Who should the Titans take No. 4 Overall? Some numbers back up who their selection should be.
The Tennessee Titans are at a crossroads at the moment.
After another 3-14 season, the Titans have the No. 4 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Many different players have been mocked to the Titans previously.
On offense, the likes of Jeremiyah Love and Carnell Tate have been mocked to Tennessee. On defense, edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr. and David Bailey have stood out in mock drafts, with Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles being thrown into the mix.
General Manager Mike Borgonzi hasn't shied away from discussing the Titans' draft strategy. At the NFL Owners Meetings, he stated the team's method will be to take the best player available.
After that admission from Borgonzi, it sounds like the Titans are heavily considering selecting Love at No. 4 overall. However, there's another reason why Tennessee should really look into it.
There's been a trend in the NFL going back to 2015 with teams that had a losing record the year before drafting a running back in the top 15, and then they improved the following season.
Jacob Bowman on X did some research into it, starting with Todd Gurley in 2015.
In their last year as the St. Louis Rams, the franchise drafted Gurley 10th overall in the 2015 NFL Draft. The Rams had a 6-10 record in 2014, and then improved to 7-9 in 2015.
The Dallas Cowboys had even more success after taking Ezekiel Elliott fourth overall in the 2016 NFL Draft. The Cowboys went from 4-12 to 13-3 in 2016.
The Jacksonville Jaguars, Carolina Panthers, New York Giants, and Detroit Lions all improved on their records from the previous season. The only exceptions were the San Diego Chargers, who took Melvin Gordon in 2015 and went from 9-7 to 4-12, and the Las Vegas Raiders, who went from 4-13 to 3-14 in 2025 after selecting Ashton Jeanty.
The Atlanta Falcons were the only team whose record actually stayed the same after taking a running back that high. They selected Bijan Robinson eighth overall in 2023 and finished with a 7-10 record.
Out of the nine teams Bowman found with this trend, six of them improved, and the Titans could be the next one.
Don't get me wrong, this team still has a lot more improving to do than just taking Love. There were struggles on the offensive and defensive sides of the ball in 2025.
The Titans allowed the seventh-most passing yards (248.3) and fifth-most points per game (28.1). On offense, Tennessee averaged the fourth-fewest passing yards (190.6), third-fewest rushing yards (93.5) and third-fewest points per game (16.7) in the league last season.
The Titans made some major additions in free agency. Bringing in Wan'Dale Robinson, John Franklin-Myers, Alontae Taylor and Cor'Dale Flott, and many others.
It's going to take some work for this team to go from a 3-14 record to becoming a playoff contender like some of the previously mentioned teams that have taken a running back in the top 15.
However, the trend shows that going with Love may be the best option for the Titans. especially with how many other needs the team has.