After previewing every Tennessee Titans offensive position group, we’re now moving on to the defense and starting with the defensive line.
The Titans saw a major subtraction from the group upfront this offseason after trading Jurrell Casey to the Denver Broncos. As a result, there will be a competition for snaps in training camp.
Here’s a look at the roster locks on the defensive line, players on the bubble at the position, and a prediction for how things will shake out.
Note: In case you missed any of our other training camp previews, we’ve linked to them at the end of this article.
Roster locks
DaQuan Jones
Larrell Murchison
Jack Crawford
Isaiah Mack
Analysis for Jones and Simmons: Two players are already locked-in as starters from this group in Jones and Simmons, both of whom were impressive last season.
Jones had his best season as a pro in 2019, grading out as the No. 30 interior defensive lineman, per PFF. He particularly excelled in run defense, but wasn’t great at generating pressure on passing plays.
Simmons will be tasked with taking the torch from Casey, who was a stalwart on Tennessee’s defense for nine seasons.
The good news for Simmons is that he’ll have the benefit of a full training camp in his second season, which wasn’t the case in his rookie campaign with him having to rehab from a torn ACL.
Simmons made it clear he wasn’t comfortable at his playing weight last year, so his focus was on dropping weight this offseason with the hope that it would help improve his play.
Judging from a recent photo, Simmons looks to be in great shape.
Competition analysis: A competition for snaps will take place between Mack, Crawford and Murchison, all of whom have flashed pass-rush skills in the past. That’s important to point out because the Titans struggled to generate much of a pass-rush from their defensive line last season.
The player who can stand out the most in that area has the best chance to dominate snaps — and each player from this trio has shown in the past that they have the potential to make a dent in 2020.
Mack totaled one sack last preseason and followed that up with 1.5 in limited action during the regular season. Crawford had his best season in 2018 when he started a career-high 11 games and finished with a career-high six sacks.
Murchison, who is known for his high motor, looks to have the chops to be an effective interior pass-rusher after he totaled 11 sacks in two years at NC State, although there’s no telling how far along the rookie will be when training camp arrives thanks to an abbreviated offseason.
No matter who emerges from this group — Mack and Crawford are the favorites — all three will be on the initial 53-man roster, and it’s quite possible we see a rotation at the final starting spot on the defensive line.
On the bubble
Matt Dickerson
Amani Bledsoe
Joey Ivie
Teair Tart (2020 UDFA)
Kobe Smith (2020 UDFA)
Analysis: With the Titans having carried six defensive lineman into the season last year (Simmons wasn’t counted in that total because he was placed on the PUP list) and already likely having five locks, there won’t be much room for these players to make the roster.
Of these five players, only Dickerson and Ivie have suited up in a regular season game, giving them a slight advantage over the others.
Bledsoe did do some positive things during last year’s training camp, so he has some credibility in this competition. He also spent the entire 2019 season on the Titans’ practice squad, giving him some familiarity with the system.
Both Tart and Smith are the biggest wild cards of this group and each thrived in different areas in college.
Tart was the superior pass-rusher of the two after he posted a pass-rush win rate of 12.9 percent in college. The FIU product compiled an overall PFF grade of 85 or better the past two seasons, albeit in limited action.
As for Smith, his specialty is stuffing the run. The South Carolina product finished his collegiate career with a run defense grade of 78.0, ranking him No. 88 among interior defenders with a minimum of 500 snaps.
Initial 53-man roster prediction
Assuming the Titans carry six defensive lineman into the season again in 2020 and no other free-agent additions are made, here’s a look at our prediction for how things will shake out.
| Pos. | Starter | Backup |
| DE | Jeffery Simmons | Jack Crawford |
| NT | DaQuan Jones | Kobe Smith |
| DT | Isaiah Mack | Larrell Murchison |
It’s really anyone’s guess who claims the final defensive lineman spot on the roster, but I’m going out on a limb and picking an undrafted free agent in Smith because of his ability as a run-stuffer.
Should Smith make the roster, it would be the second straight year in which the Titans see a UDFA make the cut along the defensive line (Mack in 2019).
