Every year in the NFL, some players take a step back, while others take their game to another level.
Last season, linebacker Jayon Brown would have easily been awarded with the Titans’ breakout honors, and the year before, safety Kevin Byard would have taken the glory home.
Many have been expecting players like quarterback Marcus Mariota, tight end Jonnu Smith, and wide receiver Tajae Sharpe to have a breakout year, which doesn’t seem to be coming any time soon.
One could argue that players like Corey Davis, who had 65 receptions for 891 yards, and four touchdowns, Derrick Henry who averaged 4.9 yards per carry for 1,059 yards and 12 touchdowns and Adoree’ Jackson who defended 10 passes to go along with a pair of interceptions each had a breakout year in 2018.
However, these are the guys we all expected to perform at a high level.
For this list, we’re digging deep and looking for the guys no one sees coming.
LB Rashaan Evans
Okay, maybe this one is a little more obvious, as Evans is a guy we’re all expecting to be good. After a rough patch at the start his NFL career, Evans found his rhythm in the second half of the year.
He finished the 2018 season with 53 tackles, two for loss, a quarterback hit and a pass defended in seven starts. His most notable play was against the Jacksonville Jaguars when he managed to stop star rusher Leonard Fournette on an important fourth down run.
LB Sharif Finch
Finch originally joined the Titans in 2018 as an undrafted free agent. Since, Finch managed to defy the odds and make the team.
Next, he was able to work his way up into a rotational role for the team. As a rotational player, Finch finished 2018 with a sack and a half, two quarterback hits, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, and three tackles for loss.
Yes, the team brought in Cameron Wake to start opposite Harold Landry, but Finch should see his role increase nonetheless. If Finch can build off of last season’s success, he’ll certainly have a breakout year and become more known to the national media.
OL Corey Levin
After the Titans waived right guard Josh Kline, the position looks to be up for grabs in a full blown competition.
Levin will compete with rookie Nate Davis, David Quessenberry, and Kevin Pamphile for the opportunity to start when the season rolls around. The possibility of only two roster spots being available at this position also intensifies the competition.
Last season, we saw Quinton Spain – who departed in free agency – get benched in favor of Levin against the New York Jets. I believe Levin is safe when it comes to making the roster given his versatility to play center as well.
Because Nate Davis is a rookie, Kevin Pamphile plays mostly at tackle, and the fact Levin was the next man up when Spain was benched, I give Levin the slight edge to win this job.
However, I wouldn’t rule out Dennis Kelly, who took a few snaps at right guard last season, or Jack Conklin who many draft analysts saw as a better fit at guard sliding inside. In the case of Conklin, the franchise has insisted that he is a tackle. However, an offensive line is only as strong as its weakest link, and if this group of interior linemen struggle, anything could happen.
