Saleh navigates his linebacker philosophy with rookie Anthony Hill, recalling past missteps with Fred Warner to foster defensive growth.
It's no secret that Robert Saleh has loved middle linebackers in his previous NFL stops.
The Tennessee Titans are going to be no different in that regard.
Saleh would've liked for the Titans to draft Sonny Styles at No. 4 in the 2026 NFL Draft. However, the team chose the best player available over a scheme fit, selecting Ohio State receiver Carnell Tate.
Styles fits the mold of the kind of Fred Warner-like linebacker that Saleh has used before. However, Tate helps out Cam Ward and gives him a true No. 1 option at WR that the Titans haven't had for quite some time.
Tennessee had another first-round pick after trading up to get Auburn edge rusher Keldric Faulk at No. 31. Then, the Titans traded back into the second round to take Texas linebacker Anthony Hill Jr.
Luckily for the Titans, Hill and Styles have similar strengths.
Hill ran a 4.51 40-yard dash, with a 37-inch vertical and a 10-foot-5 broad jump. Styles had a 43.5-inch vertical, with a 4.46 40-yard dash and an 11-foot-2 broad jump.
Hill didn't test quite as well as Styles did at the NFL Combine, but he is still a great option for what the Titans want to do at middle linebacker under Saleh's guidance.
While Saleh has been able to work with some elite linebackers in his day like Warner and Bobby Wagner, there has been a learning curve.
Saleh shared a story at a recent press conference about when he pushed Warner too hard, and it caused him to play one of the worst games of his storied NFL career.
"Yeah, all these rookies, it's like drinking from a fire hose, you know?" Saleh said. "Especially at the mike linebacker spot. They're the quarterback of the defense. So, we're gonna give him as much as he can handle to try and find that balance between too much and too little. Every player has a breaking point, even Fred Warner. I've told this story many times. His second year against Arizona, there was a night game, and I put so much on his plate, and to this day, it was probably the worst game he's ever played in his career, and I realized that I did that to him because of all the different things I was asking him to do. So, we'll learn Anthony [Hill] over the next couple of months. We'll learn Cody, Moose [Mahomoud Diabate], Cedric. We'll learn all of them. Whatever that balance is, we'll figure it out."
Hill has the potential to be a special player in this league, but as Saleh said, everyone has a breaking point. Finding out how much rookies like Hill can handle will be important as this team tries to grow into a playoff contender.
We're going to see what rookies like Hill are made of this season with the Titans. Hopefully, he can become the player that Saleh is hoping for on defense.