Titans minicamp: Peter Skoronksi should continue playing tackle and guard

Early indications out of Tennessee Titans OTA’s were that rookie first-round pick Peter Skoronski was working with the first-team at left guard and the second team at left tackle. That’s an appropriate strategy for the Titans as they go through minicamp this week. Skoronski is working on becoming a position-flex player.

The reason it represents an appropriate strategy is because the Titans don’t have adequate backup tackles. If Andre Dillard or Nicholas Petit-Frere were to suffer an injury, excluding Skoronski, the current depth chart indicates Jaelyn Duncan, Andrew Rupcich or John Ojuwku would enter the game. None of those players should be considered in-season options.

It’s a necessary strategy because Dillard has especially been injury prone throughout the course of his career. All of the Titans’ best backup linemen are interior players. Kicking Skoronski to tackle would allow Corey Levin, Jordan Roos or JaMarco Jones to enter the lineup as opposed to an inexperienced option like Duncan or Rupcich.

Jones represents an alternative choice because he has some tackle-guard flexibility, but the Titans have primarily viewed him as a guard. Dillon Radunz probably isn’t a factor either. Radunz suffered a late-season torn ACL that likely indicates he’ll begin the 2023 campaign on the PUP, missing a minimum of Tennessee’s opening six contests.

Typically speaking, the Titans would be hesitant to overwhelm a rookie. That doesn’t appear to be the case with Skoronski, who has worked at multiple positions. Skoronski is a technically advanced prospect that could handle juggling multiple roles. While Skoronski will likely be Tennessee’s Week 1 starter at left guard, he’s flexible enough to potentially play tackle in a pinch.