Tennessee Titans 2022 second-round pick and cornerback Roger McCreary was thrown right into the fire during his rookie campaign, giving him valuable experience early on in his career.
After securing the starting job over Caleb Farley out of camp, McCreary was one of 13 Titans to play in every game this past season, and one of three members of the squad to start every game.
What’s even more impressive is the fact that McCreary played nearly every single snap of the season. He appeared on 99.74 percent, finishing with a grand total of 1,165 defensive snaps played in 2022, the most in the NFL.
The only player to appear on more snaps last season? Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback, Tom Brady.
It wasn’t always good for McCreary, who made plenty of the mistakes you would expect a rookie to make. However, we did see flashes of the impact player he’s capable of becoming, including with his incredible interception assist in Week 15, which showed next-level awareness.
Buccaneers OG Shaq Mason led the NFL with 1,200 snaps (98.6% playtime). Titans CB Roger McCreary led defensive players with 1,163 snaps (99.74% playtime).
— Joel Corry (@corryjoel) January 24, 2023
Perhaps one of McCreary’s issues was coaching. I say that because the Titans decided to part ways with defensive backs coach Anthony Midget, who had been with the team since 2020.
He’ll be replaced by Chris Harris, a rising star cornerbacks coach who is also assuming defensive passing-game coordinator duties if his hiring is finalized. Hopefully Harris can help McCreary continue to move in a positive direction and build upon what was a promising first season.
While the jury is definitely still out on McCreary, one thing is for certain: the Auburn product is at least a bit further along than most rookies in terms of experience after getting everything he could handle in Year 1.
