The Tennessee Titans offensive line has been the subject of harsh criticism over recent seasons.
The unit has shown signs of regression as of late, leading to a number of offseason moves by the Titans, releasing players and bringing others on for improvement.
With this, some analysts believe the unit could come back as one of the best in the NFL.
When Pro Football Focus released its offensive line rankings for 2019, Tennessee was placed fourth in the league.
Only the Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Cowboys and Pittsburgh Steelers ranked ahead.
Here’s a look at the network’s projected starting lineup, and their reasoning behind placing the Titans at No. 4.
PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP:
Left Tackle: Taylor Lewan
Left Guard: Rodger Saffold
Center: Ben Jones
Right Guard: Nate Davis
Right Tackle: Jack Conklin
“The Titans were a well balanced offensive line in 2018 and look to carry that success into the upcoming year. Taylor Lewan continues to be the anchor at left tackle, and the addition of guard Rodger Saffold should only improve this unit as he finished last season with the fifth-highest run-blocking grade at his position.”
Based on this analysis, it looks like PFF has a lot of confidence in what Saffold can bring to the table in addition to the accomplishments already made by solid players like Lewan.
PFF had the unit ranked ninth overall last season, indicating that it didn’t believe they were quite as bad as many others did, and that they’ll take a leap forward in the coming season.
We’ll get a first glance at whether or not the network’s projections align with reality when the regular season kicks off against the Cleveland Browns on Sept. 8.
