The Tennessee Titans managed to sneak up on Day 2 of the 2026 NFL Draft and steal one of the most dynamic defensive weapons in the entire crop of prospects.
The Titans moved up into the bottom end of the 2nd round to take Texas linebacker Anthony Hill Jr., who finished his collegiate career with 249 total tackles, 31.5 tackles for loss, 17 sacks, 3 interceptions, and 8 forced fumbles. The former five-star prospect lived up to his billing for the Longhorns, and could be one of the top steals of the draft if he's that dynamic on all three downs for the Titans.
The good news for Hill is that he landed in arguably the best situation possible. Titans head coach Robert Saleh has been proven over and over again to be one of the best developers of talent at the linebacker position in the NFL.
His list of players coached over the course of his career in the NFL should have Hill's stock absolutely soaring ahead of training camp in 2026.
Titans rookie LB Anthony Hill Jr. is in great hands with head coach Robert Saleh
Saleh's first job in the NFL came with the Houston Texans as an intern back in 2005, and he was promoted to a defensive quality control position in 2006. That was the year the Texans drafted DeMeco Ryans, who became a star overnight and won Defensive Rookie of the Year.
By the time Saleh was promoted to assistant linebackers coach in 2009, the Texans drafted Brian Cushing in the 1st round, and he also immediately won Defensive Rookie of the Year, making the Pro Bowl as a rookie alongside Ryans, and forming one of the best linebacker duos in the league.
During the 2011 offseason, Saleh was hired by the Seahawks, who drafted KJ Wright in the 4th round. He became an immediate starter, even as a 4th-round pick, for that defense. The very next offseason, they used a 2nd-round pick on Bobby Wagner, who has been one of the best linebackers of his generation.
In 2014, Saleh got his first job as a position coach in the NFL, being hired by the Jacksonville Jaguars to coach up the linebackers. The Jags picked former Florida State star Telvin Smith in the 5th round that year, and he wound up starting as a rookie and racking up 104 tackles.
By 2017, Saleh had gotten his first job as a defensive coordinator with old friend Kyle Shanahan on the San Francisco 49ers. During his first four-year stint with the 49ers, Saleh helped develop Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw, who were drafted in 2018 and 2019, respectively.
The history is proof: You can call it the magic touch if you want, but it seems like any linebackers in any proximity to Robert Saleh become absolute stars in the league. Every single one of those players has either been a Pro Bowl player or big-money contract player, or both.
There's enough evidence to buy the idea that Anthony Hill Jr. is probably going to make a lot of teams regret passing on him, but fate might have dealt him a fortunate hand, even if he would have preferred to have the distinction of being a 1st-round draft pick.
Saleh has been more than a good luck charm for linebackers in a 20-year sample. He simply knows how to set these guys up for immediate and long-term success. His scheme allows these guys to play fast, aggressive, and do it at a high level on all three downs.
Hill could be the next notch on Saleh's belt at the position he's arguably developed the best, maybe better than any other coach in the NFL.
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