The Titans provide All-Pro DT Jeffery Simmons immediate help. Robert Saleh would have a nice foundation to work with up front on defense.

The Titans were open to trading down and adding to their arsenal of picks but will gladly take Dane Brugler's No. 6 prospect while addressing their most glaring need — and supplying new coach Robert Saleh's defense with a player who should fit well. Bailey is a pass rusher who "showed clear improvements as a run defender in 2025," Brugler said, with more work needed. But Jeffery Simmons needs help on the outside, and last year's second-round pick, Femi Oladejo, is a glaring question mark. Rueben Bain Jr., Carnell Tate, Makai Lemon and Spencer Fano were other considerations here.

You're likely going to see conflicting opinions of Rueben Bain Jr. based on his measurables, but this is one of those times I like to rely on the tape. The first time I saw Bain play for Miami as a freshman, he popped off the screen, and I've followed his college career with googly eyes ever since. He has limitations, but he also has a pretty damn high floor.

The Titans fired their head coach in the middle of Cam Ward's rookie season, hired Robert Saleh as the new one, brought in Brian Daboll to run the offense and then spent a ton of money in free agency to try to right this ship. This had to be the Project Get Ward Help draft for Tennessee.

Ward finished last in QBR among qualified passers in Year 1 (33.2), and while he made some throws that reminded everyone why he was the No. 1 pick in 2025, he was sub-60% in completion rate and threw seven INTs. Where were the playmakers, though? Chig Okonkwo led the team with 560 yards and signed in Washington. Calvin Ridley played only seven games and caught 17 passes. The top two wide receivers were Day 3 rookies, Elic Ayomanor (515 yards) and Chimere Dike (423). While I like the idea of a young quarterback growing with young receivers, Tennessee needed a higher-caliber pass catcher. And while Wan'Dale Robinson is a speedy difference-maker out of the slot, he isn't a WR1.

Tate is. He's a polished route runner who displays fantastic body control and sure hands down the field, helping him to 17.2 yards per reception and nine touchdowns in 2025. He slots in as an immediate impact player. There was a good case to be made that Arvell Reese should have been the pick at No. 4, but I'm not going to knock general manager Mike Borgonzi for prioritizing getting Ward support. Nicholas Singleton is another piece in that effort; the fifth-round pick came at decent value and brings a nose for the end zone (45 career touchdowns). He will slide in somewhere with Tony Pollard, Tyjae Spears and Michael Carter.

Tennessee went to work on defense quickly from there. It traded up to No. 31, essentially moving back from the fourth to the fifth round to jump four spots to get Keldric Faulk. There are questions about Faulk's production (two sacks last year after seven in 2024), but there aren't any about his physical traits. I'm putting some stock in Saleh being able to maximize Faulk's power and 6-foot-6, 276-pound frame. And Anthony Hill Jr. can serve as a backup linebacker and maybe even push to start ahead of Cody Barton.

The Titans also landed a backup guard in Fernando Carmona and another option at center in Pat Coogan, but this class didn't pack much punch beyond Tate. If Faulk can turn up the sack totals as a rookie, then this grade would improve, but that's a big if right now.

First-round WR Carnell Tate and DE Keldric Faulk should play big snaps starting in Week 1. Second-round LB Anthony Hill might just make a push for Defensive Rookie of the Year given the way players at his position — to say nothing of Hill's inherent ability — tend to thrive in HC Robert Saleh's scheme. Yet second-year GM Mike Borgonzi's selection of Tate at No. 4 was telling. He projects as a very good player, probably the cleanest wideout prospect in this draft. He's not Calvin Johnson ... and maybe not even perennial Pro Bowl material. But picking him is a clear indication that the priority here was helping second-year QB Cam Ward, which Tate should absolutely do, and not giving Saleh more defensive shock troops off the top. Yet Titans fans will be left wondering for some time whether Borgonzi should have figured out a way to deal up one spot for Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love, who went No. 3 to Arizona ... where he seems miscast at present.