Monty Rice
Monty Rice

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The heady, undrafted second-year underdog looks to be leading the athletic third-year third-rounder.

Ultimately the Titans want the most productive inside linebacker they can get next to Azeez Al-Shaair, whether it’s Jack Gibbens or Monty Rice.

But that Rice has played a good share of second teams snaps behind Gibbens is a bad sign for another high draft pick. The Titans took Rice 92nd overall in 2021 when they had other needs, seemingly lining up the next guy in a line of succession extending from Avery Williamson through Jayon Brown to David Long.

It’s Gibbens, however, who’s in a more favorable spot.

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Paul Kuharsky has covered the Tennessee Titans since 1996, first for The Tennessean, then ESPN.com and now independently at paulkuharsky.com. He is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame selection committee and one of the longest-tenured Titans beat reporters in the franchise's history.

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