NASHVILLE — The Tennessee Titans return one of the best pass rush units in the NFL. Second-year corner Caleb Farley's success of failure in 2022 may well determine if Tennessee can elevate their defense to a different tier.

The Titans coaching staff likes their odds.

Half of Tennessee's wins in last season were decided by three points of less, good for most in the league (6). A group under Mike Vrabel's staff and defensive coordinator Shane Bowen that took a massive from 2020 to 2021 needed that drastic improvement to hold opponents at bay. While the offense suffered from unending injuries, the Titans regularly harassed the quarterbacks they played.

Farley's development will be critical while Tennessee's offense faces different obstacles this year.

Time for Farley to show more than potential

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Vrabel and general manager Jon Robinson need production and stability from their secondary.

Personnel packages and situational football will vary from game-to-game, but Farley needs to secure a featured role somewhere in the Titans secondary. A job left vacant by the release of veteran JackRabbit Jenkins this offseason provides the perfect opportunity for the young defensive back. Jenkins may not be a perfect player, but 11 years of starting NFL experience will not be easy to replace.

"I'm just taking it day by day and enjoying the process," Farley told reporters at mandatory minicamp. "I'm loving what I do, and trying to put everything I have into it. Continue to gain the respect of my coaches, my teammates and the community. I'm thankful for my opportunity."

Quite the diplomat.

Farley appeared in three games with one start during his rookie year in Tennessee. He finished with four tackles and one pass defensed before his season came to an end in Week 6 due to a knee injury. Coming in rehabbing a back procedure, missed time as a reserve dealing with a shoulder issue and a mid-October trip to injured reserve is not what the Titans hoped for the first-round pick.

Titans young secondary is in good hands

Starting safety tandem Kevin Byard and Amani Hooker are as good a pair as any in the sport right now.

Tennessee's baby-faced cornerback group with Farley and others could do worse with two teammates of that caliber playing behind them. Up front, the Titans collection of front seven talent is as proven as any in the NFL. Sustained success getting to the quarterback can help the defensive backs immensely as they look to gel as a unit and perfect the various coverages.

Bowen likes the growth he's seen in the early going.

"They're just understanding," Tennessee's defensive coordinator said. "I feel like they're a little bit more poised. It is not as sporadic, not as all over the place, just with some of their understanding being a younger group. I feel like they've matured in that aspect, in terms of just grasping what we're asking them to do.

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Farley's grasp of the corner position is really the only question the Titans have on defense. It is an absolutely essential one to answer, however, for the trajectory of Tennessee's season.

Featured Image: USA TODAY Sports.