NASHVILLE – Dane Brugler covered his 16th NFL Combine last week.
Since, the well respected draft analyst has "gathered plenty of feedback" from NFL officials, which influenced how he put together his two-round mock draft submitted on Wednesday to The Athletic.
"Obviously, free agency is still going to be a major domino in the process," Brugler wrote, "but the combine gives us breadcrumbs to how teams are thinking."
So, how did what happened in Indianapolis impact what he thinks about the early picks in the 2026 NFL Draft, including Tennessee's pick at No.4?
Well, let's just say Brugler gives the Titans a player at four – Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love – who surged in the eyes of NFL officials with an impressive combine performance.
Here's what Brugler said about the Titans picking Love at No.4:
"Should the Titans, at this point in their roster construction, invest a premium pick at running back? Debatable. But with money to spend in free agency, Tennessee should be in a much more stable place before we get to April," Brugler said of the Love pick.
"An AFC scout for a team that already has an established running back called Love "the best player in the draft." Instead of getting hung up on positional value, the Titans should focus on "impact value" and what a talent like Love could do not only for the run game, but the passing game and offense overall. Head coach Robert Saleh spent the last year watching Christian McCaffrey's impact on the San Francisco 49ers and could see similar potential in Love."
Brugler, by the way, had the Raiders taking Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza at 1, the Jets taking Ohio State edge Arvell Reese at 2, and the Cardinals taking Miami tackle Francis Mauigoa at 3. Brugler had the Giants taking another NFL Combine star, Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles, at No.5 in his mock draft for The Athletic.
As for the Titans at No. 35 in the second round, Brugler tabbed Texas A&M edge Cashius Howell to Tennessee.
The 6-2, 248-pound Howell tallied 11.5 sacks, 31 tackles and 14.0 tackles for a loss in 2025 for the Aggies, where he was named a first-team All-American and Defensive Player of the Year.
The 2026 NFL Draft is scheduled for April 23-25 in Pittsburgh.
