The New Pantheon.

[Soapy]

Titans get 'their guy' in Miami All-American Rueben Bain Jr.
After reportedly shopping the number four overall pick and coming close to a deal with the Cleveland Browns to move back two spots, the Tennessee Titans ultimately chose to stay put and draft Miami Hurricanes defensive end Rueben Bain Jr. with the fourth pick of the 2026 NFL Draft.

The Titans draft back-to-back Miami Hurricanes in the first round after selecting quarterback Cam Ward with the first overall pick in last year's draft. The Titans front office had highlighted Bain as one of their top choices throughout the draft process but the only question was whether or not they would draft him at No. 4 or potentially trade down and hope to get him later.

According to NFL Network's Ian Rapaport, the Titans front office had been working with the Browns to move into the No. 6 spot as the Browns were looking to move up to potentially take a quarterback but the Titans wanted the No. 29 pick as well which the Browns weren't willing to part with.

As a prospect, Bain established himself as a consensus top-ten pick with his play on the field at Miami during his junior year, bouncing back from a sophomore slump where he dealt with lingering hamstring injury but still graded out well against the run. Bain jumped into top-five consideration with his NFL Combine performance where he tested out much better than expected, shedding the label of a 'tweener' as he measured in at six-foot-three, 275 pounds and ran a 4.67 forty time, better than Oregon's Matayo Uiagalelei who some had pegged as the twitchier EDGE prospect.

Bain joins a defensive front that features an already elite pass rusher in the interior in Jeffery Simmons and a second-year player in Oluwafemi Oladejo who had seven sacks as a rookie as well as third-year nose tackle T'Vondre Sweat who was a second round pick and Outland Trophy winner in his own right.

2026 NFL Draft First Round Selections
1. NO ‣ QB Garrett Nussmeier, LSU
2. CHI ‣ EDGE T.J. Parker, Clemson
3. WSH ‣ OT Francis Maugioa, Miami
4. TEN ‣ EDGE Rueben Bain Jr, Miami
5. HOU ‣ OT Kadyn Proctor, Alabama
6. CLE ‣ QB Drew Allar, Penn State
7. CAR ‣ EDGE Peter Woods, Clemson
8. NYJ ‣ S Caleb Downs, Ohio State
9. SEA ‣ QB LaNorris Sellers, South Carolina
10. DAL ‣ EDGE Matayo Uiagalelei, Oregon
11. NE ‣ CB Jermond McCoy, Tennessee
12. IND ‣ CB Aevion Terrell, Clemson
13. LV ‣ CB Malik Muhammad, Texas
14. LAC ‣ DT Caleb Banks, Florida
15. BAL ‣ OT Spencer Fano, Baltimore
16. LAR ‣ QB Carson Beck, Miami
17. MIN ‣ CB D.J. McKinney, Michigan
18. DAL ‣ OT Caleb Lomu, Utah
19. MIA ‣ TE Kenyon Sadiq, Oregon
20. CIN ‣ DT Christian Miller, Georgia
21. TB ‣ LB Anthony Hill Jr, Texas
22. PIT ‣ QB Fernando Mendoza, Indiana
23. DET ‣ LB Deontae Lawson, Alabama
24. PHI ‣ EDGE Kelby Collins, Alabama
25. KC ‣ S Dillon Thieneman, Oregon
26. NYG ‣ CB A.J. Harris, Penn State
27. DEN ‣ C Iapani Loloulu, Oregon
28. ARI ‣ LB C.J. Allen, Georgia
29. CLE ‣ EDGE Keldric Faulk, Auburn
30. LAR ‣ OT Elijah Pritchett, Nebraska
31. SF ‣ G Cayden Green, Missouri
32. BUF ‣ G Emmanuel Pregnon, Oregon

[Soapy]

With Cayden Green off the board, what's next for Tennessee at No. 36?
The Tennessee Titans were able to land their top player on the board (if you ask them and believe them) at No. 4 when, according to them and their draft grade, Rueben Bain Jr. fell to them as they had him graded No. 1 followed by Caleb Downs and T.J. Parker who went two picks before Bain. It seemed that the Titans were particularly interested in Missouri's Cayden Green and that the reason they wanted to draft for the No. 29 pick with the Cleveland Browns was for a chance to snatch him.

Their assessment, and fear, that Green wouldn't be available at No. 36 was correct as San Francisco drafted with the second-to-last pick in the first round as the run on interior lineman began with center Iapani Loloulu at No. 27, followed with Green at No. 31 and then the reigning Super Bowl champions drafted Oregon's Emmanuel Pregnon to take the top three interior lineman off the board.

Some names to watch at pick 36:

WR Denzel Boston
Boston wasn't expected to fall out of the first round so if he's there when the Titans are selecting, the Titans might take a hard look at a player that some had projected to be the first receiver off the board. Now, that might still be the case as not a single receiver was drafted in the first round which was a surprise so the run at receiver might start as soon as the second round begins but if Boston is there, it might be something to consider even if this isn't a pressing need for the Titans.

HB Jeremiyah Love
Love might be the best player, regardless of position, still available at the end of the first round and similar to Boston, the talent might be too much to ignore. He ran a 4.38 at the forty and wasn't used like a workhorse at Notre Dame so there should be some tread on the tires. Again, not a need as the Titans have Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears coming back from an injury but again, the talent might be too enticing to pass on.

OT Isaiah World
This is a square peg, round hole situation where the drafting of World could create more problems than it loves. He's a borderline first round pick level talent at offensive tackle but the Titans already have two entrenched starters in Dan Moore at left tackle and former top-ten pick J.C. Latham at right tackle. World, at six-foot-eight, probably isn't going to play on the interior but could you potentially move Latham inside? You've already moved him once, going from left tackle to his more natural right tackle spot where he found some success last year so do you really want to move him back inside for his third position switch in as many years?

IOL Ar'maj Reed-Adams
Here's a crazy idea: you need an interior lineman? Draft the highest ranked available one. Adams would be that and while he might not be the home run of a pick that many projects Green would have been, he fills an immediate need and would compete right away for a starting spot which can't be said for everyone else on this list.

[redsox907]

got damn you're flying through the offseason

Soap taking a Miami player? Never beating the allegations

[YaBoyRobRoy]

solid choice what a homer though

[Soapy]

Tennessee continue to address the defense with selection of Ohio State's Jermaine Matthews Jr.
With the 49th overall pick of the 2026 NFL Draft, the Tennessee Titans have drafted Ohio State cornerback Jermaine Matthews Jr.

The Titans shipped their original 36th overall draft pick along with a fourth round pick (100) and a sixth round pick (164) to the Las Vegas Raiders in exchange for the 45th overall pick and the 77th overall pick. The Titans then traded the 45th overall pick and their 95th overall pick in the third round along with a future sixth round pick to the Minnesota Vikings for the 49th and 81st overall pick.

A gifted athlete with first round potential, the question mark on Matthews is whether or not he'll be able clean up the inconsistency in his technique. At his best. Matthews is a premier corner that has the athletic foundation required to be a shutdown corner but throughout his college career, he's deal with up and down performances. The upside is huge on Matthews with his athleticism and positional versatility, having played everywhere for the Buckeyes from outside corner to the slot and even taking some snaps at safety.

This is a boom or bust pick for the Titans which might explain why they felt comfortable moving down, once Ar'maj Reed-Adams was off the board. Most mocks had Matthews being a third to fourth round pick so this is a bit of a reach for the Titans but if it hits, they could look like geniuses especially after picking up extra draft capital.

2026 NFL Draft Second Round Selections
1. NO ‣ LB Gabe Jacas, Illinois
2. CHI ‣ S Keon Sabb, Alabama
3. HOU ‣ G Ar-maj Reed-Adams, Texas A&M
4. LV ‣ WR Denzel Boston, Washington
5. HOU ‣ DT Dontay Corleone, Cincinnati
6. CLE ‣ WR Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State
7. CAR ‣ LB Suntarine Perkins, Ole Miss
8. NYJ ‣ QB Cade Klubnik, Clemson
9. SEA ‣ G Jaedyn Roberts, Alabama
10. DAL ‣ WR Antonio Williams, Clemson
11. NE ‣ LB Sonny Styles, Ohio State
12. IND ‣ DT Gracen Halton
13. MIN ‣ DT Zane Durant, Penn State
14. LAC ‣ G Olaiavega Loane, Penn State
15. BAL ‣ G Charles Jagusah, Notre Dame
16. LAR ‣ WR Zachariah Branch, Georgia
17. TEN ‣ CB Jermaine Matthews Jr, Ohio State
18. GB ‣ HB Jermiyah Love, Notre Dame
19. MIA ‣ OT Drew Shelton, Penn State
20. CIN ‣ WR Carnell Tate, Ohio State
21. TB ‣ LB Harold Perkins Jr, LSU
22. PIT ‣ WR Nyck Harbor, South Carolina
23. DET ‣ CB Mansoor Delane, LSU
24. PHI ‣ HB Nicholas Singleton, Penn State
25. KC ‣ EDGE L.T. Overton, Alabama
26. NYG ‣ OT Isaiah World, Oregon
27. DEN ‣ OT Austin Barber, Florida
28. ARI ‣ OT Blake Miller, Clemson
29. JAX ‣ WR DeAndre Moore Jr, Texas
30. ATL ‣ C Parker Brailsford, Alabama
31. SF ‣ C Jake Slaughter, Florida
32. BUF ‣ WR Eric Singleton, Auburn

[Soapy]

got damn you're flying through the offseason

Soap taking a Miami player? Never beating the allegations

solid choice what a homer though

i almost took Downs just to beat the allegations but I couldn't resist

once i saw a few real life mocks projecting Bain to the Titans, it just felt too right

[Soapy]

The Titans trusted their evaluation in the second round, will it pay off?
The Tennessee Titans looked at a draft board of Jeremiyah Love, Carnell Tate, Harold Perkins Jr., Nyck Harbor and Mansoor Delane, along with a litany of offensive line prospects and instead opted to draft a sub-six foot corner that was mostly a rotational player at Ohio State until his junior season.

Jermaine Matthews Jr. might end up being an excellent player for the Titans but his tenure starts with doubt and scrutiny as the Titans punted on the chance to draft recognizable players not once but twice, trading out of their original pick and then trading down once more and even when they had the chance to do the easy thing and draft an LSU layer like Perkins or Delane or the freak athlete that is Nyck Harbor, they trusted their evaluation on Matthews and submitted their draft pick.

The drama of the second round also gifted them four draft picks in what should be a busy third round. Here's our current, live mock draft for those picks, using an industry generated composite of player rankings to project who would be available.

‣ Round 3, Pick 68
WR Ka'Kobi Lane | 6'4", 195lbs
Another player to consider here is Kevin Concepcion out of Texas A&M as I just have a hard time seeing the Titans not draft a receiver in the first 100 picks in a draft where everyone has been raving about the receivers. They passed on Zachariah Branch and they passed on Harbor so maybe they just wanted a more traditional receiver in Lane who has X-receiver potential down the line as a Calvin Ridley replacement or successor, depending on how you want to spin it.

‣ Round 3, Pick 74
LT Aamil Wagner | 6'4", 321lbs
This is the last guaranteed year of Dan Moore Jr's four-year contract with two more years that can easily be voided after 2026. This is exactly when (good) teams start looking at replacement so why not Notre Dame's Aamil Wagner who began the year with first round buzz before a brutal opener against Miami (hello Rueben Bain Jr.) sort of put a damper on those hopes. He's still a very good tackle that can play either tackle spots.

‣ Round 3, Pick 77
G Chase Bisontis | 6'5", 315lbs
You don't bring an elite offensive line coach like Brian Callahan and not give him endless toys and projects to work on. Bisontis would be a development draft pick as he might not be ready to block for Ward and Co. in his first season but with the whole at right guard currently plugged by free agent signing Daniel Faalee, let Bisontis bake for a season or two under Callahan and then you might have a ten-year starter.

‣ Round 3, Pick 81
S De'Angelo Ponds | 5'9", 174lbs
The depth behind Xavier Woods and Kevin Winston Jr. is thin, even after bringing back Isaiah Simmons. Ponds would be an instant contributor and could push for a rotational level role behind Woods and Winston.

[Soapy]

Titans load up on offense with three offensive players in busy third round of the NFL Draft
In a very busy third round pick with four draft selections, the Tennessee Titans drafted offensive guard D.J. Campbell from Texas, USC receiver Ja'Kobi Lane, Texas A&M linebacker Taurean York and Alabama running back Jam Miller.

At sixty-eight, the Titans went with a three-year starter in Campbell that has been a mainstay in Texas' offensive line. A six-foot-three and 330 pound road grader, Campbell is a mauler in the running game who should bring some intensity, should he see the field, along the Titans offensive line. The prospect of Campbell next to J.C. Latham is very appealing, bringing in close to 700-pounds on their double team blocks.

Campbell's technique and pass protection is what will determine whether or not he sees the field as a rookie but should jump right into a competition to replace Kevin Zeigler's spot from last year at right guard along with free agent signing Daniel Faalee.

With their next pick, the Titans got a very productive receiver that has the upside to be a potential game changer at the next level. Despite his lean frame at six-foot-four and 195 pounds, Lane has a knack for making contested catches and a good feel for coverages and understanding leverage. The big concern for Lane, and why he dropped out of the second round, is whether or not he has the play strength to be an outside receiver at the next level where he'll see more press-man situations.

The Titans then drafted York out of Texas A&M, a versatile linebacker that could see the field earlier than expected as a situational player, even with the offseason additions of Zaire Franklin and Nakobe Dean. York is a different type of linebacker with his ability to play out in space and be used in sub packages on obvious passing downs. He's also effective as a blitzer and shows fluid hip rotation and spatial awareness that should translate to the next level despite his less than ideal coverage grades.

With their final pick of the third round, the Titans turned heads with their selection of Miller, a talented runner but with limited usage at the college level. He spent the first two seasons in Tuscaloosa as a backup and then was part of a committee as a junior, rushing for 668 yards and seven touchdowns before dealing with injuries as a senior that caused him to never fully breakout as the lead back. The Titans seem to be banking on Miller's combine performance that saw him run a 4.36 in the forty at 218 pounds, second best among running backs, and had the fastest 3-code and the third highest vertical jump.

2026 NFL Draft Third Round Selections
1. NO ‣ DT Tim Keenan III, Alabama
2. CHI ‣ EDGE Cashius Howell, Texas A&M
3. WAS ‣ TE Max Klare, Ohio State
4. TEN ‣ OG D.J. Campbell, Texas
5. MIA ‣ S Randon Fontenette, Vanderbilt
6. CLE ‣ T Trey Zuhn III, Texas A&M
7. CAR ‣ TE Eli Stowers, Vanderbilt
8. PHI ‣ EDGE Dani DEnnis-Sutton, Penn State
9. SEA ‣ C Connor Lew, Auburn
10. TEN ‣ WR Ja'Kobi Lane, USC
11. NE ‣ HB Justice Haynes, Michigan
12. IND ‣ WR Kevin Concepcion, Texas A&M
13. TEN ‣ LB Taurean York, Texas A&M
14. LAC ‣ LB Jaishawn Barham, Michigan
15. BAL ‣ HB Makhi Hughes, Oregon
16. LAR ‣ EDGE Anto Saka, Northwestern
17. TEN ‣ HB Jam Miller, Alabama
18. GB ‣ TE Jack Endries, Texas
19. MIA ‣ CB Tacario Davis, Washington
20. CIN ‣ S Kamari Ramsey, USC
21. TB ‣ EDGE Tyreek Sapp, Florida
22. PIT ‣ OT Aamil Wagner, Notre Dame
23. JAX ‣ EDGE David Bailey, Stanford
24. PHI ‣ CB Will Lee III, Texas A&M
25. KC ‣ HB C.J. Baxter, Texas
26. HOU ‣ EDGE Mikhail Kamara, Indiana
27. DEN ‣ S King Mack, Penn State
28. ARI ‣ WR Elijah Sarratt, Indiana
29. JAX ‣ OT Tristan Leigh, Clemson
30. ATL ‣ DT Anthony Smith, Minnesota
31. SF ‣ OT Earnest Greene III, Georgia
32. BUF ‣ HB Darrius Taylor, Minnesota

[Soapy]

Tennessee concludes the draft with two fourth round picks, two seventh round selections
With their final four picks of the 2026 NFL Draft, the Tennessee Titans drafted LSU linebacker Whit Weeks (109th overall), Miami running back Mark Fletcher (127th), Oklahoma receiver Deion Burks (196th) and Missouri defensive end Nate Johnson (206th).

At 109, the Titans grabbed Weeks, a rangy linebacker with good speed and instincts who played three seasons for the Tigers. Weeks stands at six-foot-two, 225 pounds, and projects as a core special teamer early in his career with the potential to grow into a rotational defender. His ability to read keys quickly and shoot gaps makes him valuable against the run, though his block-shedding technique and physical strength will determine how quickly he can transition to consistent snaps on defense.

The Titans then selected Fletcher, a six-foot-one, 235-pound power back from Miami. Fletcher is a downhill runner who excels at breaking tackles and wearing down defenses late in games. Durability has been a question, and he lacks breakaway speed, but his frame and punishing style give Tennessee a potential short-yardage and goal-line weapon. Fletcher complements the speed and versatility of the Titans’ current backfield rotation and could carve out a defined role as a rookie.

In the seventh round, Tennessee picked up Burks, an undersized but explosive receiver who transferred to Oklahoma after starting his career at Purdue. At five-foot-eleven and 190 pounds, Burks thrives in space with sharp route running and quick acceleration that makes him dangerous after the catch. He’ll need to prove he can handle physicality from NFL corners, but his separation ability and special teams value as a return option give him a path to stick on the roster.

The Titans closed their draft by selecting Johnson at 206, a developmental edge rusher out of Missouri. Johnson brings length at six-foot-four and 255 pounds with a quick first step that flashes on tape, but he remains raw with his hand usage and pass-rush counters. He profiles as a long-term project who could contribute as a rotational pass rusher if he develops under the Titans’ defensive staff.

[YaBoyRobRoy]

solid draft dude, especially love the round 3 picks!