D
Tennessee Titans
The Titans got the worse of every deal, and it shows in the D.
by dailey ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 10 picks
· 5 steals
· 1 reaches
When the story of this class is written, it opens with Patrick Payton at the Round 6 slot, a reach of 74 spots that the board flatly disagrees with. The math is unkind, and the D follows.
The trade table is where this weekend went wrong. A whole weekend of picks and interior defensive lineman is somehow still a want. Rutledge at that cost is the sort of edge that compounds over a roster.
They went 6 of 8 on their needs, which is most of what a draft is for.
In short, the board sent warnings, and they will be hoping it was wrong.
Pick-by-Pick
In Round 1, Pick 12 they get a three-down runner at a price that makes it sweeter. The biggest hole, addressed.
In pick 20 they get a sideline-to-sideline linebacker, outstanding value to boot. A real need, handled.
By-the-book stuff, Omar Cooper Jr. at the 35th pick squarely in line with his ranking. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
D'Angelo Ponds at No. 66 is a first-round grade at a bargain-bin price, no notes. It thickens a room that could stand to be thicker.
Keylan Rutledge in pick No. 101 is a gift, value that borders on unfair. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Oscar Delp in slot 142 is a bargain the rest of the room will envy. It fills a real need, too.
CJ Daniels at slot 144 is right where the board had him, plain and simple. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
This one needs a full-page explanation: Patrick Payton in pick 184, miles early. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
No edge and no loss on Jeff Caldwell in pick No. 194; it is a wash and a sensible one. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
A reasonable price with a little left over, Toriano Pride Jr. in the 225th pick. Pure best-available; the position was not exactly begging.