Texas Tech EDGE David Bailey Nathan Giese/Avalanche-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Titans Circling Texas Tech Defensive Star in Draft

Originally posted on Tennessee Titans on SI
By Lane Mills | Last updated Feb 6, 2026 7:00 AM ET

The Tennessee Titans' fourth overall pick, on top of what Robert Saleh has already done in his new role as head coach, will be a good indicator of the coach's vision for the future of the franchise.

Tennessee - with a new staff in place and a number of expiring veterans - could really go any direction to some satisfactory extent. Yet the recent trend outlining a potential favor for a defensive pick continues to pick up additional steam.

In a recent video interview from Tony Pauline on X (Twitter), the draft analyst took a closer look at the Titans' current, top-pick scenario.

A Choice Drawing Near

"I know for a fact, I'm sure for a fact, that Saleh is going to have a big input," Pauline said of the HC's involvement in Tennessee's incoming draft pick. It appears that Saleh will, if nothing else, cooperate with general manager Mike Borgonzi in respected standing as the two work toward a choice.

According to Pauline, that choice is on the horizon and quickly drawing near. And, unsurprisingly, it aligns to a tee with Saleh's own specialty.

Does Robert Salah being hired as HC of the @Titans effect the teams plans in the draft?? I believe so... https://t.co/ehB8DFJQ33
— Tony Pauline (@TonyPauline) February 5, 2026

"He's going to want David Bailey. He's going to want David Bailey with that fourth selection..." Pauline continued, suggesting that Saleh may already have a target circled for when the time comes this April.

"It's a system fit, it fits a need, he's an outstanding player. Just look at his [Saleh] history, he likes that type of player."

Suited with a history of drafting defense during his time with the New York Jets - where one of the few things that went well was Saleh's defensive unit - that can't be expected to change this time around for Saleh.

A System Fit and a Need

Bailey simply checks all the boxes for a first ever pick under Saleh's new banner. Filling the team's need for a rusher off the edge and aligning with Saleh's past as a coach is one thing, but the prospect of teaming Bailey with Jeffery Simmons, Cedric Gray and others feels like the final nail in a positively convincing coffin.

Yet with more than two months left still before the draft actually takes place, a lot could happen for the Titans - in free agency and on the trade market - that may change the trajectory of Tennessee's choice.

For now, though, Bailey appears firmly in the mix, if he isn't the outright favorite.

This article first appeared on Tennessee Titans on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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