The blockbuster trade of T’Vondre Sweat for
Jermaine Johnson III makes one thing clear: Robert Saleh is building a track meet on the defensive line. By pairing Johnson with
Femi Oladejo on the outside and
Jeffery Simmons in the middle, the Titans finally have the “Speed and Violence” they’ve been craving.
To me, this EDGE room is
DEEP. While
Rueben Bain,
Arvell Reese, and
David Bailey are the clear “top dogs” of the class, I can now realistically see a path where the Titans look elsewhere in Round 1 because of the trade. However,
IF they do select an edge rusher at No. 4, I will all but guarantee it
won’t be the combine standout David Bailey.
Arvell Reese is a versatile, violent, and twitch-heavy force who fits seamlessly into this new look front as both an outside rusher and a stand-up linebacker. Meanwhile,
Rueben Bain remains a possibility because of his unique ability to kick inside. Playing alongside
Big Jeff, Bain would essentially fill the ‘versatility gap’ left by Sweat’s departure, offering a disruptor who can terrorize guards or collapse the edge.
Building a championship defense starts in the trenches. From Michigan stalwarts to Saturday sleepers, here are five pass rushers I think could be key to unlocking Robert Saleh’s defense.
1. Derrick Moore (Michigan)
Projected to Go: Rounds 2-3
The Vibe: I have been banging the drum for Moore since the jump. He is one of “My Guys” and the best Edge prospect outside of the top tier. Moore officially checked in yesterday at
254 lbs with impressive 33 3/8-inch arms. He looks every bit the part of the “grown man” Saleh requires to set a physical edge in a 4-3 base. While he didn’t run the 40 due to a minor hamstring strain, his sheer mass and length tell you everything you need to know.
The Synergy: Think of Moore as the
anchor. In Saleh’s system, you need one guy who refuses to be moved. While Johnson and Oladejo use their “Wide-9” speed to loop around and hunt the QB, Moore provides the brute force and stability that prevents the pocket from leaking. He’s the heavy-hitter that allows the track meet to happen around him.
The Reality: Saleh loves Michigan defenders because they are pro-ready and technically sound. Moore isn’t just a pass rusher. He is a
discipline setter. He uses those violent hands to stack and shed blockers with ease. By putting a “brick house” like Moore on the edge, you ensure the defense stays gap-sound, making him the perfect blue-collar partner for Big Jeff’s interior dominance.
2. Zion Young (Missouri)
Projected to Go: Late Round 1-2
The Vibe: If you want to know what a “Robert Saleh Prototype” looks like, it’s Zion Young. He officially measured in at
6’6” and 262 lbs with massive
33-inch arms. While he opted not to run the 40 yesterday, he looked incredibly fluid in on-field drills. In his interviews, he came off as a “fiery alpha”, a high energy, high character guy who lives for trench battles. After moving from Michigan State to Mizzou, he proved he could handle the SEC’s physicality while posting a monstrous
16.5 tackles for loss this past season.
The Synergy: Young is the “Inside-Outside” weapon. Think of him as
Jermaine Johnson insurance with the frame of a John Franklin-Myers. He has the mass to slide down to a 3-point stance on passing downs, allowing the Titans to run “heavy” NASCAR packages. Imagine a 3rd-and-long where Johnson and Oladejo are on the ends, with Young and Simmons rushing from the interior. That is a geometric nightmare for any offensive line.
The Reality: He is an “identity” pick. Young plays with a violent, tone-setting temperament and a motor that won’t quit. He provides the Titans with elite length and a versatile skill set that keeps the front four fresh without losing any physical edge. If the Titans don’t target a veteran hybrid in free agency, don’t be surprised if Young is the name called in Round 2.
3. Nadame Tucker (Western Michigan)
Projected to Go: Rounds 3-5
The Vibe: If Saleh and Borgonzi want “undeniable” production, they look at Tucker. He officially lit up the stat sheet last year with
14.5 sacks, and he backed it up at the Combine yesterday by running a smooth
4.73-second 40-yard dash. For a 247-pound edge rusher who didn’t even start playing football until his senior year of high school, that athletic profile is exactly the kind of “late-bloomer” trajectory that scouts obsess over.
The Synergy: Tucker is the
“Finisher.” While the starters use their length to stress the tackles and force the QB to step up, Tucker is the specialist who lives in the backfield. He’s the perfect rotational piece to ensure the “Violence” never stops when the starters need a breather. His 4.73 speed shows he has the range to chase down mobile QBs in the AFC South.
The Reality: Tucker is a “project” that has already arrived. He spent time watching Khalil Mack tape with his coaches at WMU to learn pro-level hand usage, and it shows. He bullies larger tackles by getting under their chin straps and out-leveraging them at the point of contact. He provides the immediate rotational juice needed to keep this defensive line fresh without a drop-off in pressure.
4. Malachi Lawrence (UCF)
Projected to Go: Rounds 3-4
The Vibe: Lawrence was the undisputed winner of the mid-round EDGE cluster yesterday. Standing
6’4” and 253 lbs, he exploded for a
4.52-second 40-yard dash and a
1.59-second 10-yard split (2nd best among all DEs). He backed that up with a
40-inch vertical and a
10-foot-10 broad jump. Before yesterday, he was a Day 3 sleeper; today, NFL analysts like Field Yates are saying he might have jumped into the
Top 50.
The Synergy: Lawrence is the engine for Saleh’s preferred
“NASCAR” packages. With his elite burst off the line, he adds pure, corner-turning speed that stresses the footwork of even the most athletic NFL tackles. Putting him on the field alongside Jermaine Johnson creates a duo of “long and fast” bookends that force a QB to make decisions a second faster than they want to.
The Reality: He is a sub-package specialist with a
19.2% pass-rush win rate, proving his speed translates to production. While he still needs to add mass to be a “heavy” 4-3 base defender, his ability to win as a
Wide-9 specialist makes him the ultimate situational weapon.
5. Keyshawn James-Newby (New Mexico)
Projected to Go: Round 6-UDFA
The Vibe: He might have been the biggest snub of this year’s Combine, but don’t let the lack of an Indy invite fool you. I am coining him as
MY “Saturday Steal.” James-Newby is a former zero-star recruit from Montana Tech who transferred to New Mexico and became an absolute wrecking ball. He finished the 2025 season with
9.0 sacks and led the Mountain West in total pressures (
63). He is a pure “heat-seeker” with a first step that jumps off the tape, and his performance at the
Shrine Bowl earlier this month proved he can rag-doll Power 5 tackles just as easily as anyone else on this list.
The Synergy: James-Newby is the ultimate
Scramble-Drill Hunter. When Big Jeff collapses the pocket and the QB tries to bail out, Newby is the one with the closing speed to hunt them down. He brings fresh, high-intensity legs to the 4th quarter. A staple of the dominant, deep rotations Robert Saleh built during his time in New York.
The Secret Sauce: Saleh’s staff has a legendary track record of taking high-production players from smaller schools and turning them into NFL starters (think
Bryce Huff). Newby fits that mold to a T. He is an “effort” rusher who doesn’t stop until the whistle blows; even when his initial move is blocked, he resets and finds a way to the ball. Seriously, go watch his tape against UCLA—you’ll see exactly why he belongs in a Titans uniform.
The “Fast and Violent” Verdict
In putting this list together, I wanted to mirror the philosophy we saw with the WRs. I targeted prospects with a wide range of draft projections, from Day 2 pillars like
Derrick Moore to deep-value hunters like
James-Newby.
The Sweat trade was a statement: the Titans are no longer trying to ‘hold the line’—they’re trying to cross it. While I expect more moves in free agency, by pairing Jermaine Johnson III and Femi Oladejo with Jeffery Simmons, Borgonzi has already built a foundation of speed and length. Each of these five prospects brings exactly what a Robert Saleh defense demands: violence, length, and a motor that never shuts off.
But I want to hear from you! What do you want next—cornerbacks or interior linemen now? Do you think this affects the Titans first round selection? How do you think these guys would fit with Jermaine Johnson? Drop a comment and tell me who you love!
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