2024 NFL Draft: How OL guru Bill Callahan could impact Titans’ strategy

Ben Arthur

AFC South Reporter

Prior to the NFL Combine, the Titans held what they call “profile tape meetings,” during which the position coaches put together what they’re looking for at their respective positions.

It was a very detailed process. Personnel executives, coaches and scouts gathered in the team meeting room at Saint Thomas Sports Park to get on the same page. They discussed the tapes for hours.

That’s where new offensive line coach Bill Callahan left an indelible mark.

“It was a clinic,” general manager Ran Carthon said at the combine. “Everyone left with their mind’s blown and coming to the realization that we still got a lot to learn [about] what it’s going to take to play for him. But I think for a guy like that who’s been such a strong developer of talent at the O-line position, it gives us a little leeway to bring some guys in and him having a plan on how to develop those guys and get them out on the field.”

No Tennessee position coach has drawn as much interest as Callahan, the son of new head coach Brian Callahan and a 46-year NFL coaching veteran.

For decades, Bill Callahan has been widely regarded as one of the NFL’s best offensive line coaches, and the O-line has been the Titans’ biggest weakness in back-to-back seasons. They enter the 2024 NFL Draft needing a franchise left tackle and more help upfront to give second-year quarterback Will Levis the best chance for success.

Prior to joining his son’s staff, Bill Callahan had been the Cleveland Browns‘ offensive line coach for the past four seasons (2020-23). He’s also coached the position for Washington (2015-19), the Cowboys (2012-14), Raiders (1999-2001) and Eagles (1995-97).

“Incredibly detailed,” Brian Callahan said Wednesday of his father. “Has a great vision for what it looks like and how those offensive players fit at each position across the front. He’s seen a lot of it.

“He might compare somebody to someone he coached in 1998 and half the scouts are like, ‘Who’s that?’ He’s just got such a wealth of experience on players and evaluating players. He’s a huge asset for us. He’s a huge asset to me personally with that position, because it’s a hard position to evaluate sometimes and get right. … Huge advantage to our scouting staff to be able to ask him questions and lean on his expertise.”

Titans hire former Bengals OC Brian Callahan to replace Mike Vrabel

How will Bill Callahan’s presence impact Tennessee’s draft approach? Here are a couple of predictions

1. Titans stay at No. 7 overall, draft left tackle

This isn’t earth-shattering, of course. Tennessee staying at No. 7 to take a blindside protector for Levis has been the most common prediction by draftniks.

But there’s some belief that the depth of this offensive tackle class — some draft evaluators have called it one of the best of all time — could entice the Titans to either trade back from 7 to take a left tackle, or wait until the second round to take one.

[Rob Rang: 2024 NFL Draft OT rankings: Scouting the best tackle class in 20-plus years]

Wide receiver is also a possibility for the Titans at the top of the draft. That all leaves the door open for uncertainty. So it’s not hard to imagine Bill Callahan pounding on the table for a potential franchise left tackle with the seventh overall pick.

The hit rate on top-flight left tackles outside the top of the draft is slim, no matter who is coaching them.

Fourteen different NFL offensive linemen have been Pro Bowlers in the year Callahan was either their offensive line coach or head coach: Lincoln Kennedy (Raiders, 2000-01), Barrett Robbins (Raiders, 2002), Steve Wisniewski (Raiders, 2000), Alan Faneca (Jets, 2008-09), Nick Mangold (Jets, 2008-11), D’Brickashaw Ferguson (Jets, 2009-11), Brandon Moore (Jets, 2011), Tyron Smith (Cowboys, 2013-14), Zack Martin (Cowboys, 2014), Travis Frederick (Cowboys, 2014), Brandon Scherff (Washington, 2016-17) Trent Williams (Washington, 2015-18), Joel Bitonio (Browns, 2020-23) and Wyatt Teller (Browns, 2021-23).

Of those 14, only four have been tackles: Kennedy, Smith, Ferguson and Williams. And all were selected within the top nine picks of their respective drafts.

“I’ll say this: You can never replace elite talent,” Brian Callahan said at the combine. “You can coach guys. Coaching makes an impact. It matters. But ultimately, the better players you have, the better coach you are. And so, I will never pass up on elite talent just because I think we have a great coach.

“Great coaches with elite talent is special. And so, we’re trying to get to that point.”

2. Titans will take an offensive lineman on Day 3

We can say with near certainty that the Titans will take an offensive tackle early in the draft. They may even take two offensive linemen in the top 100.

Regardless, it would not be surprising to see Tennessee take a swing on a developmental offensive lineman on Day 3 of the draft, based on the elder Callahan’s track record.

Of the last nine teams he’s been part of (Washington from 2015-19, Browns from 2020-23), seven of them chose at least one offensive lineman in the fourth round or later (Washington in 2015, 2017, 2019; Browns from 2020-23). Three of them — the 2015 Commanders, 2019 Commanders and 2023 Browns — took two in the fourth round or later.

“There are times when you can take players — maybe not necessarily at the top of the draft or for top-dollar in free agency — but where you can develop players quickly and they can contribute for you,” Brian Callahan said at the combine. “Because as we all know, you’re going to have multiple sets of players playing up front. Very rarely do you stay with the same five for the course of a season. So that development and that depth is always going to be really important.

“And there’s nobody better at developing it than [Bill Callahan].”

Ben Arthur is the AFC South reporter for FOX Sports. He previously worked for The Tennessean/USA TODAY Network, where he was the Titans beat writer for a year and a half. He covered the Seattle Seahawks for SeattlePI.com for three seasons (2018-20) prior to moving to Tennessee. You can follow Ben on Twitter at @benyarthur.