The NFL is a league built around giving hope to the hopeless, and right now, there aren't many fan bases that feel more hopeless than the Tennessee Titans. That hope comes directly from the endless fount of optimism and opportunity that is the NFL Draft.
With each loss, the Titans get closer to locking up a top spot in the 2026 NFL Draft. That is especially intriguing this year because the Titans are the only team contending for the top pick in the draft that already has a quarterback of the future. On Sunday, the Titans moved up to No. 1 overall in the live draft order due to wins by the New York Jets and New Orleans Saints.
The Titans could be well-positioned to take the best available player. Alternatively, they could accept a juicy trade offer from one of the QB-needy teams picking behind them. The Jets and Cleveland Browns are two of the teams that could fall in that category, and they both have multiple first-round picks after a frantic trade deadline.
Titans must be attentive to all NFL Draft opportunities, including young pass rushers
While the Titans can keep that option in their back pocket, there is no guarantee they will be in a position to trade down. There is a chance that Cam Ward goes on a hot streak and the Titans end up winning a few more games.
We analyzed the most recent mock drafts from Keith Sanchez at The Draft Network, Mel Kiper at ESPN, and Nick Baumgardner at The Athletic. One thing that was consistent is that the Titans could be in the market for a premier EDGE-rushing prospect at the top of the draft.
Both Sanchez and Kiper had the Titans drafting Ohio State's Arvell Reese with the second overall pick. Reese is an interesting prospect because he plays a hybrid off-ball linebacker role for the Buckeyes, but many are projecting a Micah Parsons-like switch to EDGE.
Titans fans should keep a close eye on Reese down the stretch because Ohio State has a ton of difficult matchups on their schedule. Reese possesses an opportunity to continue elevating himself into the top-three discussion.
The dissenting opinion of the group belonged to Baumgardner, who had the Titans drafting a more traditional EDGE in Miami's Rueben Bain Jr. While Reese may have the highest upside (something Baumgardner noted when he gave Reese to the Jets with the first pick in his mock draft), it is hard to argue with Bain as a consolation prize.
Bain is built in the mold of Jared Verse and George Karlaftis as bigger-bodied power rushers with three-down skill sets. That could be very appealing to a GM like Mike Borgonzi, who values size at that position and was part of the team that drafted one of those players at his last stop.
The Reese vs. Bain debate is going to be an interesting one for Titans fans. There's also a real chance Borgonzi could trade down a few spots and still land one of those two defensive prospects if quarterbacks like Fernando Mendoza, Ty Simpson, and Dante Moore continue ascending and catch the eyes of desperate GMs.
It's good to have options at the top, and luckily for the Titans, it seems like they picked another good year to be bad at football.