The Tennessee Titans hold the No. 4 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft and could still secure top prospects like LB Arvell Reese or DE David Bailey if they trade back. Historically, teams rarely trade out of the top five positions on draft night, with only one successful instance since 2010.
Here's how far Titans can trade back and still land top NFL draft targets
Teams seldom trade out of a top-five position in the NFL draft on draft night. Let's imagine the fallout of such a move by this year's Tennessee Titans.
The team owns the No. 4 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, which begins on April 23. With quarterback Fernando Mendoza expected to be picked first, the Titans are all but guaranteed a choice between at least three of: LB Arvell Reese, DE David Bailey, RB Jeremiyah Love, DL Rueben Bain Jr. and WR Carnell Tate.
That's more than enough reason to stay put before acknowledging how there have been only four instances since 2010 of a team trading out of the top five on draft night, and only one of those trades ended up being worth it for the team that moved up.
And yet, offers are bound to trickle in the next 10 days. So let's go position-by-position to understand what the draft board would look like for general manager Mike Borgonzi if he considered one of these offers.
It'd be a coup if the Titans moved back from No. 4 and still found a way to select Love. The New York Giants make sense as a Love landing spot at No. 5, as do the Washington Commanders at No. 7. Remember: Raiders RB Ashton Jeanty went No. 6 last year, and most analysts grade Love as a more complete prospect.
The Giants, Cleveland Browns (No. 6) and Commanders all need receivers, so it's tough to imagine the top pass catcher making it through that gauntlet. The Titans could probably wait a little longer on Lemon, who's projected somewhere between picks 10-15. As for Tyson, it's tough to imagine this Titans regime betting on a skill player with a long injury history.
If Bailey or Reese is on the board at No. 4, that's now or never. Bain might slide into the bottom half of the top 10 or into the low teens, as off-field concerns stemming from his 2024 careless driving citation pair with on-field concerns about his positional fit.
After Bain, the next edge defender who'd make sense for the Titans is Miami Hurricanes teammate Akheem Mesidor, who should last into the mid teens, but represents a drop-off from the top tier of pass rush candidates.
Styles, the Ohio State linebacker, is tough to read. Players at his position are rarely picked in the top 20, but he projects as a top 10 prospect in this class. He really could go anywhere without anyone being surprised.
The same is true of Downs, though safeties have a known history of falling in drafts. Sadiq could outperform his projection ā he's No. 17 in consensus rankings ā but not too far. Top prospects Brock Bowers (2024), Tyler Warren (2025) and Colston Loveland (2025) all were picked between 10th and 14th in their respective drafts.
The value in this draft could be in moving to between Nos. 10-15 to pick CBs Mansoor Delane or Jermod McCoy. The Titans went heavy on this area in free agency, but it's still a premium need at new coach Robert Saleh's position of expertise.
Never rule it out, but targeting offensive linemen in rounds 2-5 makes more sense than Round 1. Trading back in Round 1 to acquire more Day 2 picks would help the Titans fill needs at guard and center without ignoring needs at premium spots, though.
The Titans own the No. 4 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, picking after the Las Vegas Raiders (No. 1), New York Jets (No. 2) and Arizona Cardinals (No. 3). The teams picking after the Titans in the top 10 are the New York Giants, Cleveland Browns, Washington Commanders, New Orleans Saints, Kansas City Chiefs and Cincinnati Bengals.
Picks 11-20 belong to the Miami Dolphins, Dallas Cowboys, Los Angeles Rams, Baltimore Ravens, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Jets, Detroit Lions, Minnesota Vikings, Carolina Panthers and Dallas Cowboys.
The Titans' biggest needs in 2026 are at edge defender, guard, center, wide receiver and cornerback, with upgrades possible at running back, tight end and safety.
Nick Suss is the Titans beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Nick at nsuss@gannett.com. Follow Nick on X @nicksuss. Subscribe to the Talkinā Titans newsletter for updates sent directly to your inbox.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Titans NFL draft needs, and how far back they can trade to fill them
The No. 4 pick allows the Titans to choose from several top prospects, ensuring they have strong options to enhance their roster.
Potential targets include LB Arvell Reese, DE David Bailey, RB Jeremiyah Love, DL Rueben Bain Jr., and WR Carnell Tate.
Since 2010, there have only been four instances of teams trading out of the top five on draft night.
Only one of the trades out of the top five since 2010 has been deemed successful for the team that moved up.
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