The 2026 NFL Draft kicks off tomorrow, and the Tennessee Titans have many big decisions to make. With a total of nine draft selections waiting for them, the rebuilding team out of Nashville needs to land some young talent in order to lift itself from the basement of the NFL.
All of these mocks have been made under the assumption that the Titans will not be trading any of their picks.
Round 1 / Pick 4: Jereymiah Love / RB / Notre Dame
Love is either 1A or 1B in this class for the best player. No weapon will change an offense for a team as much as Love would on the Titans. Since the NFL combine, it feels like the Titans have been doing damage control by showing interest in other prospects. Nevertheless, Love should become a Tennessee Titan.
For more analysis on Love’s fit with the Titans, check out our Titans draft preview.
Round 2 / Pick 35: Zion Young / Edge | Keylan Rutledge / IOL
When the “Titans Draft Preview” was released on April 7, Keylan Rutledge was one of the more overlooked linemen in the draft — things change in a hurry over the course of weeks.
Rutledge is one of, if not the most, physical players in the entire draft. Playing all three interior offensive line spots, he has the ability to play in almost every scheme on Day 1. These factors have made it to the point where if he’s still available at pick 35, it would be a slam dunk pick for the Titans after taking Love in the first round.
When it comes to the NFL draft, though, never expect to be lucky with a player being at a spot. This is where Missouri Edge Zion Young comes into play.
Zion Young fits what Saleh’s defense needs at the edge position right now — a dude who has size and is nasty in the run game. Over his senior season with the Tigers, his pass-rushing ability jumped drastically, which has put him in the conversation to be a top-50 pick.
Round 3 / Pick 66: Ted Hurst / WR / Georgia State
The Titans are in need of an elite playmaking outside receiver, and there aren’t too many after the first-round guys. This leaves the Titans with the choices of Malachi Fields from Notre Dame, Bryce Lance from North Dakota State, or Ted Hurst from Georgia State.
Out of the three, Hurst fits the Titans’ timeline and the scheme. The physical tools that Hurst possesses has made him stick out when compared to others. Standing at 6-foot-4 and running a 4.42 in the 40-yard dash at the combine, Hurst has all the upside to become an elite playmaker at the next level.
The main question that Hurst has had from scouts is “Why has this kid been playing at Georgia State?”
Athleticism could make Hurst fly up draft boards on Day 2, but with the Titans having this early pick in the third round, the value matches the slot.
Round 4 / Pick 101: Bryce Boetticher LB Oregon
An under-discussed need for the Titans this offseason is a coverage linebacker down the road. Boetticher might be one of the best in the entire draft and has been a force at Oregon for years.
Boetticher played baseball at Oregon as a center fielder, and it’s translated on the football field several ways. He’s able to attack angles as good as anyone in the class and eat up large amounts of space easily. He’s very sticky in coverage and uses his baseball and high school defensive-back background to make plays on the ball.
He’s a perfect high-motor fit for the Titans with what is becoming a high-energy defense. If his name is available to start Day 3, he should become a Titan.
Round 5 / Pick 142: Charles Demmings / CB / Stephen F. Austin | Hezekiah Masses / CB / California
The Titans are in desperate need of an outside corner to add depth. Having two different options here makes sense because ultimately, from this point on in the draft, teams will take their guys earlier than expected.
Demmings and Masses are very similar when you compare their tape and play styles on the field, but ultimately, Demmings will be the priority if he is available here. Demmings is a better athlete when compared to Masses, so this will give him the competitive advantage to be picked sooner
Masses brings experience to the table when compared to Demmings. He is also a lengthy corner who has excelled at Cal over multiple years. Either guy that the Titans take should be able to come into camp ready to compete for regular-season snaps.
Round 5 / Pick 144: Pat Coogan / OL / Indiana | Max Illewellyn / EDGE / Iowa
This pick should become the opposite of what is taken at No. 35. The offensive line option to take here should be Pat Coogan because he’s played a ton of football. There may not be a smarter interior offensive linemen in the entire draft than him. He led Indiana to the National Championship so giving another high IQ player alongside Cam Ward is never a bad idea.
Max Illewellyn might not be on the board here, but he has one of the best spin moves in the entire draft. He would be able to join the Titans and be able to make an impact on third down immediately.
Final Picks in Late Rounds
These two picks in the fifth round are the last guys that would not be considered long-term projects or long-shots to make the final roster breaking camp. Here are the remaining picks for the Titans in the draft.
- Sixth Round / Pick 184: Dae’Quan Wright / Tight-End / Ole Miss
- Sixth Round / Pick 194: Vincent Anthony Jr. / Edge-Rusher / Duke
- Seventh Round / Pick 225: Colbie Young / Wide-Reciever / Georgia
All three of these players will offer special teams depth and are projects with tremendous upside. Wright has a huge receiving frame at 6-foot-4, but needs to be consistently more physical at the point of attack on blocking. Anthony Jr. has been playing football forever; he will have a higher floor. Young has tremendous talent late here in the draft with the physicals. He has struggled to stay on the field, but if the Titans could figure him out, they would have a nice special teams and deep depth option.
After Saturday, the Titans’ plans will be further clarified. This group of picks will kick off a new era of Tennessee football, which has been desperately needed for a hungry city ready to get back to winning.
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