Tennessee Titans Week 8 Power Rankings Roundup: Byard Trade Puts Titans Firmly In Bottom Tier of NFL Coming Out of Bye

The Tennessee Titans come out of the bye at 2-4 and their placement in this week's round of power rankings has them in the bottom tier of the NFL almost across the board.

The Tennessee Titans' expectations coming in the the season, on a national scale, were already low, so bringing a 2-4 record with them out of the bye already had them sitting low in the Week 7 rankings. The trade of Kevin Byard certainly didn't send the Titans up in Week 8.

With Will Levis set to make his debut in Week 8 against the Atlanta Falcons though, the Titans have at least some hope they can turn things around still. Potentially until Ryan Tannehill can return or with Levis as an improvement.

That outcome may not be incredibly likely though as the roster around whoever plays at quarterback is still lacking. That lack of faith is obviously displayed in this week's rankings as well.

NFL Network - Eric Edholm: Tennessee Titans - 26th

"Ryan Tannehill (high ankle sprain) remains out indefinitely, Treylon Burks and Chig Okonkwo are having a disappointing sophomore campaign and the once-ballyhooed pass rush has gone AWOL. Oh, and the Titans are 0-3 away from home and soon face a three-game road swing, all vs. opponents that are currently .500 or better. Time to start evaluating Will Levis? My suspicion: If Tennessee is anywhere near contention, Mike Vrabel will continue pushing for the playoffs, delaying Levis' audition. We've seen Malik Willis and know what he is to this point. But Vrabel and the Titans must be smart about knowing when to turn to 2024. I'm guessing the Falcons regret not giving Desmond Ridder a longer look last year, and that's a place in which the Titans don't want to end up."

The three teams directly ahead of the Titans are interesting. The Washington Commanders, Las Vegas Raiders and Green Bay Packers. Those would be interesting matchups that the Titans could have an advantage in. 

Obviously, Edholm is looking at the Titans with one of their young quarterbacks playing over the veteran in Tannehill. From that view it is understandable to have reservations about what they can do and that certainly carries over into the other rankings as well.

ESPN: Tennessee Titans - 28th

ESPN's group rankings have been low on the Titans all year, so it is no shock to see them in the bottom five teams in the NFL, but while that rankings is earned, it would be fair to winder if the Titans are truly worse than a team like New England Patriots or New York Giants. I would say I think the Titans would be favored in those matchups.

CBS Sports - Pete Prisco: Tennessee Titans - 27th

"They come off their bye without quarterback Ryan Tannehill. That means it's Malik Willis and Will Levis for a bit and maybe longer if the Kevin Byard trade means they are having a fire sale."

The Commanders, Packers, Raiders and Patriots are all ranked above the Titans here and again, while I understand the Titans have done little to create any faith in them, it is just hard for me to believe the Titans are worse than those teams and would lose to them. Prisco has been highest on the Titans all year, but that faith is gone.

The Athletic: Tennessee Titans - 22nd

"Eleven-year veteran Ryan Tannehill has the lowest winning percentage (.333), passer rating (71.9, 31st in NFL) and touchdown-to-interception ratio (2-6) of his career. Malik Willis, the Titans’ 2022 third-round pick, hasn’t looked like the answer in limited fill-in duty, and Will Levis, the 2023 second-round pick, can’t even get on the field. Tennessee looks like it will be bad enough to draft the No. 3 quarterback in this upcoming class (whoever that turns out to be), but how much capital do the Titans have to invest to get the position figured out?"

This is the highest ranking we have seen for the Titans. The Titans dropped two spots from last week in The Atheltic's rankings despite not playing a game, but they are still ranked higher than expected.

All the teams ranked lower do seem like teams the Titans could be including a team the Titans have beaten in the Los Angeles Chargers and teams like the Raiders, Commanders, Packers, Giants, Patriots, Denver Broncos, Chicago Bears and Carolina Panthers.

Bleacher Report: Tennessee Titans - 27th

"Frankly, it should be Levis. The Titans saw enough of Willis last year to know he's not a long-term solution. The rookie, on the other hand, was a first-round talent in the eyes of some draftniks this year. The Titans are going nowhere in 2023 anyway. They might as well see if the Kentucky product can be a foundational part of the rebuild that looms on the horizon."

Bleacher Report's staff rankings are right on here. The Titans should be focusing on playing Will Levis and learning what you have in a young quarterback before a pivotal draft awaits in 2024. If the Titans keep sliding in the rankings, they have to hope they slide up in the draft order as well.

Related Titans stories

• VRABEL GIVES BIZARRE PRESSER: The Tennessee Titans are facing a difficult situation as a team and in the face of that adversity head coach Mike Vrabel has given some bizarre answers to the media this week. CLICK HERE
• LEVIS REPORTED AS STARTER: The Tennessee Titans will be starting rookie Will Levis against the Atlanta Falcons according to a report from NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. CLICK HERE
• HOOKER REFLECTS ON BYARD: Tennessee Titans safety Amani Hooker has played alongside Kevin Byard for the past five years, but that all ended when Byard was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday. CLICK HERE
• VRABEL ON BYARD TRADE: The Tennessee Titans traded long-time safety Kevin Byard on Monday and on Tuesday head coach Mike Vrabel spoke about the move and his relationship with Byard. CLICK HERE
• RANKING TITANS TRADE PIECES: After the trade of Kevin Byard, the Tennessee Titans could be looking to make more moves. If they continue to sell, here are some players who would make sense as viable options. CLICK HERE
• MOLDEN REPLACING BYARD: The Tennessee Titans were smart to trade Kevin Byard for draft picks, but now they have an open hole at safety that will need to be filled by third-year player Elijah Molden. CLICK HERE
• BYARD TRADE TOUGH & SMART: The Tennessee Titans made the first step in their rebuild on Monday, trading popular veteran safety Kevin Byard to the Philadelphia Eagles. It's hard to say goodbye to such a popular player, but rebuilds are hard and personal. CLICK HERE
• BYARD SAYS GOODBYE: The Tennessee Titans parted ways with a franchise legend when they traded Kevin Byard to the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday. Byard took to social media to give a heartfelt goodbye to the organization and the fans. CLICK HERE
• BYARD TRADED TO EAGLES: The Tennessee Titans have made a move ahead of the trade deadline, sending star safety Kevin Byard to the Philadelphia Eagles for multiple draft picks and veteran safety Terrell Edmunds. CLICK HERE