The Tennessee Titans may have landed one of the most intriguing defensive picks in the 2026 NFL Draft when they moved up into the back end of the second round for Texas linebacker Anthony Hill Jr.
Hill arrives in Tennessee with a résumé that jumps off the page: 249 total tackles, 31.5 tackles for loss, 17 sacks, 3 interceptions and 8 forced fumbles in college. The former five-star prospect delivered on the hype at Texas, and if that production carries over, he could end up looking like one of the draft’s best value picks.
What makes the landing spot even more interesting is who will be coaching him. Titans head coach Robert Saleh has built a reputation as one of the NFL’s best linebacker developers, and Hill is stepping into a situation that has historically boosted players at his position.
Saleh’s track record stretches back to his first NFL job with the Houston Texans in 2005, when he worked as an intern before moving into defensive quality control in 2006. That same year, the Texans drafted DeMeco Ryans, who broke out immediately and won Defensive Rookie of the Year.
By 2009, Saleh had been promoted to assistant linebackers coach, and Houston used a first-round pick on Brian Cushing. He also won Defensive Rookie of the Year, made the Pro Bowl as a rookie alongside Ryans, and helped form one of the league’s top linebacker tandems.
Saleh’s next stop came with the Seahawks in 2011, where he joined a staff that drafted KJ Wright in the fourth round. Wright became an immediate starter. The following offseason, Seattle spent a second-round pick on Bobby Wagner, who went on to become one of the defining linebackers of his era.
In 2014, Saleh landed his first NFL job as a position coach with the Jaguars. Jacksonville drafted Telvin Smith in the fifth round that year, and Smith started as a rookie while piling up 104 tackles.
Then came Saleh’s first defensive coordinator job in 2017 with Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers. During that first four-year run in San Francisco, he helped develop Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw, who were drafted in 2018 and 2019.
That kind of history is hard to ignore. Every linebacker who has spent meaningful time around Saleh in the NFL has either become a Pro Bowl player, earned a major contract, or both.
So while Hill may have wanted first-round status, he may have ended up in the better place anyway. Saleh has spent two decades showing he knows how to put linebackers in position to play fast, play aggressive and stay effective on all three downs.
If that pattern holds, Anthony Hill Jr. could be the next linebacker to thrive under what looks a lot like Robert Saleh’s magic touch.
In Other News...
Three Titans Rookies Are Already Threatening Starting Jobs
The Titans came out of the 2026 NFL Draft with seven new players, and the rookie class already looks like it could shape the depth chart before the season gets too far along. Carnell Tate, taken No. 4 overall, is the obvious headliner and is expected to step in right away at wide receiver, but the more interesting part of Tennessees rookie haul is how quickly the rest of the group could push for real snaps.
Linebacker Hill, center Coogan and edge rusher Faulk all have paths toward starting roles, even if those paths look different. Hill has the kind of profile that could make him a factor early, Coogan has a chance to force his way into the middle of the line if the current setup wobbles, and Faulk may have to earn his way through a rotational role first. For a Titans team trying to build around young talent, the first month could tell a lot about how many of these rookies are ready to matter right away. [Read more 🡒]
Titans May Have Just Made A Huge Kevin Winston Jr. Bet
Kevin Winston Jr. looks like the kind of bet the Titans are willing to make now, even if the payoff is still a little ways off. The rookie safetys first season was shaped by the partially torn ACL he brought in from Penn State, but he still found a way onto the field for 10 games and showed enough to leave Tennessee thinking bigger about his role moving forward.
The real signal is how the roster has been adjusted around him. Tennessee has added Tony Adams for depth and for his familiarity with Robert Salehs defensive system, while Winston is positioned to keep climbing as the safety group settles in. If the plan holds, 2026 is the year he is expected to move into the starting picture, which says plenty about how the Titans view his long-term value. [Read more 🡒]
Titans Offense Still Isn't Getting Bought Into Before 2026
Even after a busy offseason and another wave of roster tinkering, the Titans still are not earning much trust when it comes to the offense. Jared Dubin of CBS Sports slotted Tennessees offensive infrastructure at No. 31 in the league, a harsh evaluation that reflects more than just skepticism about the passing game. The larger concern is the same one that has followed this team for a while: the line still looks like the place where drives can stall before they ever get started.
Dubin also was not convinced that adding Wan'Dale Robinson and Carnell Tate meaningfully changes the equation, which leaves the Titans leaning on hope as much as personnel. There is at least some belief that Brian Daboll can help steer the unit in a better direction, but the bigger question is whether the front office did enough to address the most obvious weakness before turning the page toward 2026. Until the offensive line proves it can hold up, the rest of the plan remains hard to buy into. [Read more 🡒]