Titans' edge rush battle emerging between recent draft picks
The Titans' young edge rushers are trending toward a training camp battle, with recent draft picks in line to compete for a starting role on defense.
As the NFL offseason inches closer to the NFL Draft, the Tennessee Titans appear to be sold on a particular position. With edge rusher being a huge question mark going into the offseason, the team traded for former New York Jets defensive end Jermaine Johnson. Johnson fills a need at one of their starting edge rusher positions, especially considering he had his best season under Robert Saleh's head coaching tenure with the Jets.
However, the position opposite him remains vacant, with a draft full of depth at that spot. While the 2026 draft has always been seen as the method the Titans would use to fill the need, their free-agent signings of Jacob Martin and Malik Herring, and their trade for Solomon Thomas suggest otherwise. Last season, the Titans used recent draft picks to compete for the starting inside linebacker role, and appear to be heading in that direction at one of their edge-rusher positions this year.
Expect Oladejo and Harrell to battle for the starting role Oluwafemi Oladejo was drafted by the Titans in the second round of the NFL Draft last year as a high-level developmental prospect at edge rusher. Unfortunately, his rookie season ended after six games due to a fractured leg. While he was underwhelming up until the game he got injured, he was having arguably his best game when he got hurt.
He recorded three tackles (two for a loss) and a QB hit before leaving their game against the Las Vegas Raiders, and ended his rookie season without a sack. On the other hand, the Titans' 2024 seventh-round draft pick, Jaylen Harrell, came on strong down the stretch of his sophomore season. After getting extended playing time due to injuries, Harrell finished the season with four sacks, 11 tackles (five for a loss), and six QB Hits in the last five games.