The Tennessee Titans have been building the foundation of a winner. Now their goal is to take the next step and make a playoff run.

Safety Kevin Byard – one of three players who made the annual Bowling Green stop of the Titans Caravan on Thursday night – said he’s feeling enthusiasm around the fanbase and franchise.

“These fans have been waiting a long time for the Titans to be good again – ever since the Steve McNair days,” Byard said at 6-4-3 Sports Bar & Grill. “That’s something we’ve wanted to deliver to the fans. …

“You can just feel it everywhere, no matter if we’re in Nashville, Bowling Green, Murfreesboro, Tenn. It’s everywhere.”

Byard, defensive tackle Jurrell Casey and linebacker Wesley Woodyard all got a warm reaction Thursday from fans excited about the upward trajectory of the franchise.

The uptick began around this time in 2015, when Tennessee drafted Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Marcus Mariota from Oregon.

The Titans endured a 3-13 campaign in Mariota’s rookie season but then improved to 9-7 last season, their first full year under coach Mike Mularkey. Tennessee just missed out on its first playoff bid since 2008.

The six-win improvement now has Titans fans optimistic about taking the step in 2017 and ending that long playoff drought.

“We just have to make sure we keep that up,” said Casey, entering his seventh year out of USC. “We can’t take a step backwards. We’ve got to keep going forward and that’s what our whole goal is.”

Mariota will enter Year 3 as the Titans’ starting quarterback. He improved his quarterback rating from 91.5 in 2015 to 95.6 last season, throwing 26 touchdowns against nine interceptions.

“When you have a quarterback like him continue to be steady and get wins for you, that helps you go in the right direction,” said Casey, a 2016 Pro Bowl selection.

Mariota is supported by a running game that features Pro Bowler DeMarco Murray and former Heisman winner Derrick Henry. Former Western Kentucky running back Antonio Andrews is no longer listed on the roster.

Other returning offensive pieces include Pro Bowlers Taylor Lewan at left tackle and Delanie Walker at tight end and 2016 first-round draft pick Jack Conklin at right tackle.

The defense is entering its third year under legendary coordinator Dick LeBeau. The Titans gave up 357.5 yards per game last season, which ranked 20th in the NFL.

Byard, Casey and Woodyard are all standouts on that side of the ball, along with Pro Bowl linebacker Brian Orakpo. Cornerback Logan Ryan was signed this offseason to shore up the secondary.

“We’ve been in this defense for three years now and that’s what it takes,” Casey said. “Dick LeBeau has run that mindset of, ‘We can get it done with whoever we put on the field.’ Each player we put on the field is going to make a play.”

BYARD HAS MEMORIES OF NEW TITAN WR TAYLOR

Byard got two firsthand looks in college at new Tennessee Titans wide receiver Taywan Taylor. The former Middle Tennessee DB Byard faced off against the former WKU star Taylor in both 2014 and ’15.

Taylor was drafted No. 72 overall last week by Tennessee, making him the second-highest draft pick in WKU history.

“He’s a great receiver,” Byard said. “I had a chance to play against him a couple of years. He actually scored a touchdown on me my senior year so I’m going to mess with him a little bit.

“It’s a great rivalry and going from rivals in college to become family with the Titans, it’s great to have him with the Titans now.”

The Titans had two first-round picks last week, which they used on Western Michigan wide receiver Corey Davis and USC cornerback Adoree’ Jackson.

Taylor and FIU tight end Jonnu Smith went in the third round before Tennessee picked five more players Saturday on the draft’s third day.

“I think we’ve got a lot of guys that have great character, a lot of guys that want to be team-first guys and guys that really don’t care about putting themselves up there first,” Woodyard said. “We have some guys that are going to come in here and compete.”

FORMER CAT WOODYARD A FAN OF KROGER FIELD NAME

The former Kentucky star Woodyard was one of the best defenders to call Commonwealth Stadium home. He was a first-team All-Southeastern Conference performer each of his final two seasons as a Wildcat.

Kentucky announced Monday that Woodyard’s former home is getting a new name. Kroger bought naming rights to Commonwealth Stadium, which will now be called Kroger Field.

The Wildcats are the first SEC team to sell football stadium naming rights. Kroger is paying the school $1.85 million annually for up to 12 years for naming rights and other official sponsorships.

“You know what, I think it was good we were the first (SEC) team on that forefront to take that big partnership … ,” Woodyard said. “I’m pretty excited about that. Hopefully one day I’ll be in there and I’ll be taking over Kroger Field.”

Woodyard was a Wildcat during the team’s mid-2000s resurgence under former coach Rich Brooks. His final season of 2007 included dramatic upsets over both in-state rival Louisville and top-ranked LSU.

Woodyard said he still keeps up with former teammates, including Braxton Kelley, Andre Woodson, Keenan Burton and Jacob Tamme.

The Wildcats are coming off a season where they went 7-6, earning a TaxSlayer Bowl berth. That was UK’s first bowl game under coach Mark Stoops.

“Obviously they would’ve liked to get more wins but coach Stoops got his first bowl appearance and they’re doing some good things up there,” Woodyard said. “They’re continuing to build that recruiting base. He’s touching up in Ohio and getting some guys out of there, going into the South.

“I think that’s a thing you have to do – build your rapport with the kids and just get better players. That’s something he’s doing.”