After the Tennessee Titans made a pair of significant additions to their cornerbacks room with the trade for L’Jarius Sneed and the signing of Chidobe Awuzie, the team went on to draft cornerback Jarvis Brownlee Jr. in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL draft.
The move was a bit surprising considering all the resources the Titans unloaded on the position ahead of the draft, but when you consider the uncertainty of the depth options behind Sneed, Awuzie and McCreary, adding Brownlee made sense.
Brownlee was very quiet during the offseason program, but he did have a strong finish, with the rookie notching an interception during the final practice of OTAs.
But he immediately showed the ups and downs of a rookie following the pick, as the Louisville product was beat for a touchdown later in practice.
“It’s always about that short-term memory,” Brownlee said, according to Jim Wyatt. “Just because I made a play doesn’t mean I can give up the next one, or I can slack on the next play. For me, it’s just working on that consistency and making sure I am keeping my technique the same and staying into it. And just knowing I have to have better eyes – that’s why I got beat on that play. … It’s about consistency and staying into it.”
Brownlee noted that there was a lot to take on upon joining the Titans, but he feels like he’s starting to get the hang of things ahead of training camp next month, and that has done wonders for his confidence.
“At first, I came out here, and had a lot to learn. I was still struggling with simple things,” he said. “But as the days have gone on, I started getting better. I started getting in my playbook more, I started asking getting comfortable, asking more questions. And for me, my confidence is way up from when I came out here day one. I feel great, and I am finally getting my swagger back. I feel good.”
Brownlee has no shortage of help as he looks to get acclimated and earn a role. On top of his coaches, the rookie can lean on two established corners in Sneed and Awuzie for help.
“Guys like Chido and Sneed, man,” Brownlee said, “those are guys that I watched before I got into this league. So for me to be on the same team as those guys, it is a dream come true and I am grateful to have those two. I just try and take up all the knowledge that they can give me, and it’s been helping me with my game. I have been learning a lot when it comes to formations and releases that I am getting, and those guys have been helping a lot with that.”
Now, Brownlee will look to training camp, where he’ll try to earn the role as the first cornerback off the bench, a job Caleb Farley, Tre Avery and Eric Garror are also gunning for.
Brownlee says he plans on working hard during the break and “to come back in as great of shape as I’ve ever been in for training camp.”
