{"id":852221,"date":"2026-04-03T23:35:29","date_gmt":"2026-04-03T23:35:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/852221\/"},"modified":"2026-04-03T23:35:29","modified_gmt":"2026-04-03T23:35:29","slug":"2-players-titans-must-avoid-picking-in-2026-nfl-draft","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/852221\/","title":{"rendered":"2 players Titans must avoid picking in 2026 NFL Draft"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Tennessee Titans<\/a> are standing at a crossroads, and it’s not the quiet, reflective kind. This is loud, urgent, and unforgiving. After a flurry of calculated moves in free agency, the franchise is done treading water. The goal now is ascension. Of course, ascension in the NFL is really about adding the right talent. One wrong pick, especially near the top of the board, can ripple through a roster still searching for identity under a new regime. For a team trying to build around a young quarterback, the 2026 NFL Draft<\/a> is a referendum on vision. And sometimes, the smartest move isn\u2019t who you select, but who you deliberately leave behind.<\/p>\n

Reshaping the Titans\u2019 identity\"TennesseeSteve Roberts-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

To understand where the Titans are going, we have to look at the frantic, calculated chess moves they made during the 2026 NFL Free Agency period. GM Mike Borgonzi dove headfirst into the deep end to fix a defense that had become far too porous for Robert Saleh\u2019s liking. The marquee addition of former Denver Broncos edge rusher John Franklin-Myers<\/a> means Tennessee wants to win in the trenches again. By pairing Franklin-Myers with the indomitable Jeffery Simmons, the Titans have a defensive interior that should terrify opposing quarterbacks. They didn’t stop there, either, snagging cornerback Alontae Taylor. It was a defensive-heavy masterclass intended to give Saleh the tools he needs to implement his trademark aggressive scheme.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a tone shift here that echoes the Titans teams of old. This isn\u2019t about finesse. It\u2019s about imposing will. And in a conference loaded with offensive firepower, that identity matters more than ever.<\/p>\n

Raising the floor but not the ceiling<\/p>\n

On the flip side of the ball, the Titans made a savvy move to support young franchise cornerstone Cam Ward. The signing of wide receiver Wan\u2019Dale Robinson<\/a> from the New York Giants provides Ward with a reliable, twitchy slot target. However, while that certainly raises the floor, it doesn’t quite touch the ceiling.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s the lingering issue. The offense is functional, but it\u2019s not yet fearsome. The departure of veteran mainstays and the aging legs of Calvin Ridley leave Tennessee searching for a true offensive identity. The free agency period was about stabilization, but the draft must be about transformation. The Titans need difference-makers.<\/p>\n

Identifying the missing piece<\/p>\n

As we peer into the war room, the Titans\u2019 biggest need remains an explosive, high-volume edge rusher. Of course, the addition of Franklin-Myers provides stability. That said, Saleh requires a vertical, speed-oriented pass rusher who can win on the outside and force the pocket to collapse. The Titans finished near the bottom of the league in pressure rate last year. They simply cannot survive without a premiere sack artist. This need is compounded by the uncertainty at right guard and the lack of a true, long-term WR1 to grow alongside Ward. However, in a draft where the top four picks are expected to be defensive anchors, the Titans must prioritize that cornerstone edge rusher.<\/p>\n

Why David Bailey is a gamble<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a certain allure to David Bailey. Turn on the tape, and it\u2019s easy to see why scouts are intrigued. The burst off the line. The ability to bend. The flashes of dominance that suggest something special could be there. The Titans, though, aren\u2019t drafting for flashes. They\u2019re drafting for certainty.<\/p>\n

Bailey\u2019s profile is that of a high-upside pass rusher, but one with clear limitations. His size and length are not ideal for an every-down role at the next level. That becomes a problem in a system like Saleh\u2019s. This defense demands players who can anchor against the run, absorb contact, and still generate pressure. Bailey, at this stage, is more of a situational weapon than a foundational piece.<\/p>\n

Using a premium pick on a player who may only see the field in passing situations is a risk the Titans simply cannot justify. There\u2019s also the question of projection. Bailey\u2019s game is built heavily on athleticism. That’s valuable, but it\u2019s not always sustainable without a refined technique to support it. In the NFL, raw athleticism alone isn\u2019t enough.<\/p>\n

Don’t reach for Monroe Freeling<\/p>\n

If Bailey represents risk on defense, Monroe Freeling represents temptation on offense. On paper, Freeling checks every box. He has the size. The experience against high-level competition in the SEC. He looks like an NFL tackle before he even steps onto the field.<\/p>\n

Of course, football isn\u2019t played on paper. Freeling\u2019s tape tells a more complicated story. His footwork in pass protection is inconsistent. His anchor against power rushers also remains a concern. These are not minor issues but foundational ones.<\/p>\n

For Tennessee, the offensive line is not an area where you can afford uncertainty. Protection must be reliable, immediate, and durable. There\u2019s also a broader context to consider. The Titans have seen firsthand how costly it can be to invest in offensive line prospects who fail to translate their physical tools into consistent production. Freeling\u2019s ceiling is intriguing, but his floor is unstable.<\/p>\n

Discipline will define the future\"Titans'Credit: Andrew Nelles \/ The Tennessean<\/p>\n

The Titans have done the hard work of reshaping their roster<\/a>. They\u2019ve added toughness. They\u2019ve reinforced their identity. Now comes the most delicate part: refinement.<\/p>\n

Avoiding players like David Bailey and Monroe Freeling isn\u2019t about dismissing their potential. It\u2019s about understanding the moment and recognizing that this team doesn\u2019t need pillars not projects.<\/p>\n

The Tennessee Titans are standing at a crossroads, and it’s not the quiet, reflective kind. This is loud, urgent, and unforgiving. After a flurry of calculated moves in free agency, the franchise is done treading water. The goal now is ascension. Of course, ascension in the NFL is really about adding the right talent.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Tennessee Titans are standing at a crossroads, and it’s not the quiet, reflective kind. This is loud,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":748272,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2061],"tags":[127,18731,7,6,15,18732,526,394,2411,527],"class_list":{"0":"post-852221","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-tennessee-titans","8":"tag-cam-ward","9":"tag-editorials","10":"tag-football","11":"tag-nfl","12":"tag-nfl-draft","13":"tag-nfl-editorials","14":"tag-tennessee","15":"tag-tennessee-titans","16":"tag-tennesseetitans","17":"tag-titans"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/116343401914646637","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/852221","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=852221"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/852221\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/748272"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=852221"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=852221"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=852221"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}