The Tennessee Titans are heading into the NFL Draft with a revamped defense. New additions like John Franklin-Myers, Jermaine Johnson, and Alontae Taylor have upgraded both the defensive front and the secondary. One position group that has not been addressed is linebacker.
The Titans' linebacker room currently consists of veteran Cody Barton, James Williams, Cedric Gray, and Mohamoud Diabate. Gray is coming off a 97-tackle season and was one of the few bright spots on the team. Despite this, the whole room was a liability when it came to pass coverage.
In Robert Saleh's 4-3 defensive system, the linebackers are asked to cover a lot of grass on most snaps. After last season, Titans fans may feel skeptical about Barton or Gray being asked to thrive in coverage. All signs are pointing to the Titans adding a linebacker during the NFL Draft, and former Pittsburgh Panther Kyle Louis might be a perfect fit.
NFL Draft: Titans should target coverage specialist LB Kyle Louis
Louis has the athleticism of a defensive back and possesses impressive game speed that allows him to cover large areas of the field from the linebacker spot. He is instinctual in coverage and has an impressive game feel that always leads him to the football. He ran a swift 4.53 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, and also impressed scouts at the 2026 Senior Bowl in on-field drills.
Pittsburgh ran a similar 4-3 system to what the Titans will run in 2026 under Saleh, so it's reassuring knowing Louis would be familiar with the scheme. This familiarity could help Louis contribute early on, particularly as a blitzer. One of the more overlooked aspects of Louis' game is his blitzing ability, something the Titans should value if they want to get after the quarterback next season.
Louis isn't a perfect prospect, and there are reasons why he's not being viewed as a first-round pick. He is relatively undersized for an NFL linebacker at 6-foot, 220 pounds. His size can occasionally get the best of him when facing offensive linemen in the run game, and he can get driven backward when engaged with blockers.
Nonetheless, Louis' athletic ability is the star of the show. In the past, Saleh has developed mid-round linebackers such as Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw into elite players, and Louis could potentially be another developmental project.
With new additions in the trenches, along with Jeffrey Simmons and Cedric Gray, the Titans seem prepared to stop the run. The next phase in developing this defense is improving pass coverage. Spending a third or fourth round pick on Louis could prove to have significant upside for a TItans team needing to improve on passing downs.