The Tennessee Titans will already look at lot different when the 2026 season kicks off this fall. Tennessee hired Robert Saleh at head coach and will adapt to his 4-3 defensive scheme. As such, the Titans went on a spending spree to add defensive talent during NFL free agency. Tennessee spent $105 million on a pair of cornerbacks and reunited Saleh with John Franklin-Myers on a $63 million deal.
Now the Titans look good, not great, on both sides of the football. That should free them up to pick whoever they want during the 2026 NFL Draft without worrying about fielding a capable team.
Tennessee is one of the more difficult teams to predict ahead of the draft as a result. But that hasn't stopped analysts from zeroing in on a few top prospects.
These are the players who analysts are mocking to the Titans following NFL free agency.
Note: This Titans 2026 NFL Mock Draft roundup only includes mock draft released on March 16th or later following the first week of NFL free agency.
RB Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame
Gordon McGuinness; PFF, Mel Kiper Jr., ESPN; Daniel Jeremiah, NFL.com; Joel Klatt, FOX Sports
By this point, most Titans fans shouldn't be too surprised to see that Love is a popular choice among analysts.
The Titans have significant needs on both sides of the football. That being the case, it does make sense to go beyond simply “best player available” and to target legitimate blue-chip players. At least with a premium, top-five selection.
Love is the definition of a blue-chip player. He boasts incredible speed but has both the durability and mentality to hold up as a three-down back. As a result, NFL.com's Lance Zierlein gave him a pro comparison to Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs.
Tennessee does already have Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears in the backfield. But neither player is good enough to keep the Titans away from Love. It is also important to note that both players are on the last year of their current contracts.
The hype around love has already risen to the point where even this pick could seem a bit lower come draft time. Case in point: McGuinness mocked the Titans to trade up to the second overall pick to land Love. They give up their second-round pick as well as a mid-round pick to move up two spots. This is coming from PFF of all places, who have been strong proponents of the “running backs don't matter” strategy of roster construction.
This would be a great pick for Tennessee that would immediately give them some identity on offense.
EDGE Rueben Bain Jr., Miami
Those who do not have Tennessee picking Love uniformly target defensive players. That is a sensible take given Saleh's defensive nature and the actual talent available towards the top of this year's draft class.
Bain would likely be a popular pick among Titans fans for a few reasons.
First, adding Bain to an edge rusher unit that already has Jermaine Johnson, John Franklin-Myers, and Oluwafemi Oladejo would be a great move. Tennessee would suddenly have plenty of options in terms of personnel, especially in obvious passing situations.
Bain has a mean streak and excellent strength, both qualities that could make Saleh fall in love with him.
There's also the fact that Bain would be reuniting with Titans QB Cam Ward. The cherry on top of this pick is making your franchise quarterback extremely happy.
EDGE David Bailey, Texas Tech
Nate Tice and Charles McDonald, Yahoo Sports
Bailey is one of the other top edge rushers who should go off the board in the first five picks.
Scouts love Bailey's explosiveness, fluidity, and bend — all common traits among truly elite pass rushers. He is adequate when defending the run, but does not boast any elite qualities in that area of his game. Still, it is hardly a liability.
Any NFL team taking Bailey in the top five will be doing so because of his Pro Bowl upside. In Tennessee's case, they may simply be thrilled that one of the best edge rushers in the class fell into their lap at fourth overall.
There's even a case to be made that Bailey could improve against the run by bulking up a bit and receiving more coaching.
It would be tough to argue with this pick.
LB Sonny Styles, Ohio State
Everything about Styles' scouting report screams top-five pick. But would the Titans really pick an off-ball linebacker over an edge rusher or an elite running back?
Perhaps Saleh understands the value of having an irreplicable middle linebacker, even in the modern NFL. It could just be coincidence, but Zierlein's pro comparison is none other than 49ers linebacker Fred Warner. Saleh knows his value better than anyone in the NFL.
Styles has elite production at Ohio State and is also one of the most physically gifted prospects in this year's draft class. Styles is a converted safety, but he does not look the part at 6-foot-5, 244 pounds. His history at safety helps explain why he has such good coverage skills.
But Styles also excels at everything that a traditional middle linebacker is asked to do. He is more than capable of wearing the “green dot” and is an excellent tackler.
Titans fans should not be surprised if Saleh throws positional value to the wind and picks Styles at fourth overall.
