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The Tennessee Titans were one of the biggest surprises in the NFL last season. After starting the season 2-4, the Titans would win seven of their next 10 games and would sneak into the playoffs as a Wild Card.
Then behind the star power of running back Derrick Henry, the Titans would upset both the New England Patriots and the Baltimore Ravens and were 12 points away from reaching their first Super Bowl since 1999.
With Henry and quarterback Ryan Tannehill both coming back next season, the Titans should once again be one of the better teams in the league. However, the team is not without fault and they certainly have some holes to plug up in order to make another run at the AFC.
Last season, the Titans faired pretty well when it came to rushing the passer. However, veteran edge rusher Cameron Wake is out of Tennessee after an injury-plagued 2019 and despite the team's signing of former All-Pro Vic Beasley, another pass rusher seems necessary.
Iowa edge rusher A.J. Epenesa — once a lock to be a top 10 pick — has seen his draft stock dip in recent months. However, at 6-foot-6 and 280 pounds, Epenesa has elite size and after recording 30.5 tackles for a loss and 22 sacks in his final two seasons at Iowa, Epenesa could be a steal for the Titans at 29.
He's arguably a top 10 talent in the draft even if he's not drafted there and was incredibly productive at the collegiate level. He would fit well next to Beasley, Harold Landry and Jurrell Casey in the Tennessee front seven.
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Another option comes from the other side of the ball. Star offensive tackle Jack Conklin's time in Tennessee is over after four seasons as the former All-Pro tackle signed a three-year, $42 million deal with the Cleveland Browns.
The Titans already struggled to protect the quarterback last season as they gave up the third-most sacks (58) to opposing defenses. With Conklin gone, the Titans should absolutely be looking for a replacement.
Houston OT Josh Jones is a bit of a raw prospect but the risk may be worth the pay off. Jones' massive improvement last year for the Cougars has vaulted him into the first-round discussion and excels in a run-oriented offense.
With Henry in the backfield, Jones could develop into quite the tackle.
Other than Epenesa and Jones, Penn State edge rusher Yetur Gross-Matos has incredible potential and tallied an incredible 34.5 tackles for a loss in his final two seasons for the Nittany Lions. Tennessee could also go with a cornerback such as Alabama's Trevon Diggs or LSU's Kristian Fulton if they wanted to improve a defense that ranked 24th in the league in passing yards allowed per game in 2019.
