The Tennessee Titans add Baylor defensive tackle Jackie Marshall at No. 184 overall, betting on his rare athletic profile and trusting Robert Saleh to develop a raw but intriguing piece for the defensive front.
With the 184th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, the Tennessee Titans took a bet on some upside and got a developmental piece for their defensive front.
The Titans selected Baylor defensive tackle Jackie Marshall, a former edge rusher that added over 50 pounds during his college career and made the transition to the interior.
Over the last three seasons at Baylor, Marshall has totaled 94 tackles. 70 of those came in 2024 and 2025, along with five sacks and a forced fumble.
From an athletic standpoint, you have to like what you see, and a lot of it is due to Marshall's background as an edge. Marshall is a really twitchy and athletic 3-technique. He ran a 4.88 in the 40-yard dash at the combine, and on tape he moves with a lot of lateral quickness off the snap.
That athleticism and speed helps him when he's closing in on a quarterback or trying to track down a ball carrier. Marshall also had the best short shuttle time of any defensive tackle at the combine.
That being said, this is still a really raw prospect. Marshall struggled with his physicality at times, and he doesn't fare well against heavy hitters up front. The pass rush moves are undeveloped. And for a player with as many athletic tools as he has, there wasn't nearly enough disruption for Baylor in 2025.
This will be a developmental piece for the Titans. He likely won’t be in the rotation for that defensive front in 2026. Even with the Titans wanting to work 8 or 9 guys in on game days, Marshall will still be on the outside looking in.
Jeffrey Simmons, John Franklin-Myers, Jordan Elliott, Jermaine Johnson, Keldric Faulk, Solomon Thomas, Jacob Martin, Femi Oladejo, Jaylen Harrell...That's nine names right there.
But you let Robert Saleh get his hands on Marshall and develop him for a year, and you see if he can tap into some of that upside that should exist given his athletic profile.
That's what some of these Day 3 picks are all about. You either look for players who can help you right away from a special team standpoint, or you bet on traits and trust your coaching staff to get the most out of them at the next level.
Saleh has to be up there with NFL coaches who you trust most when you look at the defensive front and the players that fit his scheme.