The Tennessee Titans are staring down the barrel of an offensive line rebuild in 2024 after the team was absolutely putrid in that area last season.
The Titans surrendered a total of 64 sacks in 2023, tied for the fourth-most in the NFL. It was also the third consecutive season in which Tennessee finished top seven in that category.
The weakest link was no doubt at left tackle, where the Titans saw veteran Andre Dillard give up 12 sacks and rookie Jaelyn Duncan surrender nine. Dillard’s 12 were tied for the most in the league, and Duncan was ranked fourth.
The right side wasn’t as bad thanks to Chris Hubbard and a late surge by Dillon Radunz, but both had their issues, also.
While left tackle is the biggest gaping hole upfront for the Titans, right tackle is also a question mark going into 2024. We’ll take a look at both spots in our latest offseason preview for Tennessee.
Under contract
Under contract: Andre Dillard, Dillon Radunz, Nicholas Petit-Frere, Jaelyn Duncan, John Ojukwu, Andrew Rupcich
After an absolutely dreadful season following his signing a three-year, $29 million contract during the 2023 offseason, Dillard tops the list of the Titans’ potential cut candidates. I would be shocked if he’s back in 2024.
Duncan was not good, either, but he gets far more leeway seeing as how he was a rookie who was thrown into a role he wasn’t ready for last season. The Maryland product did gain valuable experience, though, and will compete for a backup role in his second campaign.
Ojukwu had some offseason hype last year but ultimately played just one snap at left tackle and served as an extra blocker for 65 other plays. Like Duncan, he’ll try to secure a depth role out of training camp.
Rupcich played 208 snaps last season but all of them came at guard. He’s included here because he was billed as a tackle coming out of college and he was named among the right tackle candidates prior to last season. Rupcich actually played pretty well, so I’d expect him to end up at guard, with a backup role being the best-case scenario for him.
NPF was the starter at right tackle in 2022 in what was an up-and-down rookie season but lost the gig after he got himself suspended and Chris Hubbard played well in his place.
He did eventually get looks at both tackle spots but didn’t play well before he suffered a season-ending injury.
Last but certainly not least, we have Radunz, who has the best chance of this group to land a starting role next season.
Radunz got off to a rocky start in his return from a torn ACL but finished the season strong at right tackle. Over his last five games, the North Dakota State product surrendered just seven pressures and one sack.
Many project him to ultimately land at guard, but Radunz showed he has the potential to be a starter at right tackle in this league.
Pending free agents
Pending free agents: Chris Hubbard
Hubbard was signed as an insurance policy of sorts during training camp but was thrust into the starting role at right tackle after Jamarco Jones imploded.
The veteran actually played better than expected, although he did have a fair amount of help on his side of the line. Hubbard gave up four sacks and 18 pressures over 472 snaps at right tackle before suffering a season-ending injury.
I wouldn’t mind keeping Hubbard around, but it has to be as a backup. If Hubbard is starting at right tackle in Week 1, something went very wrong.
Biggest needs
Biggest needs: Left tackle, right tackle
With it being the most important position upfront, left tackle is obviously the bigger need here, but that doesn’t change the fact that the Titans need help at right tackle, also.
The only in-house candidates I’d consider for the right side are Radunz and NPF; however, neither is a lock. Radunz may also be a candidate at guard, where many project him to end up.
Guys like Ojukwu, Duncan and Rupcich should only be in contention for backup roles, but the wild card for this group is an elite offensive line coach in Bill Callahan, who could very well speed up their development.
That said, even if Callahan can help one or more of these players improve by leaps and bounds, I don’t think it’ll happen soon enough for any of them to be Week 1 starters.
Hubbard would be a fine option as a swing tackle if re-signed, but there’s no world in which he should be a starter for the Titans in 2024.
Ideally, the Titans find their left tackle of the future in the 2024 NFL draft, and the best option in the class is no doubt Notre Dame’s Joe Alt, who may be on the board when Tennessee picks at No. 7 overall.
But the Titans may not have to put all their eggs in that basket when it comes to addressing the position, and it’s also possible they find long-term solutions at both left and right tackle in this year’s draft.
I say that because NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah has noted this is a deep class in terms of offensive lineman. Even still, Alt is, in my book, a sure thing and should be at the top of Tennessee’s board if he’s still there.
Free agency is, of course, another option for both spots, but the class of left tackles is shaky, especially when you consider what it might cost to sign one. That’s yet another reason why I want Alt as badly as I do.
Right tackle isn’t as bad and the best option out there when you consider age and history is New England Patriots pending free agent, Michael Onwenu.
He’s only 26 and gave up three sacks and 23 pressures last season in 850 snaps, 656 of which came at right tackle. The other 194 snaps came at right guard and he’s played inside in years past, so he offers versatility just in case.
