The Tennessee Titans had a sensational 2019 season that ended with a trip to the AFC Championship Game, and that was without the team getting the very best out of some really important players.
While the five players on this list all made a significant impact and were certainly good, you can point to at least one thing that might have held each of them back from being even better.
The rest of the league should be scared of just how good the Titans can be if these five players take a major step forward like we expect them to in 2020.
DL Jeffery Simmons
At this time last year, defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons was still rehabbing from a torn ACL he suffered prior to the 2019 NFL Draft in the hopes that he could at least make some impact in his rookie season.
Simmons ended up returning ahead of schedule and was no doubt a key contributor to the Titans’ defense en route to an AFC Championship Game run later in the season.
Now that Simmons will have an entire offseason to get ready and has shed his knee brace in workouts, the former first-round pick, who flashed being dominant upfront, should make even more of an impact and become a true star in 2020.
The departure of Jurrell Casey also means that Simmons will be in his natural position, which should only help his cause in his sophomore campaign.
WR Adam Humphries
It was a rough 2019 season for wide receiver Adam Humphries. His first year in the two-tone blue was somewhat marred by injury, forcing him to miss the team’s final four games of the season.
Even when he was on the field, Humphries wasn’t utilized nearly enough, averaging just under four targets per game in the 12 games he did take part in, which was a big reason for his lackluster numbers before his injury.
With another year in offensive coordinator Arthur Smith’s system, more familiarity with quarterback Ryan Tannehill and better health, Humphries should play a bigger role in the Titans’ offense and become the chain-moving specialist he has proven to be during his career.
RG Nate Davis
An injury during training camp set right guard Nate Davis back in 2019 and led to him missing the team’s first three games of the season.
After returning in Week 4 and getting off to a slow start, Davis slowly but surely picked up his play, especially when it came to his run-blocking. His pass protection was decent, but still needs a lot of work.
As long as Davis can avoid another training camp injury that stops him from getting more work in with coaches, we should see a significant improvement in both phases of his blocking in 2020.
His development will also be key to helping whoever starts at right tackle, whether that be Dennis Kelly or rookie Isaiah Wilson.
TE Jonnu Smith
There’s no doubt that tight end Jonnu Smith took a step in the right direction in 2019, but he’s now on the precipice of a true breakout campaign for the Titans in 2020 that could turn him into a star thanks to his elite skill set.
There will be no more Delanie Walker to take snaps from him early on in the season, so Smith will be the No. 1 guy from the beginning of the season to the end, which wasn’t the case in 2019.
Adding to that, Smith has been working out with Tannehill down in South Florida multiple times per week during the quarantine, so improved chemistry with his quarterback should mean more looks and more production.
Harold Landry
Like Smith, EDGE Harold Landry took a step forward in 2019 and totaled a career-high nine sacks, which was quite impressive when you consider the circumstances. While he was definitely good in his second season, Landry has the chance to become a true star in 2020.
The only problem for Landry last season was that he didn’t exactly finish strong after failing to notch a single sack in the team’s last four games of the regular season.
Not surprisingly, that drop-off coincides with the season-ending injury to Cameron Wake, who no doubt helped take some pressure off Landry when he was healthy.
To remedy their overall struggling pass-rush, the Titans added EDGE Vic Beasley this offseason, who will be enough of a threat to help take the focus of opposing offenses off Landry a bit. If the Titans can add Jadeveon Clowney, Landry will feast with all the attention being more spread out.
We also can’t forget that Landry dealt with an undisclosed injury during the preseason, so he should come out of the gates even faster this season.
