A linebacker hasn't gone that high since 2009. Titans may shock the draft world by selecting an elite athlete for their defense.
The Tennessee Titans are officially about a month away from the 2026 NFL Draft.
Every Titans fan is wondering what the team will decide to do with the No. 4 overall pick.
The Titans have an obvious need for another edge rusher to start alongside Jermaine Johnson. Femi Oladejo is the projected starter on the opposite side of the line from him, but has limited experience after suffering a season-ending injury as a rookie.
Tennessee has been linked to Carnell Tate, Jeremiyah Love and Rueben Bain in recent mock drafts. One of the latest mock drafts had the Titans making a move that hasn't been done since 2009.
It seems the consensus on what the Titans should do at No. 4 is to either take an edge rusher or the best player available, which looks like it will be Love after the three teams ahead of them make their selections.
However, USA TODAY's Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz had Tennessee picking Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles in the first round. A linebacker hasn't been picked that high since the Seattle Seahawks selected Aaron Curry in 2009.
Middlehurst-Schwartz had the Titans selecting Styles because the New York Jets took Arvell Reese and the Arizona Cardinals picked David Bailey, two edge rushers.
Styles' athleticism is off the charts for a linebacker.
He posted a 4.46 40-yard dash time, 43.5-inch vertical and an 11-foot-2 broad jump, all of which were either first or second for his position.
It would be interesting to see how Styles would fit into the Titans' linebacker rotation. Cody Barton and Cedric Gray are the two projected starters. Tennessee just signed Mohamoud Diabate from the Cleveland Browns, but he is most likely going to be used as a depth piece.
Based on some previous comments from a player who is familiar with Robert Saleh, this could be a sign that Styles may be playing a different position if the Titans draft him.
John Franklin-Myers was one of the many free-agent acquisitions that the Titans made. He spent the last two seasons with the Denver Broncos, but played for Saleh during his time with the Jets from 2020-23.
Franklin-Myers spoke to the media recently and shared that his superpower was his ability to play multiple positions on the defensive line. It was believed that he was brought in to play defensive tackle alongside Jeffrey Simmons. Still, Franklin-Myers shared that Saleh isn't afraid to take advantage of mismatches and move players around.
Could this mean Styles could play some edge rusher and linebacker for the Titans? Who knows.
After Franklin-Myers' comments, it seems that nothing is out of the realm of possibility. April can't get here soon enough.