Two Teams Beat Titans for Best Secondary
The Tennessee Titans made some major improvements this offseason, but especially on the defensive side of the ball.
In a defensive unit that was last in the league in generating interceptions (6) and allowed the third highest completion percentage (67.8%), the Titans poached defensive pieces from around the AFC.
New defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson previously served as the defensive backs coach for the Baltimore Ravens.
Chidobe Awuzie was brought in as a free agent by way of the Cincinnati Bengals. He's coming off a rough year allowing a 112.8 passer rating, 12.8 yards per reception, and zero interceptions, but he was in a bad defensive scheme and is better fit to be a CB2.
That's why the Titans traded a 2025 third round pick and swapped seventh round picks this past year with the Kansas City Chiefs in exchange for two-time Super Bowl champion L'Jarius Sneed. He has 10 interceptions in four seasons and only allowed a 55.9 passer rating this past season.
These additions plus safeties Amani Hooker and Elijah Molden, and third-year corner Roger McCreary give the Titans a top secondary unit for the 2024 season.
Here are the only two teams who have a better unit:
1. Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens young secondary was the best in the AFC last year and even with some important losses, that's set to still be the case this year.
Backed behind All-Pro and 3x Pro Bowl corner Marlon Humphrey, third-year All-Pro and Pro Bowl safety Kyle Hamilton, Brandon Stephens, Marcus WIlliams, and 2024 first-round draft pick Nate Wiggins, this secondary tied for second in the NFL in fewest touchdowns allowed (18) and most interceptions (18).
Seven of those interceptions can be accredited to safety Geno Stone, who signed with the Cincinnati Bengals in free agency. Stone's departure should open the door for Kyle Hamilton to fully breakout as a premier safety in the NFL.
The Ravens also lost their defensive coordinator, Mike MacDonald to be the head coach of the Seattle Seahawks. The organization looked within, to it's inside linebackers coach Zach Orr to be their new coordinator.
2. Miami Dolphins
While the Dolphins may have downgraded at some positions this offseason, the secondary wasn't one of them.
Statistically the Dolphins defense last season wasn't great. They allowed the fifth highest completion percentage and 27 touchdowns, but there were also some internal struggles.
Mainly being that defensive coordinator Vic Fangio and the Dolphins simply was not a good fit. Fangio's style was too traditional and ill-suited for modern, high-powered AFC offenses.
They replaced Fangio with a much younger and modern Anthony Weaver, who was previously the Ravens associate head coach and defensive line coach.
The Dolphins also replaced a rapidly-regressing Xavien Howard with Kendall Fuller to go alongside 3x All-Pro and 7x Pro Bowl corner Jalen Ramsey, Jevon Holland, and Kader Kohou. They also upgraded from DeShon Elliott with All-Pro and Pro Bowl safety Jordan Poyer.
3. Tennessee Titans
This new Titans secondary ranks above other popular picks like the New York Jets Sauce Gardner and D.J. Reed Jr., Cleveland Browns with Denzel Ward and Greg Newsome II, and Pittsburgh Steelers with Minkah Fitzpatrick and Joey Porter Jr. because the Titans new group is more complete.
NICK COHEN