The Tennessee Titans’ 0-4 start has left plenty to pick apart, but one spot up front has started to look like a real bright light. JC Latham, the No. 7 overall pick in 2024, has taken a noticeable step forward, and the early returns suggest the Titans may finally have the kind of right tackle they envisioned.
At 23, Latham has been steady on the right side and punishing in the run game. He has yet to allow a sack this season, according to PFF, which is exactly the kind of development Tennessee needed from a player drafted that high. That number is about to get a major stress test, though, with the Houston Texans coming to Nissan Stadium in Week 5.
That matchup brings Latham face to face with Will Anderson Jr., and there may not be a tougher assignment on the Titans’ schedule right now. Robert Saleh’s team is a heavy underdog on Sunday, but this individual battle gives Tennessee something worth watching closely. Anderson is the kind of edge rusher who can wreck a game in a hurry, and he arrives in Nashville with 4.5 sacks already on the season and the betting edge for Defensive Player of the Year.
What makes this even better is the history. Latham and Anderson were teammates at Alabama for two seasons, and they’ve gone against each other before plenty of times. Anderson has had the upper hand more often than not, which only adds to the intrigue here.
Anderson didn’t hide how much he enjoys the challenge, either: " I have a ton of respect for JC. Can't wait to go against him.
It's always been fun. We've been very competitive with each other since college.
I win some, he wins some, but that's what the game is about. I can't wait to go against him."
Latham has been excellent through the first four games, but Sunday will say a lot more about where he truly stands. If he can keep Anderson in check, the Titans may be looking at a tackle who’s on the path to becoming their first All-Pro at the position since Jack Conklin in 2016.
In Other News...
Titans Fans Have Every Right To Be Furious Over This Derrick Henry Fine
John Franklin-Myers is paying for a Week 4 moment against the Ravens that never drew a flag on the field, with the NFL fining the Titans defensive lineman $12,537 for striking, kicking or kneeing after he drove a knee into Derrick Henrys midsection once the play was over. For Tennessee fans, the annoyance is easy to understand: Henry took the hit, the officials let it go, and then the league came back days later with a bill.
The larger frustration is the inconsistency that always seems to follow these disciplinary decisions. Around the league, fines for different infractions can land in oddly different places, and this one only adds to the sense that what gets punished in the moment and what gets punished later are not always the same thing. For the Titans, it is another reminder that even when the contact is obvious enough to draw scrutiny after the fact, the final judgment can feel disconnected from what happened in real time. [Read more 🡒]
Titans' Miserable Day Somehow Got Even More Embarrassing In Nashville
The Texans-Titans matchup in Nashville already had the look of a rough afternoon between two winless teams, and the scene behind the end zone only added to the awkwardness. Near the goal post, two players collided with a staffer and knocked him down, turning an already grim game environment into one more moment the home crowd probably could have done without.
Robert Griffin III noticed the mishap on social media and turned it into a quick joke, focusing on the staffers pants falling too low as he got back on his feet. For Tennessee, it was another reminder that some days bring more than just a bad score line, they bring the kind of accidental blooper that lingers long after the final whistle. [Read more 🡒]
Titans Game Suddenly Carries A Trade Twist Fans Will Be Watching
An otherwise ordinary NFL rumor mill has put a little extra intrigue around the Titans recent stretch, with the Cardinals reportedly agreeing to terms on a trade with an unidentified team. The deal itself is still murky, but the fact that it has surfaced at all gives Tennessee fans another reason to keep an eye on the wider AFC picture, where roster moves can quickly ripple into divisional storylines.
Houston has been floated as a possible match, though nothing has been confirmed by reliable sources, and the reported timing has only added to the suspense. There is even speculation that the move could depend on the Texans result in an upcoming game, which would make the next step especially worth watching for Titans followers waiting to see how the landscape shifts around them. [Read more 🡒]