INDIANAPOLIS – Pass rushers are on the mind of every team that needs one here at the NFL Combine, and that includes the Tennessee Titans.
Later this week, Miami's Rueben Bain, Texas Tech's David Bailey and Ohio State's Arvell Reese will be among those trying to impress NFL teams in interviews, and workouts.
A player the Titans picked early in last year's draft – edge rusher Femi Oladejo – hasn't been forgotten, however.
In fact, Titans head coach Robert Saleh had some positive things to say about Oladejo here on Tuesday at the NFL Combine.
"A guy like Femi, you evaluate him two different ways," Saleh said. "In a 3-4 scheme, you evaluate him as a dropper, as a linebacker, as a pass rusher, all encompassing. When we were in San Francisco, we evaluated him as a guy with his hand (in the) ground, rushing the passer, which is what he'll do for us.
"He's got length, he's got violence, he plays fast. There will be a learning curve with the way we teach it, but we are going to get him moving forward every single snap and I do believe he has the talent and the drive to be able to maximize who he is."
A second-round pick of the Titans in the 2025 NFL Draft, the 6-foot-3-inch, 259-pound Oladejo tallied 13 tackles, six quarterback pressures and two tackles for a loss in while playing in just six games for the Titans. Before suffering a fractured led on his 23rd snap in the team's October 12 game against the Raiders, Oladejo had already recorded three tackles, two tackles for a loss, and a quarterback hit. It was arguably his best showing during his brief rookie campaign.
Oladejo was placed on Injured Reserve, and he spent the rest of the season recovering, rehabbing, and learning, while thinking about what's next. Oladejo practiced with the team the final few weeks of the year while remaining on Injured Reserve.
"He has all the talent in the world," Saleh said of Oladejo. "He has length, he has speed, he has pass rush ability, he plays with violence. He's a good football player, and for him it is just going to be transferring, getting your hand in the ground and going vertical every snap rather than having to think about coverages and all that.
"Obviously there is going to be a learning curve for him, even in that role, and there is going to be a lot of coaching and a lot of work on his part to get himself better every single day and I think he has the mindset and the physical ability to do that."
