Immediate Future for Radunz Remains Foggy

NASHVILLE – Over the course of the first handful of Tennessee Titans OTA sessions, two questions – though seemingly simple – have proven all but unanswerable.

The first: Why can’t first-round pick Treylon Burks handle the same workload as most of his teammates? Since we’ve touched on that a number of times recently, we’ll let it rest for at least a few more days.

The second: What position will 2021 second-round pick Dillon Radunz play – tackle or guard – as he readies for his second year in the NFL?

Credit coach Mike Vrabel for shedding at least some light on the latter following Wednesday’s workout, which was open to the media, when he said Radunz has “been working predominantly at right tackle.”

That only seems to make sense, considering Radunz played tackle at North Dakota State, was drafted as the Titans’ right tackle of the future and made his lone NFL start last season at tackle (he filled in for Taylor Lewan on the left side).

So if Vrabel’s remark at least offers an indication of where coaches would prefer to use Radunz, it also allows us to concentrate on the bigger-picture question surrounding him: Is there reason to believe that Radunz 2.0 will be better than Radunz 1.0? Or, more specifically, is there reason to believe he is on track to be a starter in 2022?

It is difficult to find evidence for a promotion based solely on what Radunz showed during his rookie season.

He played just 124 offensive snaps, and half of those came in his start --- Week 16 against San Francisco. Radunz held his own in that contest, but it wasn’t enough to move him up in the pecking order once Lewan returned. He played in nine offensive snaps the next week, zero in the regular-season finale and was inactive for the playoff game loss to Cincinnati, deemed less necessary than fellow reserves Aaron Brewer, Corey Levin and Kendall Lamm.

The 24-year-old did deal with extenuating circumstances that might have contributed to his less-than-impactful rookie season.

He made the jump to the NFL from an FCS program after he played just one game during his final year of college ball (the rest of the season was canceled by COVID-19 issues) and didn’t benefit from a full offseason going into his rookie year.

“We didn’t have him, really (during the first offseason),” Vrabel said. “We didn’t have an opportunity to see him and (help him) grow.”

Are there signs, though, that one full NFL season – and part of a second offseason – have made a difference in Radunz heading into 2022?

Three men who’ve seen plenty of Radunz were asked variations of that very question, and all three offered reviews that – although generally optimistic – also had a sense of lukewarm to them.

“I think his conditioning level is really good,” Vrabel said. “I think he’s recognized that that can be a huge advantage for him. Over the course of 65 or 70 snaps, you’re going to lose a couple of match-ups. That’s the nature of this business. So I think he’s going to take care of his conditioning, to make sure that that’s one area where he can consider a strength, and then continue to develop the other skills needed to play offensive line.”

Added offensive coordinator Todd Downing: “I think his approach has been a little bit more mature. Obviously, he knows what to expect from the coaching staff and the system, so you see him a little more comfortable in certain jobs. But you know, like I said, it’s a good thing to have competition in that group. I think there are some other guys that are not going to go away quietly.”

And starting left tackle Taylor Lewan: “I think there’s always a big step going from year one to year two, and it’s not having the surprised look on your face. He knows what to expect, and he obviously didn’t have much of an OTAs (last year). But Dillon has done a great job of his conditioning, his strength, knowing the playbook. I think he’s taking good steps in that direction.”

There are at least a couple of potential reasons for the cautious comments regarding Radunz. One, the Titans aren’t in the business of simply handing out starting jobs. Two, the real test of Radunz’s improvement will come in training camp, when the pads go and the hitting starts.

Still, the fact that no one is shouting Radunz’s praises at this point offers pause for thought.

Though we may now know the Titans’ preferred position for Radunz, it remains to be seen whether he can seize a starting role.