackers in Chance Campbell and Jack Gibbens who are looking to snag the final two spots on the depth chart, assuming the Titans carry four.
OLB Zach McCloud
This is another one of the guys who is being chosen by default. Outside of Harold Landry, Arden Key, and Rashad Weaver, there really isn’t a true veteran at the position.
McCloud does have at least one season of experience in an NFL building, so he is the only realistic option we can go with here.
The Miami product may not have played a snap last year, but he did finish his college career with some impressive numbers, tallying 192 tackles, 22.5 tackles for loss, and 11 sacks over his six seasons at Miami.
Although McCloud technically has a year under his belt, he is as big of a wild card as any of the other young edge rushers on the team, so expect him to be in a dogfight for a roster spot the rest of the summer.
CB Chris Jackson
One of two players remaining from the 2020 draft class, the Marshall product has had an up-and-down tenure in Nashville.
Jackson showed flashes of promise early on in his career, but unfortunately those flashes have become few and far between. And, like many Titans in recent years, injuries have also been an issue.
Jackson, who the Titans parted ways with last season before bringing him back, is coming off a season in which he finished with an overall grade of 36.2, per Football Focus.
With Elijah Molden healthy again, and with last season’s emergence of Tre Avery, it’s looking like Jackson might be a long shot to make the roster unless he has a strong next few months.
S Mike Brown
This is a true toss-up between Mike Brown and Josh Thompson. Neither has truly had the opportunity to showcase what they can do at the NFL level, only appearing in a combined eight career games between the two of them.
But given the circumstances regarding Tennessee’s questionable safety depth, chances are at least one of these two young safeties will make the roster in 2023.
If I had to pick one, I’m leaning toward Thompson due to his ability to fill in at both corner and safety if needed.
