With Kevin Byard back at Tennessee Titans minicamp, the defense dominates
The Tennessee Titans' first open mandatory minicamp practice looked an awful lot like their voluntary OTAs did.
The Titans let media in to minicamp Tuesday, providing a glimpse at the fullest version of the roster that's been at the facility this spring and summer. Here are four of The Tennessean's observations from Tuesday's practice.
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The defense creeps back to full strength
Kevin Byard, the Titans' highest-profile OTA absence, made his first appearance of the offseason at minicamp. The two-time All Pro safety hadn't been present for optional workouts dating back to April but immediately made his presence known upon returning. Teammates like linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair raved about Byard's knack for communication and how quickly he was back to making plays, headlined by an impressive pass breakup in a team drill.
Along with Byard, defensive lineman Denico Autry and defensive backs Sean Murphy-Bunting and Amani Hooker were present after missing one or both of the team's open OTA sessions.
The defense wasn't at full strength though. Cornerback Caleb Farley and outside linebacker Harold Landry are still recovering from injuries and cornerback Kristian Fulton did not practice Tuesday despite being at the facility.
The other absences
In addition to Fulton, Landry and Farley, five other Titans didn't participate in Tuesday's practice. Like Farley and Landry, offensive lineman Dillon Radunz is recovering from injury. As was the case at OTAs, tight end Trevon Wesco was absent as well. Freshly-absent players included defensive backs Elijah Molden and Josh Thompson and linebacker Sam Okuayinonu.
Not being on the practice field does not mean a player is not at a mandatory workout. Per team rules, The Tennessean is not permitted to report which players are in the weight room or working out with the athletic training staff during practices.
A defensive day
The defense outpaced the offense in nearly every drill. In addition to a strong return performance from Byard, multiple other players in the secondary made impressive plays, namely Murphy-Bunting. More than just pass breakups, the defense did a good job of closing coverage windows and preventing passes over the middle, which was one of the offensive focuses of the day per coach Mike Vrabel.
"I think it's been good to have the bulk of the secondary back," Vrabel said. "It looked like they were communicating. It's those things week-to-week you try to improve on."
Quarterback corner
Veteran Ryan Tannehill has been the Titans' most consistent quarterback throughout offseason practices and that didn't change at minicamp. The strong defensive day made it a little harder for him to throw to open receivers without challenge, but he still made some stand-out throws including a long touchdown connection with tight end Chig Okonwko.
Second-year passer Malik Willis made some of his best plays of the spring, moving the chains with his arm and legs. Despite the highlight moments, Willis still made a couple late throws or bad decisions like the kinds that limited him last season.
Rookie Will Levis didn't get much of a chance to show his talents Tuesday with the defense swarming, especially since two of his best passes of the day were dropped by receivers.
Nick Suss is the Titans beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Nick at nsuss@gannett.com. Follow Nick on Twitter @nicksuss.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee Titans minicamp: How Kevin Byard's return went
