Titans Pass Rush Remains Unproven

The Tennessee Titans will have to prove themselves at the pass rusher positions in the upcoming season.

UCLA defensive lineman Oluwafemi Oladejo during the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Tennessee Titans are hoping that second-round pick Oluwafemi Oladejo out of UCLA can help improve the team's pass rush.

Oladejo will compete for a starting job, but there are reasons to believe that the team still needs to do more at the position.

ESPN insider Turron Davenport believes that the Titans may not be done addressing the pass rush.

"ESPN draft analyst Jordan Reid mentioned Oladejo as one of the pass rushers who could make an immediate impact after a solid showing during practices at the Senior Bowl in January. Oladejo has shown traits to rush the passer, but he is relatively inexperienced as an outside linebacker. He played most of his college career at inside linebacker before moving to outside backer midway through his senior season," Davenport wrote.

"Releasing outside linebacker Harold Landry III leaves a void, though. Landry had 31.5 sacks over the last three seasons, and the Titans currently don't have a player who has recorded double digits in sacks in a season. The outside pass rusher rotation will consist of veterans Arden Key, Ali Gaye and Jaylen Harrell; free-agent additions Dre'Mont Jones and Lorenzo Carter and Oladejo.

"The Titans do have the luxury of getting added pressure from the interior of the line with Pro Bowl defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons and 2024 second-round pick T'Vondre Sweat."

The Titans look better on paper at the pass rush positions, but that doesn't mean things are necessarily better. It will come down to execution from these new additions to determine if the team is actually improved or not.

If Tennessee didn't do enough to pressure the quarterback this offseason, it could be the first position it adds in the 2026 NFL Draft, where the team could have another top 10 pick to add into the mix.

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