The Tennessee Titans look to have a dynamic safety duo in Kevin Byard and Amani Hooker that would rival Chris Hope and Michael Griffin in the late 2000s.
According to Pro Football Focus, Byard and Hooker finished with top-five grades among safeties in the NFL in 2021, with Byard landing at No. 1 (90.4) and Hooker at No. 3 (85.9).
The duo was joined by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Antoine Winfield Jr., the Miami Dolphins’ Jevon Holland, and the Buffalo Bills’ Micah Hyde.
Byard, 28, had a bounce-back season to the tune of five interceptions, one sack, two forced fumbles, 13 pass deflections, and a pair of defensive touchdowns.
Further, opposing quarterbacks had difficulty completing passes thrown in Byard’s direction, as the Titans safety allowed just a 51.7 percent completion rate and a 68.7 QB rating when targeted. His PFF coverage grade (90.9) also ranked first among safeties in the NFL.
The Middle Tennessee State product was named First-Team All-Pro and earned Pro Bowl honors, marking the second time Byard has achieved both accolades.
“I definitely had my best year to date, and I honestly feel like I’m just starting to hit my prime,” he told Good Morning Football. “I feel like there’s always room for improvement in every facet of the game.”
The highest-graded safeties in the 2021 season pic.twitter.com/fXOo5QETmD
— PFF (@PFF) February 17, 2022
One of the the biggest surprises of the Titans’ season was the emergence of Hooker.
He was injured in the first week of the 2021 season, which kept him sidelined for a month, but he did not disappoint in his return to the starting lineup.
PFF recently named Hooker the Titans’ most improved player and ranked him as the 49th-best player in the NFL this past season — and for good reason.
The 23-year-old recorded 62 combined tackles, including one tackle for loss, four pass breakups, and one interception. After allowing an 82.6 completion percentage in 2020, Hooker took tremendous strides in his pass coverage this season, allowing quarterbacks to complete 68.6 percent of their passes to go along with a 79.3 QB rating and zero touchdowns. His coverage grade (86.9) was the fifth-best among safeties in the NFL.
The former fourth-rounder in 2019 also stepped up in the playoffs, as he had a terrific interception in the Titans’ game against the Bengals, setting up A.J. Brown’s one-handed touchdown catch two plays later.
Hooker is well on his way to becoming yet another leader in the defensive backfield for years to come, giving the Titans an elite duo at safety.
