PHOENIX — It’s no secret new Tennessee Titans coach Robert Saleh loves a steady rotation of defensive linemen.
That’s why the Titans signed four of them in free agency, headlined by former New York Jets and Denver Broncos defender John Franklin-Myers, and traded for defensive end Jermaine Johnson (Jets) and defensive lineman Solomon Thomas (Dallas Cowboys).
“You can never add enough,” Saleh said Tuesday when asked at the annual league meetings about how free agency set the Titans up for next month’s draft.
Franklin-Myers and Johnson were starters for Saleh with the Jets and will be a key part of converting the Titans to a 4-3 defense after the team has spent the past eight seasons running a 3-4 base. Saleh’s rotation is likely to be bolstered by an edge defender via the draft at the end of the month.
“You can sign 10 of them, and I’d still want more,” Saleh said. “We feel good about our guys that are there. We’re in a good spot. But you could always use more edge, always.”
There’s a method to Saleh’s madness. He wants to rotate players along the front four to maximize opportunities to rush the passer.
“We rotate,” Johnson said. “So there’s just always going to be fresh legs out there, and we’re always going to be able to get to the quarterback. If there’s even a hint of fatigue in any of the guys, we’re rolling, and we’re getting fresh legs out there, and we’re going to continue to affect the quarterback.”
Texas Tech’s David Bailey, Miami’s Rueben Bain Jr. and Ohio State’s Arvell Reese are three of the top pass rushers in this year’s draft. They are all prospects who warrant strong consideration if they’re on the board when Tennessee is on the clock at No. 4.
Bain was named the 2025 Ted Hendricks Award winner as the nation’s top defensive end but has drawn criticism for his short arms, which measured at 30⅞ inches. Titans general manager Mike Borgonzi isn’t worried about Bain’s below-average arm length.
“It’s not a concern at all,” Borgonzi said. “The speed to power, like for him, I mean, he builds up so much momentum, and he’s so powerful on his hips, and he has a good knack of getting around the edge and powering guys too. That was probably one of the better things he did in Miami was line up that wide nine then just came crashing down, barreling down.”
The Titans were at Miami’s pro day to watch Bain, and they recently hosted him on a visit. It’s clear they have interest in the defensive end who Saleh said “wins with pure power.”
Tennessee also sent a group to Texas Tech to watch Bailey, who is ESPN’s No. 2 consensus edge rusher. Defensive line coach Aaron Whitecotton also met with Bailey’s teammate defensive end Terrell Tilmon, per a team source. He also spent a lot of time with interior defensive lineman Lee Hunter at the combine in February. Hunter and Timon are more likely to be selected on the final two days of the draft.
Bailey, however, is a legitimate threat to be the first player the Titans select after tying Western Michigan’s Nadame Tucker for the most sacks (14.5) among FBS pass rushers.
Saleh admires Bailey’s “full repertoire of pass-rushing moves,” but there will be more of a projection for Reese into the Titans’ defense, as he is a versatile player whose position depends more on how the team that selects him uses him.
At 6-foot-4, 241 pounds, Reese played off-ball linebacker and stand-up edge rusher at Ohio State. Saleh had past success with Will McDonald IV, who, at 6-4, 245 pounds, had eight sacks in five games before the Jets fired Saleh in 2024.
Being a game changer isn’t limited to the offensive side of the ball, and the Titans’ clear mission is to add game changers to help second-year quarterback Cam Ward after selecting him No. 1 overall last year. Saleh mentioned edge rushers when asked how to add playmakers for Ward on Tuesday.
“When you’re drafting that high in the first round, or really any spot, you want guys who can change the game in one play,” Saleh said. “Edge rushers can change the game in one play.
“I think when you look at all the different game changers that are at the top of the draft, whether it’s the three big pass rushers that everyone talks about or [Jeremiyah Love], they can all change the game with one play, so they’re impactful players.”