Jonnu Smith Is My Nominee for ‘Breakout Titan of the Year’

Tight end Jonnu Smith could become a force in this Titans offense in 2020.

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4th year tight end Jonnu Smith hasn’t exactly had the quickest route to the starting tight end position for the Tennessee Titans. When he was drafted in 2017, a lot people called him a sort of ‘Delanie Walker lite.’ High praise, for sure – but, the problem was that actual Delanie Walker was still deadlocked into that starting position and wasn’t going to let it go any time soon. Walker was injured in 2018, so Smith took over before HE was injured too. Walker started atop the depth chart again in 2019, but was injured again, so Smith took over again. It’s been hard for him to get into a rhythm, and the opportunities just haven’t been there for him.

So, that is the vastly over-simplified version of the story of how we got here. Now that Walker is no longer with the Titans, Smith finds himself entering the 2020 campaign as the unquestioned starting tight end of the Titans. And, that’s where I get to the take in this post.

I think he showed enough versatility and play-making ability during stretches in 2019 to warrant the coveted moniker of ‘preseason breakout candidate.’

I mean, hell – Bill Belichik called him the best in the league after the catch ahead of their playoff showdown. He can make guys miss, has reliable hands, his blocking has improved tremendously since he entered the league, and he’s as versatile a tight end as you’ll find in the league. In 2019, he had four rushing attempts for 78 yards, including this BYOOT against the Houston Texans:

The beautiful thing about that run is how he utilized the safety’s angle to create separation. Instead of trying to outrun Justin Reid, he adjusted his path just enough to throw the defender off and pick up 30+ additional yards. That goes back to Belichick’s appraise about his ability after the catch. But, this is an example of how Smith can create big plays with the proper utilization.

I mentioned the hands earlier, and we saw those on display in the playoff win over the Ravens:

Excellent positioning by the defensive back there – no reason that should’ve been a catch. But, it’s a good example of Smith’s ability to high-point a football, track it, haul it in, and secure it. That’s called makin’ a play, folks.

During the four-game stretch from 10/6/20-10/27/20, Smith had 207 yards and a touchdown. During the three-game stretch from 12/8/20-12/22/20, he had 152 yards and two touchdowns. He was streaky, but those little stretches were in there and are an indicator of Smith’s potential. If he can just get it going on a consistent basis, he’s going to rule – and that’s feasible.

The circumstances finally seem ripe for Smith to take that next step in his career and become not only one of the go-to weapons on the Titans offense, but one of the best tight ends in the NFL. He’s built in a similar fashion to the guys who are dominating the position now – all he needs is the opportunity and to stay healthy.

I think that’s the case in 2020.

Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD and #BeBetter. “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley

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