As the Tennessee Titans have dealt with some injuries along the offensive line during the 2023 campaign, 2021 second-round pick and offensive lineman Dillon Radunz has stepped up big time.
Radunz, who is less than a year removed from a torn ACL, got his career off to a rocky start over the first two seasons, but he’s rebounded and played well in his third, no matter where he’s been deployed.
In 2023, the North Dakota State product has been asked to play at left guard, right tackle and right guard, three positions he saw snaps at in Week 9. In all, he’s given up 11 pressures and no sacks in 166 pass-block snaps. He’s also posted a Pro Football Focus run-blocking grade of 80.9.
Radunz has now seen snaps at every position but center during his career, and that experience has given him confidence, wherever the Titans put him. He also rightly believes he’s playing the best football of his career right now.
“I have now played every single spot besides center for this team in a game, so having that under my belt helps me a lot, especially game experience,” Radunz said, per Jim Wyatt. “Three of those – left tackle, right tackle, and left guard – I played Thursday night in primetime. Just being able to not have the nerves going in there at any position, having that confidence helps a lot.
“I think I am at my peak right now and just striving to get better.”
Thanks to his play, Radunz has definitely earned the right to see more work moving forward, and he’ll that opportunity as soon as Week 10. Where that is, however, remains to be seen.
The Titans need a new left tackle, at least, with Nicholas Petit-Frere set to sit and Andre Dillard being a disaster. But there’s also a void at right guard, where Daniel Brunskill has been ruled out.
While the preference is to have Radunz get the nod at left tackle instead of Dillard, chances are he’ll settle in at Brunskill’s spot, which is where he’s been practicing all week.
Radunz says he’s comfortable on the right side but playing to the left comes more natural to him.
“Anybody who naturally grows up a certain way or anything like that, that’s what’s going to happen,” he said, per Paul Kuharsky. “Now I feel good on the right, but the natural growing and developing side of it, I developed at the left, so I’m always going to feel good there.”
No matter where Radunz ends up helping the Titans the rest of the way, his making the most of his opportunities has no doubt revived career, something that has been one of the more positive developments of the 2023 season.
