Titans Mock Draft: Mike Herndon Goes Edge Early, Builds Through the Trenches

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By MIKE HERNDON, columnist

The 2026 NFL Draft is finally upon us so it’s time to take a swing at the impossible task of nailing all nine selections that the Titans are currently scheduled to make. 

For this mock, I am picking players that I would like them to select while factoring in information that we have from 30 visits and sourced reporting about players that they are interested in.

Before we jump into the picks, I want to hit on a few overarching thoughts on the draft.

Texas Tech linebacker David Bailey (31) in the second half of an NCAA college football game against Arizona State, Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025, in Tempe, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
David Bailey breaks by an Arizona State blocker / ASSOCIATED PRESS

First, I agree that this draft is not strong at the top. Most analysts have somewhere around 10 or 11 true first-round grades on players and a big chunk of those first-round grades belong to players who don’t play premium positions.

That leaves the Titans in an interesting spot at pick No. 4. They are in a great spot to add star-level talent to a roster that is in dire need of it. Or they could look to trade back and stack some additional draft capital to give Mike Borgonzi more swings at the piñata.

And if they do trade back, do they prioritize 2026 picks or look to grab picks in next year’s draft, which is expected to be loaded with premium talent at premium positions in sharp contrast to this year’s group?

I’m just glad that the waiting is nearly over.

With that, let’s get into the picks and analysis for each of the Titans' nine scheduled selections for this weekend’s draft. I didn’t put trades on the table as that gets too convoluted too quickly.

Round 1, Pick No. 4 Overall: David Bailey, DE, Texas Tech

There is some clarity at the top of the draft. Obviously, the Raiders have been locked in with Fernando Mendoza for months and it’s clear that the Jets will be taking either David Bailey or Arvell Reese at pick No. 2, though the “momentum” there seems to flip by the hour.

So, the question is which edge rusher do the Jets take and then what the heck do the Cardinals do at pick No. 3? Arizona has been presumed to be looking to trade back for much of the draft cycle. Still, it has also been connected to whichever edge rusher the Jets don’t take between Bailey and Reese, as well as Miami right tackle Francis Mauigoa. 

Then, out of nowhere on Monday, the links between the Cardinals and Jeremiyah Love started rolling in. 

That felt an awful lot like a coordinated smokescreen to me, or perhaps throwing bait in the water for a team they want to trade with.

Similarly, we suddenly got a flurry of Sonny Styles-Titans discussion early in the week, which again felt like misdirection to me. 

I completely understand the logic in how Styles could make a lot of sense for Robert Saleh given his history coaching the position, how important that role is for his defense specifically, and the fact that Styles plays like a supersized, supercharged version of former Saleh pupil Fred Warner.

That said, after months of whittling down to Love or an edge rusher, the Styles buzz seemed manufactured to me. Again, this is all parsing reports and understanding the nature of draft rumors as we get closer to the actual event, so maybe I’m completely off here, but I am just not buying it.

My hunch is that the Titans' dream scenario is for David Bailey to slide past the Jets and Cardinals and fall in their laps at pick No. 4. Yeah, yeah, I’ve been driving the Bailey train since December, so it’s awfully convenient for me to believe that, but I do.

It’s just hard for me to believe that Saleh wouldn’t see Bailey as an ideal fit for the LEO rush end role in his defense. Saleh has consistently prioritized get off and length in this role and those are Bailey trademarks.

I can close my eyes and envision Bailey lined up in the wide-9, bursting off the ball like prime Dwight Freeney, and beating the tackle to the spot while Jeffery Simmons and John Franklin-Myers take away any room for the quarterback to step up into. It’s a beautiful sight to behold.

As I’ve said all draft cycle, I understand some of the concerns about stiffness and Bailey’s mediocre edge setting in the run game, but you’re not drafting run defense at No. 4 overall. You’re drafting a guy who can get after the passer and nobody in this class does that better than David Bailey. 

In fact, I think you have to go back to Will Anderson in 2023 to find a better pass rush prospect coming out.

If Bailey goes No. 2 to the Jets, I could see things opening up here with Love, Styles, or a trade back being in play, but if Bailey is on the board, I think he’s the pick and that’s what I’m going with here.

He’d give the Titans an instantly formidable pass rush that features two full rotations that looks awfully impressive on paper:

David Bailey – Jeffery Simmons – John Franklin-Myers – Jermaine Johnson
Jacob Martin – Solomon Thomas – Jordan Elliott – Femi Oladejo

If you look at what the Seahawks, Texans, and Broncos did last year, those were all teams whose biggest strength was their defensive fronts. They did other things well enough, but the superpower at the core of all those squads was an ability to kick your ass up front on defense. 

Drafting Bailey would give the Titans a chance to rival those units as one of the best in the league and would give the team a real identity to build around. If he’s on the board, I think he’s the pick.

If Bailey does go to the Jets at pick No. 2, I think the Titans will try to trade out, but would consider Love, Styles and Carnell Tate if they can’t find a suitable deal. 

Round 2, Pick No. 35 Overall: Keylan Rutledge, IOL, Georgia Tech

This spot could go in several different directions depending on what happens ahead of the Titans at the end of the first round. Inevitably, there are always a couple of players who nobody expected to slide into the second round who spend Thursday night wondering where they might land.

If one of the top wide receivers, especially KC Concepcion, were to fall here, I could see the Titans having interest. There are also some good linebackers with Jacob Rodriguez, Anthony Hill Jr. and Jake Golday expected to go somewhere early on day two. And I could also see this being a spot for them to get their nickel like D’Angelo Ponds, Treydan Stukes or Keionte Scott.

However, I’m going with my gut here, which says that the Titans would have already re-signed Kevin Zeitler if there wasn’t a guard in the draft that they really like and think could start right away. And maybe there are a few guys in this range that could fit the bill. But I think Mike Borgonzi is going to go get his guard pretty early and Rutledge is my slight favorite over Chase Bisontis, Emmanuel Pregnon and Gennings Dunker to be that pick.

Rutledge has prototypical guard size at 6-3½ and 316 pounds with 33¼-inch arms and 10-inch hands. He impressed at the combine with a 5.05-second 40 and a 32½-inch vertical jump, both of which put him in the 91st percentile or above among guards.

He also turned in excellent times in agility drills with a 7.54-second three-cone at the combine and a 4.54-second short shuttle at his pro day, both outstanding for an interior offensive lineman.

As a two-time captain who first earned a captaincy as a true sophomore at MTSU before transferring to Georgia Tech, where he also was voted a captain, Rutledge oozes toughness and is the type of personality that Borgonzi wants to add to the team.

He also played his entire college career at right guard, so there is no concern with him changing positions or switching sides. This is a pure plug-and-play situation with Rutledge, where he’d be able to help sure up Cam Ward’s protection as well as generating movement in the run game next to big JC Latham.

Another highly drafted guard would not be thrilling, but building through the trenches is a smart way to position your football team for long-term success.

Round 3, Pick No. 66 Overall: Keionte Scott, NCB, Miami

This feels like the sweet spot for the Titans to grab their nickel corner to me. Scott is a favorite of mine in the class, and admittedly, may not last this long. If he doesn’t, Bud Clark, Chandler Rivers, Jadon Canady, Kyle Louis and Jalon Kilgore could all be options here.

However, I like Scott significantly more than any of those options, though. He’s physically dynamic at 5-11 and 193 pounds with 4.33 speed and a 44-inch vertical and it shows on the field, where he plays fast and aggressively against both the run and the pass.

After bouncing between nickel and boundary corner at Auburn, Scott transferred to Miami and stuck at nickel there, where he produced a monster season with 13 tackles for loss, five sacks, two forced fumbles, seven pass breakups and two interceptions.

He’s extremely effective against the run and has the speed and instincts to excel in zone coverage as well. Scott’s play style certainly matches with Saleh’s stated desire to have a nickel with a linebacker’s mentality. 

With Alontae Taylor and Cor’Dale Flott set to man the outside corner positions, Scott would round out the Titans' cornerback room nicely, allowing Marcus Harris to serve as a rotational option in the nickel while Josh Williams serves as the primary backup on the outside.

Scott is one of my favorite players in the class and would be a bargain at this pick.

I could see the Titans taking a wide receiver like De’Zhaun Stribling or Ted Hurst here as well, though this feels a bit like the last stop for receiver in this draft as most of the options on Day Three will not be upgrades over Chimere Dike and Elic Ayomanor and would therefore bring extremely marginal value to the team.

Linebacker is another spot to consider. I mentioned Kyle Louis above as he’s almost a hybrid Will linebacker and nickel corner more so than a traditional off-ball linebacker. He’d be an option here potentially, though Saleh has historically preferred longer players at linebacker than Louis. Josiah Trotter is another linebacker in this range that I like but he’s too much of an overlap with Cedric Gray for me to think the Titans will target him.

If Anthony Hill Jr. or Jake Golday were to fall into this range, they’d be slam dunk picks for me at this spot, but I think they both go in Round Two.

This pick also opens the window for the center spot, though I think pick No. 101 is really going to be the sweet spot for that position for the Titans.

Round 4, Pick No. 101 Overall: Trey Zuhn, C/OL, Texas A&M

Speaking of centers, this would be one of my favorite picks in the draft if the Titans were able to land Trey Zuhn here. Zuhn was a left tackle primarily at Texas A&M, where he played well, but length limitations will push him inside at the NFL level, a reality he started preparing for by taking snaps at center last season.

With good size at 6-6 ½ and 312 pounds, Zuhn also excelled on the bench press, recording 33 reps at 225 pounds (88th percentile among centers in Mockdraftable.com’s database). He’s also a two-time captain and an extremely positive locker room presence by all reports.

I particularly love Zuhn here because of the flexibility he offers. Most analysts project him as a center as his best long-term position, but he could certainly play guard as well and could even provide credible cover at tackle if needed.

Adding Zuhn to the mix with Rutledge, Jackson Slater, Austin Schlottmann and Cordell Volson would give the Titans a chance to have some real offensive line depth and upside as they look to solidify a young core up front that they can rely upon to protect Ward for the next five years.

Round 5, Pick No. 142 Overall: Kaleb Elarms-Orr, LB, TCU

While it’s certainly up for debate whether the Titans need to invest a pick as early at No. 4 on an off-ball linebacker, I don’t think there is any doubt that it’s a position that they need to address at some point in the draft.

Elarms-Orr is coming off a massively productive 2025 season for the Horned Frogs, notching 130 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, and four sacks, leading TCU in all three categories. He’s got average size for the position at 6-2 and 234 pounds but is an explosive athlete, turning in a 4.47-second 40-yard dash as well as a 40-inch vertical at the combine.

He showed enough coverage ability to suggest that he can become a plus in that part of the game, especially when factoring in his elite range, which is a requirement of linebackers in a Saleh defense.

Elarms-Orr has a chance to go earlier than this, but he’s currently ranked 136th on the consensus big board, so this isn’t out of the question that he could be an option here. If Elarms-Orr is off the board, I also like Bryce Boettcher in this range at linebacker.

Round 5, Pick No. 144 Overall: Travis Burke, OT, Memphis

Burke is a towering tackle prospect at 6-8¾ and 325 pounds with 34¼-inch arms and a nearly 7-foot wingspan. He was a late bloomer who started his college career at Gardner-Webb before moving up to Florida International in 2023 and then Memphis to finish his career last season.

Burke plays with a high level of physicality and zeal for putting defenders on the ground. He also moves much better than you’d expect from a man of his size, posting a solid 5.18-second 40 time and a 107-inch broad jump at the combine.

With Dan Moore exiting the guaranteed portion of his contract after this season, it would be wise for the Titans to make an effort to line up a successor for him in this draft class. I’d actually be quite happy with the idea of them taking a tackle as early as 35 but given the amount of work they’ve done on tackles in the middle-round range of this draft, including Burke, I think it’s more likely that they look for a diamond in the rough somewhere between pick 101 and 144.

Burke is currently slotted in at No. 162 on the consensus board, so it isn’t crazy to think that he could be here at this pick. However, there is certainly some buzz around him that he may go higher.
And yes, drafting three offensive linemen out of the top six selections may be overkill, but I’m good with that. 

The Titans have to secure their offensive line moving forward and with two starting positions currently wide open and another set to open as early as next offseason, they should lay considerable groundwork in this draft to support this position group for years to come.

Round 6, Pick No. 184 Overall: Josh Cameron, WR, Baylor

I get it, you wanted a receiver earlier. However, Cameron is my favorite “deep sleeper” receiver in the draft. He’s built like a running back at 6-1 ½ and 220 pounds with long arms (33 1/8-inch, 84th percentile) and huge hands (10 ¼-inch, 94th percentile).

He was a walk-on at Baylor who worked his way up the depth chart, initially breaking out as a punt returner before becoming the team’s No. 1 receiver for the last two seasons, producing 872 yards and nine touchdowns last season.

Cameron is – as you’d expect – extremely physical and has reliable hands with just three drops over the last two seasons combined. He needs some work to refine his route craft and ability to create separation, but he’s a contested catch winner and tracks the ball well down the field.

He’d be competition for Bryce Oliver for the back of the roster wide receiver spot that would also require him to provide some value as a special teams player, but his skill set projects positively to that role. In the long term, he’s got upside as a boundary X receiver who could use his ball-winning skill set to win in the passing game.

Round 6, Pick No. 194 Overall: Kaelon Black, RB, Indiana

Black is one of several players on the Indiana team who followed Curt Cignetti from James Madison. He’s widely regarded as a late Day Three pick and there are some good reasons for that.

For one, he’s an older prospect who will turn 25 during the upcoming NFL season. Even more critically, he didn’t really break out until his sixth year of college, which should send alarm bells off for anyone projecting a player from college to the NFL as history tells us that guys who dominate college ball at 18 or 19 years old have a much higher success rate at the NFL level than guys who don’t really emerge until they’re approaching their mid-20s.

That being said, there is a lot to like about Black as a late-round dart throw. He’s a very good athlete with 4.45 speed and a 37 ½-inch vertical at his pro day. He also featured in Feldman’s Freaks List this past year for his weight room exploits, bench pressing 415 pounds and squatting over 500 pounds.

He’s got a compact build at 5-9 and 211 pounds, but he uses that to his advantage to keep his pads low. Black is a no-nonsense runner who gets downhill quickly and finishes with physicality.

He also stands out as one of the best backs in the class when it comes to pass protection duties, a critical skill set for a young running back trying to earn his way onto the field and showed some natural receiving skills at the Senior Bowl despite rarely being used as a pass catcher at Indiana.

The Titans need to find some long-term pieces of a future backfield with Tony Pollard, Tyjae Spears and Michael Carter all on expiring contracts. Black would give them something to work with and see if they can find a role for him in this offense in 2027 and beyond.

Round 7, Pick No. 225 Overall: Landon Robinson, DT, Navy

The Titans are pretty stocked at defensive tackle with Jeffery Simmons, John Franklin-Myers, Solomon Thomas, and Jordan Elliott currently set to comprise the top of the rotation but more depth here is always welcome.

Robinson is an interesting talent. Undersized at 5-11 and 293 pounds, Robinson is an outstanding and powerful athlete, posting a 4.87-second 40, a 7.28-second three cone, and a 32 ½-inch vertical while bench pressing 225 pounds 30 times.

His weight room exploits landed him on the Feldman’s Freaks List three times, including reference to his 665-pound personal record in the squat as well as hitting over 20 miles per hour on the GPS.

Robinson produced 34 pressures and 6.5 sacks last season for the Midshipmen on an impressive 10.2 percent pass rush win rate while captaining Navy’s defense this past season.

He was extremely disruptive, especially rushing the passer in college and at pick No. 225, would certainly be worth a look to see if he can translate that at the NFL level.