Closing in on the start of training camp. Thus, part eight of my positional preview series. Today, the focus in on the edge rushes/setters. Did I want more to be done here? Yes. But if one key holdover takes the step we think he's capable of, game on.
Edge: Keion White, Harold Landry, Anfernee Jennings, K'Lavon Chaisson, Bradyn Swinson, Elijah Ponder, Truman Jones
What I Like About This Group: There's a combination of fruit flavors (power, speed, sturdy, youth) that could make for a tasty drink.
What I Dislike About This Group: Some of the aforementioned flavors may be past their prime (Landry), too young (Swinson), too one-dimensional (Jennings and Chaisson), and perhaps, just perhaps, not as good as we think (White).
X-Factor: Landry. He's being paid to be a big-time player. The Titans thought he didn't have the same burst anymore. We'll see who's right.
Keion White, your time is now. The promise flashed in the second half of his rookie year, and then the absolute tsunami at the start of season two signifies there's the talent here to be a disruptive force on all four downs. But when you see these national reporters weighing in on how White's one of the best players no one talks about, they aren't watching him down-to-down, game-to-game. The highlight reel is awesome. The entire body of work? Not there yet.
White's pass rush bag is shallow and lacks variety. He recorded four sacks in the first two games of last season, but his pressure rate, which was a healthy 14.3% through the first eight weeks (26th best in the league at that point), dipped dramatically during the second half of the season (9.9%). His run defense was subpar for the better part of the year.
White's playing time also decreased - there wasn't a player more critical of the coaching staff, but there also wasn't a player more criticized by his teammates. So, who is he? I'm betting on the promise and physical gifts. I'm betting on the give-a-bleep meter. The 26-year-old spent the entire spring picking Landry's brain both before and after practice. He also leaned on Chaisson. If the interior defensive line performs as it's capable of, White should be singled up on passing downs the majority of the time. If he can't hit those pressure rates of the first half of last year, he's not what most think.
Landry appeared destined for stardom under Vrabel during their time together in Tennessee. His 2021-22 season was all that and a bag of chips: 75 tackles, 12 sacks, 22 QB hits, 42 hurries, and a forced fumble. All Landry was missing was the partridge in a pear tree. Then came the torn ACL that wiped out the entirety of the following season. While the sack numbers (19.5) over the next two years don't indicate a significant dropoff, the Titans felt strongly that he wasn't the same player and cut him. A $26 million guaranteed contract convinced Landry that a reunion with Vrabel was the right move, and so here we are.
This spring, Landry looked fast, quick, and light. Not quite Josh Uche-light but not all that dissimilar. I've made this point before, but though he's listed at 252, at his best, he's played in the 230s. Despite that, Landry was solid in Vrabel's defenses against the run. After being used in a different role in Tennessee DC Dennard Wilson's scheme a year ago, he should be back to a more familiar and comfortable role this fall. That could feed his aggression and confidence. We shall see.
Jennings had an odd spring. He was the 4th edge player, and I'm hard-pressed to remember a time when I saw him run with the ones. Considering that's where he's lived the last couple of years, it took some adjustment for my eyes and maybe for Jennings himself. Of course, the spring is not when the former Alabama product shows his best stuff. He has been a damn good run defender - best on the team in my book - and that part of his game will make itself known in full pads. Bedard suggested a possible trade here, and I could see the logic behind it. But considering the reasonable nature of Jennings' contract (he signed a three-year, $12 million deal last year) and the track record on first and second downs, the smarter play is to hold onto the asset and let him sink or swim in the new scheme.
Chaisson is coming off a career year, although the bar wasn't particularly high. After recording just five sacks total in his first four seasons, Chaisson had a good time playing opposite Maxx Crosby, recording five sacks for Vegas and cashed in on a modest one-year deal with the Pats ($5 million). Based on his heavy involvement in the spring, this staff sees the capability for that and more. Chaisson, like White, tethered himself to Landry over the last couple of months as he continued to refine the technical aspects of his game. There is no doubt about the athleticism he brings, and despite his experience, Chaisson is still relatively young, not yet 26. Late bloomer? Wouldn't that be nice?
I want to see Swinson go to work. Yes, he was a handful in college, but the staff there felt that he took a step in the right direction as the year progressed. He's got big paws, long arms, good footwork, and a solid feel for the position (watch him play against tight ends in the run game. Impressive). Or at least he did in college. Let's see how it translates at the pro level.
I want to be able to tell you I saw flashes this spring, but Swinson didn't catch my eye much. However, when he was working with the third group in team (and that's mostly where he was), they were often in a different field, so those guys weren't going to grab all of my attention. If Swinson can consistently bring some of those plus-starter projected skills to camp, I could see the vision for a potential move off Jennings.
Jones went to Harvard and was on the Chiefs' practice squad for nearly two full seasons before getting released and hooking on with the Pats. He is an impressive-looking athlete. Ponder comes from Cal Poly at San Luis Obispo. At best, he feels like a practice squad candidate.
