{"id":861705,"date":"2026-04-08T22:32:17","date_gmt":"2026-04-08T22:32:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/861705\/"},"modified":"2026-04-08T22:32:17","modified_gmt":"2026-04-08T22:32:17","slug":"tennessee-titans-prepare-for-2026-nfl-draft","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/861705\/","title":{"rendered":"Tennessee Titans Prepare for 2026 NFL Draft"},"content":{"rendered":"

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. \u203a<\/a><\/p>\n

\"AThe Titans’ draft plans take shape through a cubist lens, as the team seeks to build the right pieces for their new defensive scheme.Today in Pittsburgh<\/p>\n

The Tennessee Titans are gearing up for the 2026 NFL Draft, which begins on April 23 in Pittsburgh. The Titans have 9 total picks, including the 4th overall selection in the first round. General manager Mike Borgonzi says the team will draft the best player available, regardless of position, but inside linebacker appears to be a key need as the Titans transition to coach Robert Saleh’s defensive scheme. The team has hosted Alabama linebacker Justin Jefferson for a visit, and could also consider Ohio State’s Sonny Styles, who fits the profile of the rangy middle linebacker Saleh’s defense requires.<\/p>\n

Why it matters<\/p>\n

The Titans are coming off a disappointing season and need to make the most of their draft capital to rebuild their roster. Finding the right fit at inside linebacker to anchor Saleh’s defense will be crucial, as that position is central to how the scheme operates.<\/p>\n

The details<\/p>\n

The Titans have 9 total picks in the 2026 NFL Draft, including the 4th overall selection in the first round. General manager Mike Borgonzi says the team will take the best player available, but inside linebacker appears to be a key need as the Titans transition to coach Robert Saleh’s defensive scheme. Saleh’s defense requires a more rangy linebacker to roam the middle of the field, and the team has hosted Alabama’s Justin Jefferson for a visit. Ohio State’s Sonny Styles could also be an option, as he fits the profile of the ‘Mike’ linebacker Saleh’s defense requires.<\/p>\n

The 2026 NFL Draft begins on April 23 in Pittsburgh.The Titans started offseason activities on Tuesday, April 8.<\/p>\n

The players<\/p>\n

Mike Borgonzi<\/p>\n

The general manager of the Tennessee Titans.<\/p>\n

Robert Saleh<\/p>\n

The head coach of the Tennessee Titans, who is implementing a new defensive scheme that requires a specific type of inside linebacker.<\/p>\n

Sonny Styles<\/p>\n

An inside linebacker prospect from Ohio State who could fit the profile of the ‘Mike’ linebacker Saleh’s defense requires.<\/p>\n

Justin Jefferson<\/p>\n

An inside linebacker prospect from Alabama who the Titans hosted for a visit, though he may be better suited for a weakside linebacker and special teams role.<\/p>\n

Got photos? Submit your photos here. \u203a<\/a>
\n What they\u2019re saying<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Mike linebacker, he’s hook to hook. He’s basically monitoring the hash marks. There are times where he has to expand a little bit based on the team we’re getting.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2014 Robert Saleh, Head Coach, Tennessee Titans<\/p>\n

\u201cWe will draft the best player on our board regardless of premium position when we pick at No. 4 overall.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2014 Mike Borgonzi, General Manager, Tennessee Titans<\/p>\n

What\u2019s next<\/p>\n

The Titans will continue their pre-draft evaluation process, hosting more prospects for visits and workouts ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft, which begins on April 23 in Pittsburgh.<\/p>\n

The takeaway<\/p>\n

The Titans have a prime draft position and multiple picks to address key needs, but finding the right fit at inside linebacker to anchor their new defensive scheme under Robert Saleh will be crucial to their success in 2026 and beyond.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Got story updates? Submit your updates here. \u203a The Titans’ draft plans take shape through a cubist lens,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":861706,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2061],"tags":[7,6,526,394,2411,527],"class_list":{"0":"post-861705","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-tennessee-titans","8":"tag-football","9":"tag-nfl","10":"tag-tennessee","11":"tag-tennessee-titans","12":"tag-tennesseetitans","13":"tag-titans"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/116371467511291608","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/861705","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=861705"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/861705\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/861706"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=861705"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=861705"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=861705"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}