Tennessee Titans Roster Profile: LB Jack Gibbens

Welcome to Music City Miracles’ Tennessee Titans 2023 Roster Profile! Between now and August, MCM will feature more than two dozen talents. The main goal is to highlight underrated contributors and key rotational players. We’ll throw in the odd superstar or roster-bubble player, but we’re mainly focused on spotlighting the middle of the roster. That’s where key depth helps define a roster’s ceiling.

Today, we’re analyzing inside linebacker Jack Gibbens.

Basic Info

Height: 6-foot-3

Weight: 242

College: Minnesota

Entered League: Undrafted free agent following the 2022 NFL Draft

Experience: 2

Years with team: 2

Contract Status

“Jack Gibbens signed a 1 year, $705,000 contract with the Tennessee Titans, including an average annual salary of $705,000. In 2023, Gibbens will earn a base salary of $870,000, while carrying a cap hit of $870,000.” Spotrac

The Good

Jack Gibbens was a bit of a revelation for the Titans as an undrafted rookie in 2022. The former Minnesota standout quickly endeared himself to head coach Mike Vrabel thanks to his football I.Q. and overall compete level. Gibbens worked his way up the depth chart to earn 215 defensive snaps as a rookie, per Pro Football Reference.

Gibbens was an excellent downhill attacker, having earned a run-stopping grade of 73.7 from Pro Football Focus. Gibbens was ultimately credited with 18 solo tackles, 10 assists and eight overall stops. He took advantage of his limited playing time.

The Bad

Gibbens was a bit of a liability in pass coverage. PFF assigned Gibbens a lackluster coverage grade of 51.7. If Gibbens wants to develop into a three-down linebacker, he’ll have to improve his coverage abilities moving forward. As of now, Gibbens profiles as more of a two-down run stuffer that makes way for a more athletic linebacker in third-and-obvious passing situations.

2023 Outlook:

The Titans severely overturned their roster at the inside linebacker position this offseason. David Long Jr. and Dylan Cole signed elsewhere via unrestricted free agency. Zach Cunningham was released from his contract. Together, they represented Tennessee’s top three options at linebacker last season.

Free-agent acquisition Azeez Al-Shaair is penciled into Long’s vacated starting role. Gibbens could find himself in a competition alongside Monty Rice for the other starting spot. Rice may be the slight in-house favorite, but must also prove he’s capable of staying healthy through a 17-game season.

Gibbens should be comfortably ahead of the other alternative choices as Chance Campbell, Luke Gifford and Ben Niemann. If Gibbens captures Tennessee’s No. 3 linebacker role, he’s going to play a ton of snaps as a sophomore.