B/R top 1000 Tennessee Titans: defensive ends

Matt Miller is publishing his "B/R NFL 1000" rankings, where he goes over film and meticulously ranks and grades the performances of nearly every contributing member of each NFL team. This is a refreshing change from PFF rankings, which I enjoy but some people don't fully believe in.

This is his ranking of the Tennessee Titans defensive ends, and some commentary on each player:

Ropati Pitoitua: #25

Interesting fact: RP was ranked right above former first round draft pick Datone Jones.

It should be no surprise that Pitoitua makes it on this list, and grades out as an above average player. It is easy to forget the impact he has had on the Titans the last few years, but he has had some pretty good games.

Matt Miller thinks he is deficient as a pass rusher, but ultimately grades out as one of the better run defenders in the league:

"He's not much of a mover, but he holds very little bad weight. Some of that may be due to his stretched-out body, but he plays strong-on-strong football. That strength and length help him stack and shed guards and tackles each game."

Jurrell Casey: #6

Interesting fact: Muhammed Wilkerson, Haloti Ngata, Justin Smith, and Corey Liuget were all ranked below the Tennessee Titans defender.

No one is scoffing at the idea that Jurrell Casey is an elite defender anymore.

What can you say about Casey. Not only was he one of the top players on this list, but he is doing it in a system that probably doesn't take advantage of his strengths. This year, the Titans should put him on display more and he should stand out much more now that blockers will be preoccupied with other rushers.

This is a great spot for the Casey, and Matt Miller calls him a "key building block" on the Titans defensive line.