The Tennessee Titans remain one of the more intriguing teams in the AFC heading into the upcoming 2021-22 NFL campaign despite the fact that the AFC South franchise lost quite a bit of firepower to the free agent market this offseason.

However, with quarterback Ryan Tannehill, running back Derrick Henry and wide receiver A.J. Brown still in Nashville, it is extremely difficult to fully remove the Titans from the conversation surrounding the legitimate contenders in the AFC.

It is also worth noting that the Titans lost the majority of its talent this offseason on defense, a unit that struggled mightily in 2020-21. Even though some well-known names made their way out of the “Music City,” with some young guns coming in to try to right the wrong that was the Titans defense in 2020-21, things simply can't get much worse than they were a season ago — one that saw Tennesee win the AFC South division and return to the playoffs.

There are still definitely some holes — albeit mostly smaller ones — on the Titans defense as the AFC South franchise looks to fill a few voids on defense. One major void that has seemingly flown under the radar is the loss of veteran defensive tackle DaQuan Jones to the Carolina Panthers. Ironically enough, the longtime Titans defender and Panthers newcomer could be partially replaced by an almost identical player — as far as his name goes, anyway.

After going undrafted this past April, former Michigan State Spartans defensive lineman Naquan Jones signed a free agent contract with the Titans. With the tandem of Jeffery Simmons and Denico Autry cemented as starters for the Titans heading into 2021-22, Jones could make an impact as a rookie despite making his way to Nashville by way of the undrafted free agent market.

The 23-year-old could very well become a nice depth piece for head coach Mike Vrabel as the Titans typically rotate defensive lineman on the interior. With the team producing barely any pass rush last season, which may somehow still be an understatement, the Titans also brought in former Pittsburgh Steelers pass rusher Bud Dupree to play alongside the trio of Simmons, Autry and outside linebacker Harold Landry III. Nonetheless, with the aforementioned Jones and legendary Titans defensive tackle Jurrell Casey departing in consecutive seasons with Simmons on the rise, the former Michigan State standout in Jones could see plenty of meaningful snaps as a rookie as Tennessee looks to fill such an absence.

Standing at 6'3″ while weighing more than 310 pounds, Jones notably signed an undrafted free agent contract with the Titans that featured $45,000 in guaranteed money and included a $10,000 signing bonus. Although not a flashy name at a premier position, Jones can really help a Titans defense that absolutely must improve moving forward.

It would truly be a shame for the aforementioned trio of Tannehill, Henry and Brown — among others — to see another potentially memorable season go straight down the tubes due to the lack of a legitimate NFL defense, which was no doubt the case in 2020-21.