Also, check out the five critical questions facing the Arizona Cardinals, Cincinnati Bengals, San Diego Chargers, Carolina Panthers and Minnesota Vikings.

Last season, the Titans and Buccaneers found themselves in a race to the bottom. After a strong offseason and a stellar draft, Tennessee is ready to start the slow climb back to the top.

Can the Titans get back into the playoff hunt in the wide-open AFC? Or will the team be executing another high draft pick next Spring? To answer those questions, we must first address the following five queries.

How steep is Marcus Mariota’s learning curve?

After spending much of February, March and April hyping up QB Zach Mettenberger, the Titans wasted no time snapping up Mariota with the No. 2 overall pick and immediately naming him the uncontested starter. And now that Mariota has finally signed his rookie contract after a prolonged dispute about offset language, Titans officials can turn their attention to getting Mariota prepared after he spent his college career in Oregon’s no-huddle spread offense.

Head coach Ken Whisenhunt has experience developing mobile-but-raw quarterback prospects; he was the offensive coordinator in Pittsburgh during Ben Roethlisberger’s first three seasons. But the challenge is greater with Mariota, who still must master the basics of the position such as calling plays in the huddle and taking snaps under center.

The Titans don’t want Mariota to spend too much time in his head, so they are encouraging him to see the field and trust his instincts, whether that means throwing the ball or tucking and running. As such, Mariota’s rookie campaign could be more Russell Wilson than Roethlisberger.

“The league does a good job trying to protect quarterbacks, but any time a quarterback takes off with the ball there’s a risk,” Whisenhunt said. “There will be (designed) opportunities, but there will also be a lot of opportunities, just like with Russell Wilson, when the play breaks down and he runs with the ball and extends the play.”

Can Taylor Lewan and Chance Warmark play up to their potential?

Mariota’s success depends greatly on the success of the men blocking for him. While the entire offensive line needs to play better (the unit ranked No. 28 last season, according to Pro Football Focus), the two players under the strongest spotlight are recent top-11 picks Lewan (2014) and Warmack (2013).

Lewan appeared in 11 games as a rookie, including six starts. The results were mixed, as he allowed four sacks and got called for a half-dozen penalties, but overall he acquitted himself well. That was until Week 12 when he suffered a serious ankle sprain and was lost for the remainder of the season.

Lewan is 100 percent healthy now and was a full participant in Tennessee’s offseason program. That’s critical, as he steps in as the full-time left tackle now after the retirement of Michael Roos.

Warmack disappointed as a rookie when he struggled to keep his weight in check. His conditioning was better last season and it showed in his improved play, but he has still yet to live up to his lofty draft status. It is vital that Warmack continue to elevate his game, as this season he will likely be flanked by rookie RT Jeremiah Poutasi.

Can this year’s draftees take over the skill positions? 

The Titans drafted a couple impact players in the middle rounds in WR Dorial Green-Beckham and RB David Cobb.

If not for off-the-field concerns, Green-Beckham would have likely been a top-15 pick. He has an incredible combination of size (6’5”, 237 lbs.) and speed (4.49 second 40-yard dash). A smooth athlete, his soft hands and large catch radius make even difficult receptions look easy.

Tennessee’s projected starting receivers, Kendall Wright and Justin Hunter, combined to finish with fewer receiving yards than Randall Cobb last season. So to say Green-Beckham will have a chance to crack the starting lineup would be an understatement.

The other Cobb (David) has his eyes on Tennessee’s starting running back position, which is tentatively held by the underwhelming Bishop Sankey. Cobb missed most of the offseason program with a hamstring injury, but if he can stay healthy and put together a strong training camp and preseason, he should carve out a large role on offense.

Cobb runs with the power and decisiveness that Sankey often lacks.

What kind of impact will Dick LeBeau make? 

The Titans beat out the Cardinals in a recruiting war for the services of the longtime mastermind of the Steelers defense. LeBeau takes over as the assistant head coach/defense, where he will help his former assistant — current defensive coordinator Ray Horton — bring some bite back to Tennessee’s defense.

The Titans ranked No. 27 in total defense last season, including No. 31 against the run.

“[LeBeau] is a proven commodity in this league and great teacher,” Whisenhunt said. “One of his greatest assets is the rare ability to relate to all different kinds of players and get the most of them. We had a lot of success together in Pittsburgh and I am looking forward to working together again.”

LeBeau has some players to build around, including Jurrell Casey, Sammie Hill, Avery Williamson, Perrish Cox and Michael Griffin. But as is the case with most 3-4 defenses, everything starts with the outside linebackers. This brings us to our final question …

Can Brian Orakpo and Derrick Morgan combine for 20-plus sacks? 

The Titans knew they had to either re-sign Morgan or bring in Orakpo to anchor their pass rush. Instead, Tennessee landed both players in a move that gives LeBeau and Horton the kind of edge rushers their defense sorely needs.

Morgan has averaged just over six sacks over the last three seasons. He has also provided stout defense against the run, which will prove critical as Tennessee looks to do a better job of knocking opposing offenses off schedule.

Morgan will benefit from playing across from Orakpo, a dominant pass rusher when healthy. Orakpo finished with at least 8.5 sacks in four of his first five seasons, but has battled a pair of pectoral injuries in recent years and has been limited to just 11 sacks over his last 24 games.

If Orakpo can stay healthy, he and Morgan should take advantage of LeBeau’s exotic blitz schemes and Tennessee’s strong defensive line to challenge the combined 20-sack mark.

What do you expect from the Titans? Discuss with Michael Lombardo during his weekly NFL Chat on Friday at 2pm EST. But you don’t have to wait until then … you can ask your question now!