Jan 18, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Tershawn Wharton (98) reacts during the fourth quarter of a 2025 AFC divisional round game against the Houston Texans at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images / Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

The Tennessee Titans need to bolster their defensive line ahead of free agency.

With Sebastian Joseph-Day hitting the open market, there is an opening and necessity for a veteran defensive lineman on the team.

Given his roots to the Kansas City Chiefs, it could make sense for Titans general manager Mike Borgonzi to be interested in defensive lineman Tershawn Wharton.

"Wharton played more in 2024 than he had in his previous four seasons, managing 8.5 combined sacks between the regular season and the playoffs. That sack total might net him a decent paycheck, but it comes with some large contextual red flags," ESPN's Seth Walder writes.

"For starters, his 7% pass rush win rate at defensive tackle doesn't match the sack production, ranking 34th out of 47 qualifiers at the position. There are also two major factors which could have inflated his sack totals. He played on a Chiefs team that was often ahead (sacks are much more likely when opponents are forced into desperate passing situations to catch up) and he played next to Chris Jones, the best defensive tackle in football.

"Though Jones had fewer sacks than Wharton this past season, his 16% pass rush win rate was more than double Wharton's. Jones also attracted a high rate of double-teams when lined up at defensive tackle (69.9%), freeing up Wharton for a lower-than-average double-team rate of 53.3%.

"All of this is to say Wharton -- who also had a below-average run stop win rate in 2024 (29%) -- could get an inflated price for a few sacks that might be difficult to repeat in a different situation."

If Wharton teamed up with Jeffery Simmons and T'Vondre Sweat, the Titans would possibly have one of the best defensive lines in the entire league.