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Tennessee Titans coach reveals possible reason for JC Latham’s rookie struggles

Tennessee Titans

Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

Knowing they needed to improve the offensive line, the Tennessee Titans selected Alabama’s JC Latham with the seventh overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Through one year, some might say that decision backfired, but it’s awfully early to make that declaration final.

Not only did the Titans mistakenly assume Latham could make the transition to playing left tackle in the NFL, they had to move him to the right side before his rookie season was finished. Instead of believing in his upside, the Titans overpaid for Dan Moore with an $82 million contract in free agency.

So, what happened with Latham? Did the Titans realize they drafted a bust in the first round? Not so fast.

Titans head coach Brian Callahan believes he knows why Latham struggled so much in his first season in the pros, admitting he was “probably heavy at the end of the season.”

But that’s in the past. Now, Callahan says the 22-year-old “looks great, he’s in great shape, he’s moving really well. I’m excited about where he’s at but all the credit goes to him.”

At this point, the Titans don’t care about who was drafted where or how much it cost to acquire their players. Their goal is to assemble the best offensive line they possibly can for No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward.

Meanwhile, the Titans hope that Latham’s improved conditioning will help him rank higher than 70th among offensive tackles in Pro Football Focus’ rankings, as he did last season.

Related: NFL analyst advises Tennessee Titans to acquire four-time Pro Bowler

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