Tennessee Titans SAFETY Elijah Molden has become somewhat of a forgotten man this offseason — and that’s right, I called him a safety.
That’s because Molden showed up on the Titans’ first unofficial depth chart of 2023 at safety, the first time that has happened during his career.
He was slotted in behind starting safety Kevin Byard, which may mean he’ll be the first man off the bench if someone gets hurt in that spot.
While not a total surprise given the fact he’s been getting reps at safety this offseason, it was one of the bigger things to stand out from the first depth chart.
Now, getting back to the forgotten part: Molden proved to be very effective out of the slot in his first season, with the Washington product finishing with league-best numbers among rookie corners, and he more than held his own when compared against the rest of the NFL at his position.
After a terrible start to the season, Elijah Molden has been one of the best DB's in the NFL pic.twitter.com/9GRVMH9kWZ
— James Foster (@NoFlagsFilm) January 5, 2022
Despite that, Molden, who is coming off an injury-plagued second season, hasn’t been projected to be the top slot cornerback in Tennessee this offseason.
Instead, that distinction goes to second-year cornerback, Roger McCreary, who gained valuable experience during his rookie year after playing a league-high 1,165 snaps, albeit on the outside.
Because of his lack of length, the thought is McCreary is best suited on the inside, and it’s clear the Titans might be thinking the same after the Auburn product recently discussed his potential move to the slot.
If that’s the plan, Molden seems like he might be without a home, although it certainly isn’t out of the question he still sees time in the slot, also, especially given Tennessee’s history of playing a safety like Amani Hooker there.
As his future remains cloudy to the rest of us, Molden has been all over in training camp, which includes his learning an entirely new position. When asked how that’s all going, Molden hinted that it is a bit overwhelming and noted the importance of compartmentalizing things.
“It’s been good, stuff is starting to pile up,” Molden admitted, per AtoZ Sports Nashville. “I’ve got to be good just kind of compartmentalizing everything. I make mistakes, but I feel like as long as I don’t make the same mistakes and I keep learning from what I’m doing, I’ll be in a good spot.”
When asked how he compartmentalizes everything, Molden revealed that’s something he’s trying to figure out as he goes.
“I’m trying to figure out, same as you,” he said. “I feel like it starts with just kind of the type of notes I take, and then whatever position I’m in there, just try and not do too much, just do my job and then go from there.”
#Titans DB Elijah Molden on game week and switching positions. pic.twitter.com/HCfB5iqn7l
— AtoZ Sports Nashville (@AtoZSports) August 7, 2023
Byard recently touched on Molden’s work in camp, and he even said the young defensive back “has a lot on his plate” but noted Molden has “been great” working at three positions.
“He’s still learning,” Byard said, per Buck Reising of AtoZ Sports. “But I think he’s been really good. And at times, this guy has a lot on his plate. Sometimes as a veteran, you’ve got to help him out a little bit.
“Some things that he may not be thinking about at the time, I try to help him out as much as possible. But like I said, he’s been great learning all three positions that he’s probably going to be playing, so I look forward to him keep getting better.”
It’s clear Molden has a lot on his plate — and maybe too much — going into his third season, which can sometimes be more of a negative than a positive for a young player.
However, I don’t think the Titans would put him in that spot if they didn’t think he could handle it.
While it remains to be seen where Molden will end up, the fact that the Titans are giving him a look at safety is a good thing.
After all, the futures of both Hooker and Byard are up in the air beyond this season and Molden could serve as an in-house replacement should one or both be gone in 2024.
