It may seem like Tennessee is destined to be one of the worst teams in the league, but with terrific coaching and a rugged culture, this team should be somewhat competitive. If Ryan Tannehill is healthy, he can run a fine offense. The defense still has highly talented players, and the coaching enhances the unit. Peter Skoronski was an excellent addition and will be a rock in pass-pro from day one.
Moreover, they made some wise free-agent signings at critical positions. If Tannehill regresses or is hurt, they have a tremendous backup plan, as Levis can step in and possibly prove people wrong. The roster altogether is one of the worst in the league, but I doubt Mike Vrabel will let this team go in the dumps. While the Titans may not be legit playoff contenders, they are a team you wouldn’t hope to see on Sunday.
I watched all-22 footage on every team and reconciled it with advanced stats such as PFF. Based on film and stats, I develop grades for every position by using a formula that takes into account every player on the depth chart. Shout out to TFG for inspiring this kind of content. Please use code TREYSCHNEIDER on Underdog Fantasy to match your deposit up to $100. Gamble responsibly and leave your feedback on Twitter @FBIntellect.
Grading scale: 20-100.
(+): The player is expected to improve.
| Power Ranking – 24 | OVR Grade – 79.3 | Projected Wins – 7.3 |
| HC – Mike Vrabel | OC – Tim Kelly | DC – Shane Bowen |
Mike Vrabel is one of football’s toughest and best all-around head coaches. No matter what state the roster is in, you can expect him to get the most out of his players. As he oversees the defense, it’s consistently been one of the league’s most aggressive and well-coached units. The philosophy and principles of this defense stem from Bill Belichick. Shane Bowen uses a 3-4 attacking system with a lot of match coverage. There’s a moderate amount of blitzing in this scheme, and you’ll also see many stunts drawn up. This scheme is ideal for the personnel in the secondary and up front, and the coaching is the primary reason they rank higher.
Tim Kelly used to be the offensive play-caller under Dave Culley with Houston but was fired in 2022. After eight years with Houston, he became the passing game coordinator for Tennessee. Following the firing of Todd Downing, Kelly emerged as the new OC. Based on what he ran with Houston, you can expect to see a west coast scheme with a lot of play-action. Kelly is known for running plenty of inside zone runs, but with Derrick Henry, you can also expect more outside runs. One noteworthy accomplishment is that Kelly helped Deshaun Watson have an incredible year as the QB coach. Pairing him with a promising young QB in Will Levis could lead to something remarkable, which is quite exciting.
| Playcalling – 76 |
| Scheme – West Coast |
| QB – 78.0 |
| Ryan Tannehill, Will Levis, Malik Willis |
| Receiving Options – 73.9 |
| WR1 – Treylon Burks (+), Racey McMath WR2 – Adam Thielen, Colten Dowell SWR – Kyle Philips, Chris Moore TE – Chigoziem Okonkwo, Josh Whyle, Trevon Wesco, Kevin Rader HB – Derrick Henry, Tyjae Spears, Hassan Haskins, Julius Chestnut |
| Pass-Pro – 69.8 |
| LT – Andre Dillard, Jaelyn Duncan LG – Peter Skoronski, Dillon Radunz C – Aaron Brewer, Corey Levin RG – Daniel Brunskill, Jordan Roos RT – Nicholas Petit-Frere, Jamarco Jones HB – Derrick Henry, Tyjae Spears, Hassan Haskins, Julius Chestnut |
| Run Blocking – 72.7 |
| LT – Andre Dillard, Jaelyn Duncan LG – Peter Skoronski, Dillon Radunz C – Aaron Brewer, Corey Levin RG – Daniel Brunskill, Jordan Roos RT – Nicholas Petit-Frere, Jamarco Jones TE – Chigoziem Okonkwo, Josh Whyle, Trevon Wesco, Kevin Rader |
| Run Options – 93.8 |
| HB – Derrick Henry, Tyjae Spears, Hassan Haskins, Julius Chestnut |
Many long-term high-end starters have flamed out of this offense, leaving it depleted of talent. Peter Skoronski was an excellent addition but can only play one position. Right Tackle and Center are massive question marks as both are liabilities in pass-pro. While still a supreme talent, Derrick Henry isn’t as durable anymore and isn’t playing at the peak of his powers. Drafting Tyjae Spears was wise, but they’ll need more than just a run game to rely on.
Ryan Tannehill will have one of the worst surrounding cores in the league. I like Treylon Burks, but will he be a legitimate X-Receiver in year two? Unless multiple players step up, it’s only fair to project this as a poor passing game. Tannehill can flourish when he’s surrounded by talent and high-end playcalling, but that isn’t the case here. While the score will be kept relatively low for most games, winning with this offense will still be challenging.
| Coaching – 84 |
| Scheme – 3-4 Attacking |
| Secondary – 82.3 |
| CB1 – Kristian Fulton, Caleb Farley CB2 – Sean Murphey-Bunting, Tre Avery SCB – Roger McCreary, Elijah Molden FS – Kevin Byard, Mike Brown, Tyreque Jones SS – Amani Hooker, Josh Thompson |
| Pass Rush – 82.8 |
| ED1 – Harold Landry III, Rashad Weaver, Caleb Murphey ED2 – Arden Key, Sam Okuayinonu IDL1 – Jeffery Simmons, Teair Tart, Jayden Peevy IDL2 – Denico Autry, Curtis Brooks, Narquan Jones |
| Off-Ball Linebacker – 76.2 |
| LB1 – Al-Ashaair Azeez, Ben Niemann, Luke Gifford LB2 – Monty Rice, Jack Gibbens, Chance Campbell |
| Run Defense – 78.9 |
| ED1 – Harold Landry III, Rashad Weaver, Caleb Murphey ED2 – Arden Key, Sam Okuayinonu IDL1 – Jeffery Simmons, Denico Autry, Curtis Brooks IDL2 – Teair Tart, Narquan Jones, Jayden Peevy |
While the offense leaves much to be desired, it’s impossible not to be exciting for this defense in 2023. Harold Landry III is coming off a monstrous season, while Jeffery Simmons is a proven star player. This pass rush will be very quick and feisty. Arden Key isn’t the best second EDGE rusher, but he is perfect for the stunts they like to run. Tennesse lost some Linebackers over the past two seasons but did an adequate job of replenishing the group. Al-Ashaair Azeez was an underrated quality starter for San Fran who got covered up by star talent. Monty Rice is an intriguing young guy who’s capable of starting.
The secondary has many underrated studs as well. Kevin Byard is a superstar free safety with elite range. Moreover, Kristian Fulton is an ascending young Corner, and Sean Murphey Bunting is a grand scheme fit. Amani Hooker is a solid box safety, and Roger McCreary is another underrated young gem. Vrabel and Cowen will get these players to mesh well, and it all together will help them stay somewhat competitive in a tough AFC.
| Special Teams – 85 |
| K – Caleb Shudak, Trey Wolff P – Ryan Stonehouse LS – Morgan Cox KR – Julius Chestnut, Hassan Haskins PR – Kyle Philips |
Total Win Projection – 7.3
| WK | Tennessee | Win % |
| 1 | @ New Orleans | 33% |
| 2 | vs L.A. Chargers | 33% |
| 3 | @ Cleveland | 20% |
| 4 | vs Cincinnati | 20% |
| 5 | @ Indianapolis | 50% |
| 6 | vs Baltimore | 33% |
| 7 | BYE | |
| 8 | vs Atlanta | 67% |
| 9 | @ Pittsburgh | 43% |
| 10 | @ Tampa Bay | 43% |
| 11 | @ Jacksonville | 33% |
| 12 | vs Carolina | 57% |
| 13 | vs Indianapolis | 67% |
| 14 | @ Miami | 20% |
| 15 | vs Houston | 67% |
| 16 | vs Seattle | 43% |
| 17 | @ Houston | 57% |
| 18 | vs Jacksonville | 43% |
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