Looking ahead to the 2024 season, who is the Tennessee Titans’ top breakout candidate?
According to Pro Football Focus’ Bradley Locker, it’s offensive lineman Dillon Radunz. That’s a surprising answer to say the least, but here’s why Locker believes that:
The Titans produced the eighth-worst team pass-blocking grade a year ago, which can be explained by a lack of talent and injuries across the board. But after adding Lloyd Cushenberry III and J.C. Latham, the unit should make strides in 2024. The former second-round pick was good as a run-blocker with a 78.7 grade in 2023. While Radunz’s pass blocking wasn’t up to that level, he allowed just four pressures in the team’s final four games. Still only 26 and entering his fourth season, Radunz could very well make another leap after a better Year 3.
While it’s true that Radunz finished last season strong, he did so at right tackle, where he’s not expected to play in 2024 after head coach Brian Callahan made it clear the team views him as a guard.
If that holds, he will battle it out with fellow guard Daniel Brunskill for the right guard job. Knowing that, it’s hard to pick Radunz as the Titans’ breakout candidate, as he may not even start. I will say, though, that if Radunz does win the starting job and picks up where he left off last season, he could certainly break out.
Without a shadow of a doubt, the right answer is quarterback Will Levis, who showed plenty of promise last season, even with a terrible supporting cast that included a lackluster receiving corps. and a terrible offensive line.
The Titans have done a fantastic job beefing up both areas in 2024, which puts Levis in a much better position to succeed than his rookie campaign.
They’ve added Calvin Ridley and Tyler Boyd to a receivers group that already included DeAndre Hopkins, they signed Tony Pollard to pair with promising second-year back Tyjae Spears, and Tennessee added center Lloyd Cushenberry and left tackle JC Latham.
With the improved supporting cast around him, we’ll know a heck of a lot more about Levis after this coming season — and I think it’ll be a breakout campaign for the Kentucky product when it’s all said and done.
