NASHVILLE, Tenn. – When the Titans lost offensive lineman Byron Bell to a season-ending injury last month, no one was looking for a bright side.

A durable pro during the course of his NFL career, Bell was expected to have a role in 2016. At the least, he'd be a valuable swingman, capable of playing guard or tackle. Then came the injury.

One thing Bell's injury did was speed things up for Titans rookie Jack Conklin, however. And the first-round pick has taken full advantage of the extra work at right tackle.

"Jack has quietly done his job,'' coach Mike Mularkey said. "You haven't heard a lot from Jack, but he does what we ask him to do. And any time you get reps it is going to be a bonus for you. He twisted his ankle last week and he played through it. He is exactly what we were hoping for to fill that spot if we had to."

Bell started all 16 games for the Titans last season – seven at left guard, eight at right tackle and one at left tackle. Bell was working at right tackle the day he was injured.

Conklin, the team's first-round pick out of Michigan State, stepped in. He's gotten the majority of the reps at right tackle alongside right guard Chance Warmack ever since.

Call it making the best of a bad situation.

"It is unfortunate the way it has happened, but it has definitely thrown me into the fire a little bit,'' Conklin said. "The first day I had nine reps and then the second day I had 22 or something like that. It has definitely sped up the learning process.

"It's unfortunate (what happened with Byron). That's never the way you want it to happen, especially depth-wise and everything, and Byron being a good guy. But working with Chance, we're starting to get to jell a little bit and understanding each other and footwork and stuff, it's going well."

The Titans wrap up a three-day minicamp on Thursday at Saint Thomas Sports Park.

Conklin said he's already looking forward to putting on the pads in training camp. He admits he's a quiet guy, but he's not afraid to speak up if needed, he said.

"When you hear about us, that's usually when something has gone wrong,'' Conklin said of offensive linemen. "It is how I go about my business -- I am going to work hard and be quiet about it and when I see a chance to be a leader and talk about things that's when I am going to make my mark.

"But I am the rookie coming in here and I have a lot to learn, and that's how I am looking at things."