The Titans add experienced, battle-tested center Pat Coogan, a national champion who didn’t allow a sack in 2025 and fits seamlessly in Brian Daboll’s inside zone-heavy offense.
With the 194th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, the Tennessee Titans selected center Pat Coogan from the national champion Indiana Hoosiers.
This is just what the doctor ordered and exactly what Titans fans have been asking for all draft. I don't think it would surprise anybody if Coogan had a really successful NFL career once he gets some playing time with Tennessee.
Experience, intelligence, size, communication skills, leadership. You're getting all of that with Coogan. He started 13 games at left guard for Notre Dame in 2023, started the final 13 games of the year for Notre Dame at center in 2024, and then transferred to Indiana where he was a second-team All-Big Ten selection and the offensive MVP of the Rose Bowl.
Coogan started every game for the Hoosiers on their run to the national title.
During that magical 2025 season, Coogan played on 483 pass-blocking snaps, allowing zero sacks and zero quarterback hits. He did a nice job protecting Fernando Mendoza all year long.
This is a 6-foot-5, 311-pound center with good technique and grip strength. He's not your best mover or a great athlete for the position, but Coogan can anchor against the pass and does a good job sustaining his blocks in the run game while climbing to the second level.
Fit is everything here. Coogan should thrive in an inside zone run scheme, but outside zone where he has to get beyond the A-gap might not be for him.
Not to worry. Brian Daboll’s offenses have historically been built on inside zone and split zone bases in the past. Daboll uses a lot of RPOs and play action, something he did frequently with Josh Allen in Buffalo and Daniel Jones in New York. Even with Jaxson Dart last season.
Coogan should have no problem with what he'll be asked to do inside this offense, therefore adding another interesting wrinkle to the competition the Titans will have at the center position. Austin Schlottman and Cordell Volson are already in the mix to compete for the job. Jackson Slater, a fifth-round pick from the 2025 NFL Draft, and Fernando Carmona, the 142nd overall pick in this year's draft, will both be competing for a spot on the interior offensive line as well.
Just in case you thought the fit couldn't get any better. Coogan attended Marist High School in Chicago before going to Notre Dame. He was high school teammates with Carnell Tate at Marist. And he told Titans media on Saturday afternoon that he's getting ready to FaceTime Tate shortly and can't wait to reunite with him in the NFL.
This is a really nice selection at a position of need, and quite frankly, I think this is a draft prospect that the rest of the NFL overlooked and overthought a little bit.
He's a winner. He can pass block. He's big for the position and will do a nice job in this offensive system. It might be the best value pick the Titans have gotten in the 2026 draft class thus far.