Tennessee came into the 2026 offseason with a clear mandate, build around Cam Ward and give him the offensive infrastructure to succeed in his sophomore NFL season. The Titans had a legitimate window in free agency to upgrade their backfield and hand their young franchise quarterback a true workhorse running back.
Instead, Nashville's front office came away without a meaningful addition at the position, leaving a significant hole in what should be a run-first, ball-control offense under new head coach Robert Saleh and offensive coordinator Brian Daboll. Now, all eyes shift to the 2026 NFL Draft, where Tennessee holds the fourth overall pick and a golden opportunity to fix that problem in a single phone call.
The stakes couldn't be higher for this organization. Saleh arrives in Nashville after rebuilding a defensive culture with the New York Jets, but his partnership with Daboll signals an offensive identity that prioritizes physicality, balance, and a ground game capable of controlling the clock and protecting its quarterback.
Daboll spent years in New York and Buffalo crafting offenses that leaned on the run to create play-action opportunities, and that blueprint fits perfectly alongside what Ward brings to the table as a distributor and decision-maker. The only missing ingredient is a true bell-cow running back, and free agency made clear the Titans weren't going to find one by writing checks in March.
Cam Ward Needs a Running Game to Reach His Ceiling
Cam Ward's rookie season offered plenty of reasons for optimism. His arm talent, mobility, and football instincts all translated quickly to the professional level, and he flashed the ability to carry a franchise on his shoulders on a weekly basis. But Ward also showed the vulnerability that almost every young quarterback displays when forced to operate without a reliable ground game, he was put in too many obvious passing situations, faced heavy defensive pressure, and leaned on his arm to do work that a healthy backfield should handle.
Daboll's offensive philosophy is built around the idea that a dominant running back changes everything. When a defense has to account for a physical, explosive back on every snap, the entire offense opens up. Play-action becomes more dangerous, the pocket becomes cleaner, and the quarterback can operate at the top of his game rather than constantly working from behind or navigating third-and-long situations.
For Ward to take the leap from promising rookie to legitimate franchise cornerstone in year two, Tennessee needs to hand him a running back who demands respect from defensive coordinators every single week.
Why Jeremiah Love Is the Answer at Pick Four
This is exactly where the 2026 NFL Draft becomes the most important event on the Titans' calendar. Jeremiah Love has established himself as not just the top running back in this draft class, but as one of the most physically impressive prospects at the position in recent memory. His combination of size, explosiveness, vision, and pass-catching ability makes him a genuine three-down weapon, the kind of back who can carry the ball 25 times and then stay on the field as a legitimate receiving threat out of the backfield on third down.
Jeremiyah Love 8 CAR, 171 YDS, 3 TDs vs Syracuse 2025.
Who's drafting Love?pic.twitter.com/zrdCYZx7Us
— Football Performances (@NFLPerformances) March 15, 2026
Love's ability to make defenders miss in tight spaces, break arm tackles, and consistently fall forward for extra yards gives Daboll exactly the kind of foundation he needs to build a functional, dynamic offense in Tennessee. He profiles as an immediate impact player who could step in as a Day 1 starter and transform the Titans' offensive identity from the ground up. When you pair his skill set with Cam Ward's playmaking ability under center and Daboll's creativity as a play-caller, the ceiling for this offense rises dramatically.
The Titans Can't Let This Draft Moment Pass
Tennessee is at a crossroads. The franchise has invested heavily in Cam Ward as the long-term answer at quarterback, and Robert Saleh has arrived with a mandate to build a contender. But none of that vision comes together without the right offensive pieces around their signal-caller, and the running back position stands as the most glaring void on the entire roster.
Free agency failed to deliver a solution. The Titans have no more offseason shortcuts available. Drafting Jeremiah Love with the fourth overall pick isn't just a smart football decision, it's the move that sets the tone for everything Saleh and Daboll are trying to build in Nashville, and it gives Cam Ward the offensive weapon he needs to take the next step as an NFL quarterback.
