Locked On Titans - Daily Podcast On The Tennessee Titans - AFC SOUTH POSITON RANKS: Brian Callahan WORST Head Coach, Defensive Line Dud & Linebacker Positivity

Episode Date: June 23, 2025

AFC SOUTH POSITION RANKINGS: The Tennessee Titans need better players in 2025, but Brian Callahan has to be a better coach because right now it would be fair to argue he is the worst coach in the AFC South. Part of that is the struggles of the pass rush and it is clear the Titans have the worst defensive line in the division. More upsetting, is the fact the Titans went from having the best cornerback group in the division to potentially the worst depending on the status of L'Jarius Sneed. Finally, the Titans linebacker group is not a great crop, but looking around at the division, it might be a top-two unit regardless. Subscribe to the TicTacTitans Film Channel:https://www.youtube.com/@TicTacTitans TicTacTitans Merchandise: https://dixons-dream.square.site/shop/tictactitans-gear/C3AAPNWXSXA6SBYG3USV2I7R?page=1&limit=30&sort_by=category_order&sort_order=asc Follow Tyler on Twitter @TicTacTitans Follow the show on Facebook @LockedOnTitansPod Subscribe to the Locked On Titans YouTube channel:https://www.youtube.com/c/LockedOnTitans/videos Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!RugietHead to Rugiet.com/LOCKEDONNFLand use code LOCKEDONNFL to get 15% off today. GametimeDownload the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONNFL for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply. Download Gametime today. What time is it? Gametime. FanDuelRight now, new customers can get $150 in BONUS BETS when your first $5 BET WINS! Download the app or head to FANDUEL.COM to get started. Monarch MoneyTake control of your finances with Monarch Money. Use code LOCKEDONNFL at monarchmoney.com/lockedonnfl for 50% off your first year.FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)

It's not what the Tennessee Titans want to hear, but Brian Callahan might be the worst coach in the ASC South. I'll break it down on today's edition of Locked on Titans. You are Locked on Titans, your daily Tennessee Titans podcast, part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. Welcome to the Locked On Titans podcast. I am your host, Tyler Rowland. Titans fans, today's edition of the Locked On Titans podcast is brought to you by FanDuel Sportsbook. Right now, new customers can get $150 in bonus bets

when your first $5 bet wins. On today's show, we are going to continue ranking the AFC South. I did the entire offense quarterback, running back, wide receiver, tight end, offensive line, even special teams. On yesterday's episode today, we're going to talk about the teams as a whole.

We're going to talk about the head coaches for each of these teams. And we're going to talk about the teams as a whole. We're going to talk about the head coaches for each of these teams. And we're going to talk about the defensive side of the ball before I get into all of it. Do want to thank you for making Locked On Titans your first listen each and every day. Remember, Monday through Friday, Tennessee Titans content all year round, always for free.

Make sure that you get subscribed. Stay subscribed. It's your team every day here on the Locked On Titans podcast. Speaking of every day, shout out your team every day here on the Locked on Titans podcast. Speaking of every day, shout out to my every dayers out there tuning in Monday through Friday. Couldn't do it without you guys. If you aren't an every dayer, then you need to be one.

It may be summer break for the Tennessee Titans, but there is no summer break. There is no off season for the Locked on Titans podcast on five days a week, every week, all year long, no matter what. And this week is division rivalry week. We talked about the offense, we're doing defense today. Tomorrow, we're gonna look at a deep dive on a division rivals off season so far.

We'll do Colts, we'll do Texans, we'll do Jags all this week. Can't wait to dive into all of it with you guys before we do all that though. We got to rank the teams as a whole and I'll get more into why I have each of the three division rivals ranked where they're at right now. But I have the Texans at number one, two playoff wins in a row. If you don't have the Texans power rank number one right now, I don't really know what we're doing. I actually have Jacksonville power rank number two. I think Jacksonville has a bounce back season. The Titans at number three with potential to move up of course, and I do

have the Colts at number four. I know that's a little bit of a hot take, but again when we deep dive into those teams, I'm going to give you my reasons for why I think these teams finish the way that they finished, but I have the Titans at third. That would obviously be a major step up after being ranked fourth. There's no way, although Jacksonville was pretty terrible too. You could call it even if you wanted to. But, but despite that, the Titans moving out of the bottom of the division would be nice for everybody. It would be nice for the fans. It would be nice for the team, the players, it would mean good things for Cam Ward, and more importantly, it would be good things for Brian Callahan. Because I think we talked about the team ranks, but when we start to talk about the coaches, alright, ranking the coaches

in the AFC South, there is no way that you could put anyone over D'Amico Ryan's. D'Amico Ryan's absolutely flipped that Houston Texans franchise with his own aura. For real. That's what happened. The team was terrible. Remember they had Lovey Smith and, oh God, I don't even remember the other. Cully? Was it David Cully? Something like that. They just ran through one year, one year, just turning it over every time and then D'Amico Ryan showed up. No experience as a head coach, was a one-year defensive coordinator with the San Francisco 49ers, ran a great defense, had great energy, but still a young coach, a former player. Sometimes there's a transition period but no, right away. He gets CJ Stroud in the building, gets Will Anderson in the building, restarts the

entire culture, wins back-to-back playoff games, won the division both years. Like, D'Amico Ryan's. There is no argument for anybody else right now and hats off to D'Amico Ryan's, although let me just say, and we'll talk about this more when we do the Texans episode this week. But if CJ Stroud looks bad again, and if the Texans were to, for some reason, take a step back and maybe not make the playoffs. Maybe they get a wild card

and they get destroyed in the wild card game and it looks bad. They don't look like they're ready to compete. If that happens, Demyka Ryans will be on the hot seat this season after because when you're a defensive coordinator head coach, figuring out the offensive coordinator is so, so critical. So I'm just saying, let's keep our eyes over on Houston, but D'Amico Ryan's is clearly the best coach right now. And number two, I have Shane Steichen. I mean, he took a team led by Garner Menchu and got them within one

inaccurate swing pass to a running back from making the playoffs over Houston two years ago. Shane Steichen is a good coach. Indy always is competitive. Their quarterback, he has not been able to develop Anthony Richardson. If you want to take away from Shane Steichen for that, by all means, go ahead. That's why he's not number one. That's why the Colts can't get to the playoffs because he hasn't been

able to develop Anthony Richardson. And honestly, it's gone the other way. But now he gets Daniel Jones, somebody who I'm certain that he wanted. And if the Colts have a worse season than what they've had recently, which might be what I'm predicting, spoiler alert for the Colts episode. And I mean, I guess I spoiled that already ranking them fourth, but then the Heat might be on Shane Stiken. But at this moment in time, you can't put anybody over those two. And those two are clearly defined with the Miko one and Shane Stiken two. Brian Callahan is at best number three, at best, best.

And that's literally the only reason, the only reason Brian Callahan gets to be number three is because he has been a head coach for a year. We just don't know what Liam Cohen is going to do. I don't know what Liam Cohen is going to do as a head coach for Jacksonville. How can I rank him over Brian Callahan when he's never coached a game in his life? Well, as a head coach in the NFL, you know what I'm saying. And quite frankly, I think there's a way that you could flip that view on its head, that someone could argue to me and say, well, actually, I think you should rank Brian Callahan fourth because we don't know what Liam Cohen is, but we know Brian Callahan's not

good. Now, that's not the argument I'm making. I have Brian Callahan third. I think there's more potential. I can't rank Liam Cohen over him without Cohen ever coaching a game. But if you want to say the potential to be good based on what we saw from Brian Callahan last year which was bad and I'll remind you everything was bad last year to go 3-14 roster bad Nicholas Petit for rare played right tackle for a lot of time Derek go look at the right tackles last year bad look at the edge rushers, the linebackers, the cornerbacks last year. Bad. Well, I guess the corners weren't too bad. Darrell Baker filled in Adrimblee and JBJ and Roger, but there were some spots on this roster that were despicably bad. Wide receiver. And then you add in the quarterback play, you know,

I feel like the guy who created the Powderpuff Girls right now, you know, we're just throwing in different things. But then you add in the quarterback play, which absolutely sunk the Titans in multiple scenarios, most notably Will Levesse's crazy turnovers. Think about the Bengals game. Think about, you know, the early season, the Jets, the Bears, the Packers. You know, not good. And those aren't necessarily all Brian Callahan's fault. The quarterback play has to be somewhat on Brian Callahan.

He's the one who's tasked with making the quarterbacks better, but the roster composition not being good, that can't be on Brian Callahan. Rayncart Thawne was apparently not a worthy GM. That can't be on Brian Callahan. Rayncart Thawne was apparently not a worthy GM that can't be on Brian Callahan. But that team was unprepared to play multiple weeks. We talked about it. Putting Will Levis back out there against the Colts after the buy. Bad decision. That's on Brian Callahan. They should have won that game. and they should have won that game. The Bills game probably would have gone whenever. I know that the Lions probably would have won anyway, but the special teams performance in that game, Despicable, think about the Washington commanders game

where they just come out and they give up 300 yards, not ready to play, totally discombobulated, awful. There are so many games last year where it was Brian Callahan's fault. It was. So if you want to say, hey, we know something about Brian Callahan and it's more negative versus we don't know anything about Liam Cohen, you could put him over just based on potential. That is an argument. It's not what I'm making. I Brian Callahan third.

If Brian Callahan doesn't find a way to become like the second best coach in the division, I don't know if he's going to be the coach in in 2026. So something to watch going forward. But now let's get into the defensive side of the ball. My ranks there. First, do want to let you guys know that today's episode is brought to you by FanDuel Sportsbook. Look, summer sports are in full swing. Whether it's baseball under the lights, golf on the greens, high-stakes soccer action across the pond. FanDuel is the best way to make every game even more exciting. You're already following all the action.

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new customers can bet just $5 and get 150150 in bonus bets if your first bet wins. Titans fans, let's continue today's edition of the Locked on Titans podcast. We are ranking the AFC South again on yesterday's episode. I did the offensive side of the ball and special teams. If you missed that evergreen content, go back and check that out. Today, we looked at the teams at large. We looked at the head coaches now want to dive into the defensive side of the ball. We start with the D line.

And look, the defensive line. It's tough for the Titans. We knew if you count for me D line is the interior D line and the edge rushers and it's just rough for the Titans. I have the Titans ranked dead last in this area. Now let's go through it. The Houston Texans, number one by far to me. Like they have an awesome defensive line. So many players. I just kept writing them down. Will Anderson, Daniel Hunter, both top 10 edge rushers in the NFL. Danico Autry at this point, a great role player, uh, more interior defensive line run stuffers like Folly Fata Kasi or Tim Saddle Jr. Mario Edwards is depth.

Sheldon Rankins is depth. Daryl Taylor, who absolutely whooped JC Latham on a few reps last year in that Bears game. Daryl Taylor, what an awesome, I would love to have Daryl Taylor on the Titans. I wanted them to sign Daryl Taylor. Young, juice, off the edge, why not? Say we got Lorenzo Carter instead. Yikes. Anyways, they have not only super high end talent, they have depth for days. Awesome defensive front in Houston. But second, I'm going with the Jags. Jaguars have a pretty good defensive front of their own. They just don't have the depth and the, you know, certified bonafide players. Even if they're not incredible players, I know exactly who Danico Autri is. I know exactly who Folly Foltacassi is. I know exactly who they are.

Okay? Maybe not as much with Jacksonville, but I know Josh Hynes-Allen is one of the top 10 Ed Rushers in the NFL. And Trevon Walker may not become a elite number one top tier edge, but he's a very, very good double digit sack player. Then Eric Armstead as depth. Mason Smith out of LSU. This is a little confirmation bias, I must admit, but I loved Mason Smith. Six five, 300, length, just needed a little bit more coaching. Mason Smith stepping up this year. Devon Hamilton very good player. Now the Jags are more top heavy with that top three and they don't have the depth that the Texans have

but they're number two for me and number three is the Colts. DeForest Buckner is the best interior defensive lineman in the division. DeForest Buckner is the best interior defensive lineman in the division. DeForest Buckner is better than Jeffrey Simmons. Over, maybe Jeffrey Simmons can change that this year. Jeffrey Simmons at his best, I believe is better than DeForest Buckner. But Jeffrey Simmons last two seasons and DeForest Buckner, DeForest Buckner is a better football player right now today than Jeffrey Simmons is. Grover Stewart, amazing interior defensive line run stuffer. Incredible run stuffer on the interior. Like, even gives you just a little bit in the pass rush.

Not a ton, but just enough. They have young guys on the edge, Quiddy Pay. They just drafted JT Tula Malawao out of Ohio State. They have La La Tu La Tu from UCLA who they drafted in the first round last year, Samson Epikam, as well as a very good depth piece as an edge rusher. They don't have the high end talent of the Jags and the Texans. They have Buckner and that's really it, but they have good depth and solid pieces, more depth than the Titans.

Now look, Big Jeff, awesome. One of the top five names, I mean Anderson and Hunter, Josh Hines Allen, Buckner and then Big Jeff. I would say Jeff is the fifth best defensive lineman out of this group that we've discussed. But Big Jeff is good. He's just not Will Anderson, Daniel Hunter, Josh Hines, Allen or DeForest Buckner. So the Titans have the worst best play. And then Tavondre Sweatt. Is Tavondre Sweatt better than Danielil Hunter, Travon Walker, or Grover Stewart? No. Maybe equal with Grover Stewart at best. They're, you know, similar styles, but he's not better than Travon Walker or Danil Hunter. Not even close. And then Arden Key. I would say Arden Key is probably better than

Quidipay or maybe not Quidipay. Eric Armstead, Deniko Autry. I would say Arden Key is better than those players right now. Remember this is Arden or Deniko Autry two years removed from the last time you saw him. He's not as good as he was when he was just starting with the Titans. But Femiola Dejo, how's he going to be? Is he going to be better than JTT? Is he going to be better than Quidipay? Is he going to be better than La La Tu La Tu? Probably not, right? Draymont Jones is a solid player, I'd say, like, you know, similar to like a Mario Edwards, Daryl Taylor level,

Eric Armstead level. Draymont Jones could be like that. Lorenzo Carter is not very good, good run stuff for Sebastian Joseph Day, solid player, but like you see what I mean? Again, we can't say the Titans have a terrible edge rush group and then not act like, you know, the whole defensive line group won't suffer from that. They just don't have out of Big Jeff, Teavondre Sweat, Arden Key, and then probably Draymond Jones. Those are the only guys you could look at. Sebastian Joseph Day is low level, but those are the only guys you could look at and be like, oh, those are good starters. And I wouldn't

even say Arden Key is a good starter. He's a low level starter. So they have Jeff and Sweat. Those are the only good starters on the D line. And then you move to linebacker. And I think the Titans are third actually at linebacker. I know that sounds crazy, but let me explain. I had the Texans at number one, Aziz Alshayar, low level starting linebacker, maybe even I would say average. He is an average starting linebacker, which is what I've contended all along.

But that's the top linebacker in the league or in the division sorry Christian Harris Henry Toloto although Henry Toloto I'm not as high on him but that's a solid group and they have the best linebacker I like the Jags top linebacker of full-aside at AluaCon. Devin Lloyd has been hit or miss. He hasn't really lived up to his draft spot. Chad Mama is good backup. But then I went with the Titans.

I think Cody Barton is a huge improvement. Look, the Colts have Zaire Franklin, who's a very good starting linebacker. But after that, who do they have? And why are they better than what the Titans have? Jaylen Carleys, a fifth round pick last year's draft. But after that, who do they have? And why are they better than what the Titans have? Jalen Carlies? A fifth round pick, last year's draft? Cameron McGrone?

Who? No. Give me James Williams, Cedric Gray, Otis Reese, Anthony Augeri, like, give me those guys and Cody Barton over Zaire Franklin and Jalen Carlies and Cameron McGrone. You know what I mean? So I know the Titans linebacker group is not good and we know that, but like, I don't think,

my thing with the Colts is, we'll get to the Colts this week, but like their roster is just not as good as what people think and remember it as. And linebacker is one of those spots where they used to be super stacked with Franklin and Leonard and Zaire or an EJ Speed and they had and they don't anymore.

They just don't have that talent at linebacker anymore. But with that being said, let's cap off today's edition of the Locked on Titans podcast. We are ranking the head coaches, the teams, the defensive side of the ball. Yesterday's episode, we did the offense, we did some special teams. I had to move some things around here to make everything fit within the 30 minutes. You know what I mean? So forgive me if things don't necessarily look perfect, I guess, with some of the graphical stuff, which most of you guys listening on the podcast don't even care. So what are we talking about? But thank you for making the Locked on Titans podcast your first listen each and every day.

Remember, Monday through Friday, Tennessee Titans content all year round, always for free. Make sure you get subscribed. Stay subscribed for your second listen, though. Check out Locked on NFL Scouting as training camp gets closer. Moves are being made. Host Kyle Krabs and Joe Marino will make you the most informed NFL fan this offseason find locked on NFL scouting on YouTube or wherever you listen to podcasts but looking at the secondary at cornerback hot take I think the Titans are fourth I think the Titans have gone from what we thought last year was the number one cornerback room in the AFC South to the worst.

Okay. I have the Texans at number one. I think no matter what, they're the number one spot. Derek Stingley Jr. might be the best cornerback in the NFL. At least he can make that argument last year. Kamari Lassiter looked like an excellent rookie last year out of Georgia. Jalen Petrie is a nickelback. I love Jalen Petrie.

He's kind of a safety kind of a nickelback. He moves around, but I think he's going to play mostly in the slot this year for them. Love Jalen Petrie. Love that threesome for the Texans. Number one. Second, I went with the Jags. Look, they add in Travis Hunter, who could be an absolute elite cornerback if he wants to be.

They have Tyson Campbell, who's a good player. Jerrion Jones out of Florida state. I'm very high on Jordan Lewis out of Michigan's had some injuries throughout his career, but he can come in and give some veteran leadership. I like that group. And then we get to the Colts. The Colts have finally made some additions to their secondary in free agency. They had Travarious Ward, who I think is a very good player.

They still have Kenny Moore, who might be one of the top five slots, top three slot cornerbacks in free agency. They had Travarious Ward, who I think is a very good player. They still have Kenny Moore, who might be one of the top five slots, top three slot cornerbacks in the NFL. Jalen Jones is a young player and they have Juju Brents, who's had some injury issues, but you know, maybe he's going to come up and live up to his potential. I like that group better than Roger McCreary, Jarvis Brownlee Jr. and Darryl Baker, Game Judy Lawley, Jermari Harris, Marcus Harris. Look, I'm sorry, but when I made these rankings, I made them with the same feelings that I expressed to you guys over the last few weeks.

I do not think that Ligerious Snead ever plays for this team again. And if he does, I don't think he'll be on the field very long. He'll get this team again. And if he does, I don't think he'll be on the field very long. He'll get hurt immediately again. His heart is not in it to play for the Titans. He bamboozled them, he got their money. He started acting out. He's hurt.

It just, it's going to be a disaster. I'm sorry. I have a hard time thinking anything else other than that right now about Legerrius needs situation. It is going to end in utter disappointment. We're never going to feel happy feelings again with the Legerrius Snead situation until he's when he's off the team and we could say that failed, let's move on. That

will be the next happy feeling that we feel in relation to Legerrius Snead and the Tennessee Titans. I'm sorry, that's just where I'm at right now. So if that's the case and Snead doesn't come back healthy and he doesn't play, then the Titans have by far the worst cornerback group in the division. If Legerius Snead were to come back and be himself though, if Legerius Snead were to come back and turn back into a top 10 corner in the NFL, I would have the Titans at number two. So,

it's a big swing point, he's a big X factor and next week we're gonna do my top three, get into my top three week. And when we talk about the top three biggest X factors on the Titans for the season as players, LeJerry Snead has to be one of those. So we'll dive into that eventually, but with him up in the air with what the Titans have right now, I like McCreary, I like Jarvis Brownlee Jr., but boy, that's a bad spot for the Titans. And then it's safety.

I have the Titans second at safety. Titans safety group is pretty solid. I went with the Colts with Cam Bynum who I think is really good and Nick Cross. If you wanted to put the Titans group above that I would accept it, but that's a good group. And then Imani Hooker and Xavier Woods obviously for the Titans. The Texans have CJ Gardner Johnson who is good. I think he's a little overrated because he's so loud. You know what I mean? They have Kayden Bullock as well I think it's going to be a solid player and then Jimmy Ward old school veteran the Jags have the worst safety group

though they have Darnell Savage and Eric Murray it's not good the Jags safety group is awful so I think the Titans have the second best safety group, the fourth best cornerback room, the third best linebacker group, the fourth best defensive line, fourth best, third best head coach. This is where it's a little tough for the Titans. They may get good defensive coordination from Dynard Wilson to elevate their ceiling, but talent wise, you know, especially with the Snead question hanging out there, tough spot for the Titans talent wise on defense. But let me know your rankings again.

Been two fun days of ranking position groups here in the AFC South. Tomorrow I'm gonna continue division rival week as we deep dive into our AFC South opponents. I'm gonna go over what moves they made, players they've lost, they've gained. We're gonna do a crossover with the host of that team show. And then I'm going to give you my final take on what I think the Titans Division rivals do this season.

But with that being said, that is going to do it for me today, folks. As always, I am your host, Tyler Rowland, and this was Locked on Titans.