5 players who Titans need to be great in 2020

1. Derrick Henry

The Titans may depend on Derrick Henry more than any other franchise depends on a single player. The physical running back must perform at an elite level to give Tennessee any chances of reaching the playoffs again in 2020.

Again, Henry can’t just be a good running back. He needs to be great to keep this offense humming. That means he needs to flirt with 300 carries and still maintain his 5.1 yards per carry average. His workload might dip slightly in 2019, but he’s still going to get the ball a ton.

One issue the Titans need to navigate is how to keep him fresh for a full 16-game schedule. There will be a strong temptation to use him to bludgeon opponents into submission early in the season. A little discretion during the regular season might pay major dividends for Tennessee down the stretch.

Unfortunately for Vrabel and his staff, they might not be able to afford that luxury. Their entire offense is based around Henry’s ability to grind out yards on the ground. That’s why he must be elite again in 2020 to keep this franchise headed in the right direction.