2024 Tennessee Titans Team Outlook
Tennessee Titans
A new era dawns in Tennessee. The Titans' surprising dismissal of Mike Vrabel opens the door for Brian Callahan to begin his NFL coaching career. It's a daunting challenge for Callahan, who takes over a team that bottomed out in 2023. Tenneesse ranked 29th in passing last season and allowed their star RB to leave.
The process begins with sophomore signal caller Will Levis."My relationship with (Will), his relationship with me and Nick (Holz) and (QBs coach) Bo (Hardegree) is going to be really a critical factor in our success," Callahan said about Levis. Having the confidence of your new head coach is promising, but Levis struggled as a rookie.
After a monumental NFL debut, Levis went 2-6 as the starter, averaging 207 passing yards per game. Levis completed just 58.4% of his attempts and tossed four touchdowns in his final seven starts. These weren't unexpected growing pains for the 2023 second-rounder, but Levis has a lot to prove before he becomes a fantasy option.
Fortunately, the Titans made significant investments to surround their young QB with a talented supporting cast. The biggest splash was signing WR Calvin Ridley to a four-year $92 million deal. Ridley (76/1,016/8) was a top-20 fantasy wideout last season and gives Tennessee a pair of outstanding perimeter wideouts with DeAndre Hopkins.
Callahan's offenses in Cincinnati were productive enough to field a pair of solid receivers annually. If Callahan can coach up Levis, Hopkins, and Ridley should each command a target share north of 25% and contend for WR2 numbers.
Treylon Burks has been limited to 22 games in two seasons and his career arch is trending toward bust. Only 31% of Burks's routes came from the slot in 2023, making it hard to envision him making an impact there. Kyle Phillips (89% slot rate) and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine 52%) will mix in as auxiliary pieces.
TE Chigoziem Okonkwo ranked 15th with 54 grabs a year ago. However, Okonkwo was featured far closer to the line of scrimmage and only scored one TD. His volume should be fine but the third-year tight end is merely a solid TE2 for fantasy purposes.
With Derrick Henry in Baltimore, the Titans signed Tony Pollard to take over. Pollard was a significant disappointment in 2023 and it is difficult to foresee him improving his fantasy output behind a transitioning offensive line. Additionally, Pollard will split touches with second-year runner Tyjae Spears, who ranked ninth at the position with 70 targets last season in a reserve role.
Tennesse's rebuild is just beginning and Will Levis is still a major question mark. Despite the presence of some solid players, that makes the Titans a risky bet on draft day.
QB Will Levis, TEN - Bye Week Fill-in
Outside of his monumental debut in Week 8, Will Levis had a forgettable rookie season. In his other eight starts, Levis threw for four touchdowns, four interceptions, and finished outside of the weekly top 20 five times. The good news is that the Titans have fully invested in Levis as their starter and spent significant draft capital and free-agent money surrounding him with supportive talent. Levis led the NFL with an 11.1 average depth of target, so expect the new regime to scheme up ways to improve his efficiency. Tennessee has a favorable schedule, so a Year Two jump isn't out of the question. But Levis is well off the fantasy starting radar. ADVICE: Low-end QB2
RB Tony Pollard, TEN - Quality Backup
Fantasy managers who unwisely believed the Tony Pollard hype last summer will inevitably avoid drafting him in 2024. Although his numbers did fall off, Pollard still surpassed 1,000 rushing yards and finished as the RB14. After averaging 3.76 yards after contact per attempt (4th) with 19 breakaway runs in 2022, Pollard dipped to just 2.86 (38th) and 11 last season. Tennessee's offensive line should be improved but Pollard will face plenty of stacked boxes until QB Will Levis proves he can deliver the goods. Additionally, Tajae Spears has a similar skill set to Pollard and should have a consistent role. ADVICE: Will be overlooked as a decent RB2
RB Tyjae Spears, TEN - Bye Week Fill-in
Hopes that Tyjae Spears would inherit the starting role vacated by Derrick Henry were dashed when the Titans signed Tony Pollard. Spears and Pollard have similar skill sets. That will make it hard for Spears to carve out a consistent role. Spears played over 53% of Tennessee's snaps last season in the change-of-pace role behind Henry. He's more elusive than Pollard but won't see as many snaps or targets after the Titans signed Tyler Boyd and Calvin Ridley. Spears is still an intriguing talent and worth a look in the middle rounds as a strong handcuff. ADVICE: Flex option who will see fewer touches in 2024
WR Calvin Ridley, TEN - Solid/Safe Pick
In his only season with the Jaguars, Calvin Ridley hauled in 76 receptions on 136 targets, amassing 1,016 yards. This performance landed him as the WR17 overall, which was impressive after a slow start. Now playing for the Titans alongside veterans DeAndre Hopkins and Tyler Boyd, Ridley joins what could be a more pass-heavy offense under the direction of new head coach Brian Callahan and second-year quarterback Will Levis. There may be too many mouths to feed for Levis who had some major struggles in his rookie year. Levis will need big improvement to show he can support two big-time WRs like Ridley and Hopkins. ADVICE: WR3 with upside but value is dependent on an unproven quarterback
WR DeAndre Hopkins, BAL - Solid/Safe Pick
DeAndre Hopkins remained a star in the 2023 season, amassing 75 catches on 137 targets with a 28% target share. He demonstrated his deep-threat skills with 27 receptions of 20+ yards and led the league with 1,934 total air yards. Although he posted WR2 numbers, the arrival of Calvin Ridley to the Titans' receiving corps presents a challenge to Hopkins' fantasy value due to Ridley's potential target competition. Can this new Titans offense support 2 receivers in 2024? How much will Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears steal in the receiving game? ADVICE: Low-end WR3 who will have a handful of big games
