USAT: Titans Wire audio clip

USAT: Titans Wire

Feb 17, 2022

- - - The Tennessee Titans saw a major turnaround on defense in 2021, mostly thanks to the pass-rush, but the team also saw elite safety play from both Amani Hooker and Kevin Byard to help the cause. - Hooker in particular has been getting a lot of attention from Pro Football Focus lately, and rightly so, as the former 2019 fourth-round pick was quietly great in his third season. - The outlet ranked him as the 49th-best player in the NFL during the 2021 campaign, and more recently, PFF’s Anthony Treash named Hooker Tennessee’s most improved player from the 2021 season. - Here’s why: - “Hooker suffered an injury during the first week of 2021 that kept him out a month. Upon his return, Hooker looked like a decidedly different player. He proceeded to produce a top-three PFF grade among NFL safeties. Hooker saw double-digit grading improvements both against the run and in coverage last year, which was also his first as a full-time starter in the NFL.” - The Iowa product tallied 62 combined tackles (one for loss), one pick, one forced fumble and four passes defended in 12 games this past season. - He also greatly improved his coverage numbers. In 2020, Hooker allowed a completion rate of 82.6 and a QB rating of 83.2 when targeted, but in 2021 that completion rate and QB rating allowed fell to 68.6 and 79.3, respectively. - According to PFF, Hooker posted elite overall (85.9) and coverage grades (86.9) in 2021. To compare, Hooker finished with overall and coverage grades of 66.5 and 70.8 the season prior. - Those 2021 marks were ranked third and fifth among all safeties. His running mate, Byard, was first in both categories. - Hooker is just one member of the Titans’ wildly-successful 2019 draft class, a group that has made a major impact on the team — but the time to pay the piper is coming, as Hooker and multiple other members of the 2019 class enter the final year of their rookie deals in 2022. - - - - - - - - - - - - Email - - - - - Sign up - - - - - - - - Like this article? - Sign up for the Titans Wire email newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning - - - - An error has occured - - - Please re-enter your email address. - - - - - - Thanks for signing up! - - - You'll now receive the top Titans Wire stories each day directly in your inbox.

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