It’s no secret Tennessee Titans defensive lineman Jurrell Casey is one of the best at his position in the NFL.
Because of this, it comes as no surprise that analyst Doug Farrar ranked Casey No. 8 overall in his recent list of the league’s Top 11 interior defensive linemen.
Here’s what he had to say about the veteran.
“Quickness and agility are Casey’s two primary attributes — whether he has his hand on or off the ground, he moves a lot like a 260-pound edge rusher as opposed to the 6-foot-1, 305-pound behemoth he is,” he wrote.
Casey is also a master at exploiting leverage and angles; it’s a joy to watch him carry a guard on his outside shoulder, then move in with an inside counter. And if you leave a gap open on a pull or slide, watch out, because Casey’s coming right through that to the quarterback. Casey has become the very embodiment of the positionless defensive lineman in all the right ways.”
Last season, Casey racked up 44 total pressures, eight sacks, six quarterback hits and 30 quarterback hurries. He also amassed 38 tackles, 15 assists and 35 stops.
In addition to the impact he’s made in his own right, Casey has served as a mentor figure for other younger linemen like newly drafted Jeffery Simmons, who hope to have the same effect as he does in their own careers.
“Our saying is: ‘If you take care of the team, the team is going to take care of you’,” Casey said in a report by the team’s Jim Wyatt earlier this year. “From day one, if he comes in and has his mind on right, I am willing to help him. My biggest thing is getting him under my wing early, and getting him going fast.”
Expect Casey to continue to be an integral part of Tennessee’s defensive scheme as they look to become competitive postseason contenders in 2019.
