Titans X-Factor: Nicholas Petit-Frere

Could Nicholas Petit-Frere Be the Titans' X-Factor on the Offensive Line?

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After an offseason that included a massive amount of change, continuity and familiarity are two words the Titans would love to embrace right about now. 

Sure, upgrading this roster with more talent sounds about right, well it should if you don’t want to be given a pink slip and thrown out the door like Jazz from the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. *cough cough Jon Robinson cough cough*

But holding on to some familiar faces helps keep the process at least somewhat easy and prevents you from going through an off-season full of teaching, instead one full of teaching, as well as refinement and correcting. 

For the Titans, they’re going through a bit of a similar pathway right now, as their offensive line has a lot of new faces, most of which are pegged to start once Week One kicks off in early to mid September. 

Andre Dillard is scheduled to start at left tackle, Peter Skoronski at left guard, and Daniel Brunskill at right guard. And that’s going down if all things go right, barring any sort of injury or unexpected training camp gaffe that leaves one of those names on the bubble in terms of starting. 

But referring back to the theme here — which is continuity — the Titans do have some names that are returning and should be in line to start alongside the three newcomers. 

Aaron Brewer should start at center — although I still have many doubts about his ability to hold up in the interior, mostly due to his undersized frame and his previous failure to hold up as a guard — and perhaps the most interesting piece should start at right tackle, second year pro Nicholas Petit-Frere. 

Petit-Frere had a mostly down rookie year in 2022, with growing rookie pains contributing to the nauseating play at times. 

But with a year under his belt, there is some optimism that he could reverse course and put together a solid second year. And if he does, he could seriously change the trajectory of this Titans offensive line. 

What Happened Last Season?

Everyone knows just how bad the Titans’ offensive line was in 2022. 

Injuries played a part, as Taylor Lewan, Ben Jones, and Nate Davis all missed time due to injuries. 

But poor performance was a big factor too, as Dennis Daley — forgive me for triggering your PTSD — and Dillon Radunz — lost the competition for the starting RT job during training camp — both failed to meet the expectations placed upon them. 

So much so, that the Titans allowed 49 sacks all year long in 2022, good for sixth worst in the league. In all honesty that number still feels too low based on the eye test last season, which is saying something. 

Petit-Frere was a part of the poor performance club, but not so poor to where he could’ve been compared to the likes of Daley. Petit-Frere allowed 35 total pressures in 2022, tied for the 21st worst among all eligible offensive tackles, this all according to PFF. 

That includes 5 sacks allowed, tied for the 25th worst mark among eligible tackles in 2022. 

To put it simply, Petit-Frere wasn’t nearly in the place the Titans needed him to be. That isn’t to say the Titans expected him to be perfect, but I’m sure they didn’t expect the rough season he had, especially after how much he emerged during training camp last summer. 

But the arrow can still be looked at as pointing up, as Petit-Frere still has room to grow due to his impressive athletic profile and technique that’s still developing. 

That’s why if things work out the way the Titans want, Petit-Frere could stand as the missing key that unlocks improved offensive line play across all 5 positions in 2023. 

How Can He Be an X-Factor? 

What the Titans have right now, is a solid group of linemen that can give you a fighting chance to keep your offense on schedule. 

That means no negative plays, like sacks, pressures that lead to mistakes, or run plays being stuffed before they can even get the gears churning. 

That isn’t anything close to elite — if it was, half of the league would have dominant offensive lines — but for a team that’s undergoing a bit of a retooling, that’s about as good as you can ask for considering the circumstances. 

If you can get the three newcomers on the same page, you’ll be left with two mainstays that can tap into the pool of excellence and give you stability, something the Titans haven’t had along the offensive line in quite some time. 

Aaron Brewer has some shouts regarding his ability to play better at center than guard, so that leaves Petit-Frere and his potential improved play at right tackle to right the ship for good. 

There’s still some unknowns with Brunskill, since he was mostly a vastly used utility lineman for the 49ers throughout his time there. 

Is he ready for such a significant jump in snaps? If he is, then the concerns are gone. But if he isnt, the right side of the offensive line will suddenly go haywire, that’s if Petit-Frere can’t work himself into a tackle that isn’t deemed as a liability. 

No one is asking him to suddenly morph into Lane Johnson and instantly dominate everyone he lines up across. That’s simply way too unlikely and probably only possible if you edit his stats in Madden. 

But if he can put together a solid, stable season at right tackle, then the Titans should be able to piece together an offense that has the potential to be somewhat respectable…..on paper. 

There’s still the matter of receivers and such, but that discussion is for another day. What the Titans want is to win the battle in the trenches and bend the will of their opponent, which can only be accomplished with, you guessed it. 

An offensive line that can do the job for you. 

Petit-Frere has a chance to do that by locking down the right side of that offensive line. It’s a stretch, but he has the tools to do it, all that’s left is for the former Ohio State Buckeye to mold his physical tools and improved technique into something you at least have to acknowledge. 

Overview 

Again, I don’t think anyone is asking Petit-Frere to turn himself into an All-Pro caliber tackle in such a short period of time. 

What people are asking him to do though, is be a tackle option worth relying on during a mass revolution of change not only on the offensive line, but throughout the rest of the roster as well. 

There’s been a lot of young tackles that have struggled to meet this demand, so the feeling of worry is still there until Petit-Frere can show he truly belongs in this league. 

But with the way the Titans have been able to mold talent over the last half decade, those concerns aren’t too much of a factor at this time. 

Petit-Frere’a development over the next 7-8 months will be fascinating to watch. Will he give the Titans another roster spot to feel less insecure about? Or will the Titans have to seriously think about investing too capital into the spot next off-season or beyond? 

That’s the fun in the game, we can only wait and see. 

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