As is the case on offense, the Tennessee Titans will be returning the vast majority of their starting defense in 2020.
When training camp begins, a starting spot on the defensive line will be up for grabs, and the Titans will also have to decide who will man the slot cornerback position with Logan Ryan now gone.
Here’s one question for each player we project to be a starter, and we’ve also included one for the projected slot cornerback, as it’s an important position that carries a question mark for the team in 2020.
DE Jack Crawford
Can Crawford fend off the youngsters?
It remains to be seen which defensive lineman will join Jeffery Simmons and DaQuan Jones for the majority of snaps in 2020, but Crawford has to be the early favorite because of his experience.
Crawford will have to fend off 2019 UDFA Isaiah Mack and 2020 fifth-round pick Larrell Murchison for snaps. Chances are this will be a committee situation throughout the course of the 2020 campaign, though.
The player who can best improve the pass-rush, which was a big issue for the defensive line last season, will likely win the majority of snaps here.
NT DaQuan Jones
Will Jones play his way into a new contract?
There’s no question Jones had arguably his best season as a pro in 2019, but there is some uncertainty surrounding the big man, as he’s in the last year of his contract and will turn 29 in December.
After what happened to Jurrell Casey, nobody is safe. If Jones wants any shot at staying in Nashville, he’s going to have to play out of his mind this coming season.
Chances are Jones will play out the 2020 campaign and then hit the open market in 2021, where it’s possible he’ll move on from Nashville.
DE Jeffery Simmons
Can Big Jeff take a big step in 2020?
With Casey gone, the Titans need Simmons to take the torch and become the feared defender the veteran was for the past nine seasons.
Thankfully, Simmons was able to show flashes of absolute dominance in his first season, which gives hope that he can be an elite player at his position in the NFL for years to come.
Simmons will not only have a full offseason to prepare now that he’s past his torn ACL, but he’ll also shed the knee brace that no doubt held him back a bit in 2019. Adding to that, Simmons is working on dropping weight, which he believes will help him feel more comfortable and play better in 2020.
OLB Harold Landry
After taking a step in the right direction last season with a career-high nine sacks, Landry appears to be on the doorstep of being a star pass-rusher for the Titans.
And the team could certainly use one, as Tennessee was plagued by an inconsistent pass-rush that ultimately led to its demise in the AFC Championship Game.
Hopefully Landry will have a bit more help in 2020 with the addition of Vic Beasley after it was clear he struggled when all the focus was on him following the season-ending injury to Cameron Wake.
ILB Jayon Brown
Will Brown get an extension?
If there’s one player in a contract year who deserves an extension, it’s Brown; however the uncertainty surrounding what the 2021 salary cap will look like might make the Titans hesitant to lock him up right now.
Not only has the former fifth-round pick finished in the top three in tackles on the team in each of the past two seasons, Brown has also emerged as an elite coverage linebacker in the NFL.
If he hits the open market in 2021, the Titans will have plenty of competition for his services. It would make more sense to extend him sooner rather than later, but we’ll just have to wait and see.
ILB Rashaan Evans
Will Evans take that next step?
Evans was one of many young Titans players who took a step in the right direction in 2019, and the hope is that he continues to move forward and helps form what could be the best duo of inside linebackers in the NFL.
The Alabama product finished second on the team in tackles in his sophomore year, was a force against the run and he made clutch stops at the goal line that helped change the outcome of the Titans’ season.
OLB Vic Beasley
Which Beasley will the Titans get?
Beasley’s career in the NFL has been marred by inconsistency. In the last four seasons, Beasley has been either dominant, quiet or above-average.
There’s no telling which Beasley the Titans will get, but if anything at least the Titans are getting him on an upswing after he finished with eight sacks in 2019, the most he’s had since his 15.5-sack campaign in 2016.
The Titans need Beasley to take pressure off Landry, and it’s quite possible he really thrives with more help around him than he normally had in Atlanta. Beasley is easily one of the biggest wild cards on this team in 2020.
CB Adoree’ Jackson
There’s no debating that Jackson is the Titans’ No. 1 corner, and he has made significant strides in the last few years, the biggest of which came last season.
However, is Jackson capable of being an elite, shutdown corner in the NFL?
The Titans certainly hope so, as it would improve their defense dramatically moving forward. If Jackson can take that next step to elite status, there’s no doubt the Titans will try to lock him up for the long haul.
CB Malcolm Butler
Will Butler do enough to avoid getting cut in 2021?
Butler has certainly seen his fair share of ups and downs during his Titans tenure, whether it be a result of his play on the field or his 2019 injury.
The veteran appears to be on the chopping block for 2021, though. The Titans drafted Kristian Fulton, who is likely to play on the inside in 2020 but could transition to the outside next season if he plays well.
If that happens, Butler and his $14 million-plus salary will be expendable. He needs to have quite the season in 2020 to avoid taking a pay cut or being a cap casualty altogether next offseason.
Slot CB Kristian Fulton
Will Fulton be an improvement over Logan Ryan?
Fulton will likely spend the majority of his rookie season in the slot, where he has big shoes to fill after the departure of Ryan this offseason.
The good news for Fulton filling the void is that Ryan wasn’t exactly great in coverage, and the rookie will also present a much-needed upgrade in the speed department.
Tennessee likely has their eye on Fulton as its boundary corner of the future, but for now he’s got to provide a boost on the inside in 2020.
FS Kevin Byard
Will Byard take on a bigger leadership role?
The Titans are getting younger and younger on defense, and with the loss of former leaders like Jurrell Casey and Delanie Walker, the team needs other players to step up into leadership roles.
Byard has already shown he can do that, and his ability as a leader will be needed now more than ever. The Mayor of Murfreesboro will truly check all the boxes of being a great player once he fully transitions into being one of the more vocal leaders on the team in 2020.
SS: Kenny Vaccaro
Will Vaccaro complete an elite safety duo?
We already know Byard is one of the very best players at his position in the NFL, but can Vaccaro continue to complement him enough to give the Titans one of the elite safety duos in the NFL?
We certainly saw glimpses of that last season, as Vaccaro showed he was worth every penny of the four-year, $26 million extension he signed in 2019. He reminded us of that once again with a huge interception in the divisional round win over the Baltimore Ravens.
