Dillon Radunz, the Becker Bulldog alum and  Tennessee Titans’ second-round pick in this year’s draft, lost his chance to be a Super Bowl champion when the Tennessee Titans coughed up a loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in last weekend’s divisional playoffs.

Radunz did not see any action in the game, but will head into the offseason as a strong potential starter in 2022-23 with the starting five O-line in flux.

Radunz was selected with the idea he would compete for the team’s starting right tackle position straight out of the gate. That never really materialized after allowing Jack Conklin leave via free agency during the 2020 offseason.

However, the transition from North Dakota State – an FCS power – proved much more daunting than the Titans or Radunz ever would have imagined. As they always say, the speed of the game takes the most adjusting.

Heading into the draft, the Titans liked Radunz’s versatility. They felt the second-rounder could play both guard and tackle, and he worked at both spots during Senior Bowl practices in January. However, the team would like Radunz to fit in at one position and be the anchor whether at tackle or guard for years to come.

“In a perfect world, he plays one position,” offensive line coach Keith Carter said. “You stick him there and see where it can get him. We’re going to need him to play more than one spot.”

Radunz’ fate might all change come next fall.

“Dillon’s doing a nice job plugging him in where ever we ask him to play and knows his stuff, said Todd Downing, offensive coordinator for the Tennessee Titans.

“We’ll just continue to watch him grow and develop,” he said.

Radunz did get his first start in a game versus San Francisco in week 16. His task was to try and shut down one of the best pass rushers in Nick Bosa and Radunz did just that. So much that Bosa ended up moving to the right side of the line to face David Quessenberry, whom Bosa deemed an easier matchup than the rookie.

Titans management have said Radunz “has a future on the outside where he could use his athleticism and length to leverage his way around and in front of defenders.” They say he has the perfect blend of athleticism and size to play as a fullback or tight end in their jumbo packages. 

In fact, you could honestly have him take Geoff Swaim’s place on the bulk of running downs considering his struggles in run blocking this season.

Will Lomas, a writer for the Titans said in early January, “Regardless of how they might use him, the fact is that they just need him on the field in some role. The coaching staff can’t pretend like he is still a work in progress anymore and the fans should be furious if the coaching staff makes him a healthy scratch again.”

One of Radunz’ issues has been his time away from the game. Counting the two preseason games this year, Radunz had played in only three games since the 2019 college season because the pandemic restricted North Dakota State’s schedule to one game. No matter how much time you spend getting reps in practice, it’s hard to shake that kind of rust off and be at full speed.

“Once he catches up to the speed of the game, he plays lightning fast,” said former North Dakota State offensive line coach A.J. Blazek “He’s a guy that understands X’s and O’s. He’s an engineer. He’s really smart with angles. Some guys that are thinkers, they slow down. He’s able to process all of that and still play fast too.”

In August in Tennessee’s second preseason game, Radunz started at right guard against the Buccaneers before moving to right tackle. Buccaneers’ first-round pick Joe Tryon-Shpyinka beat Radunz repeatedly off the edge.

Tryon finished with one sack and a QB hit to go along with a number of pressures. Sometimes it was a bull rush, other times it was speed off the edge. Almost every time, it wasn’t pretty.

However, the inconsistency didn’t rock Radunz from his confidence and nerve. 

“He’s had his struggles,” offensive line coach Keith Carter said. “But every rookie has their struggles. He’s got a great attitude. We focus on small victories. There are things improving and getting better every day.”

All season, coaches have praised the work ethic and the character of Radunz, who headed out to the practice field early each day, eager for the opportunity to do extra work with assistant offensive line coach Mike Sullivan. There was never a hint that Radunz’s struggles were anything like right tackle Isaiah Wilson’s, the Titans’ 2019 first-round pick, who self-destructed during his rookie season.

Prior to week 16, Radunz had been scratched from the lineup five times, most recently in Week 13 against Jacksonville. In the nine games Radunz played, he logged a grand total of 53 offensive snaps.

“Obviously, as far as goals for myself, you feel disappointed when you don’t play as much as you want,” Radunz said. “We’re all competitors on this team. We’re all going to want to play more. So obviously there’s going to be that disappointment there. But you’ve got to understand that. You’ve got to be teachable.”

But, at the Thursday morning team meeting two days before Christmas, Radunz got the word: He would be the Titans’ starting left tackle that night. Protecting the blind side. In a nationally televised game. Against a hard-charging San Francisco defense that featured Nick Bosa, who entered the contest with 15 sacks, just 2.5 behind NFL leader T.J. Watt.

“Dillon, a guy who didn’t even know he was going to be active probably, and all of a sudden he is starting the game and playing every play for us,” Quarterback Ryan Tannehill said in the team’s 20-17 win. “It felt like he did a great job.”

“I feel like I did decent,” said Radunz. “There’s obviously stuff to continue to improve on. I didn’t feel like I did terrible. The most important part is the team got a win. And I was able to fill that role.”

Welcome to the spotlight, Dillon Radunz. Let’s hope he continues to shine come next July when training camp opens. And maybe, just maybe, Dillon helps bring a Super Bowl title to Tennessee. 

Titan Up!