23 defensive prospects for Tennessee Titans to watch at this week's NFL draft combine

The Tennessee Titans used all six of their NFL draft picks on offensive players last season. Don't expect that trend to repeat itself as the team readies for this week's NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.

The Titans have needs and uncertainties just about everywhere on defense. New defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson professes to be installing an aggressive, attacking scheme that should require a philosophical overhaul. Compound that with the pending free agency of half the Titans' defensive starters and it's easy to see how a defensive youth movement could be incoming.

Here are 23 defensive prospects the Titans should keep an eye on at this week's NFL draft combine, sorted by position.

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Interior defensive linemen

Given the Titans' bigger needs elsewhere, defensive tackle probably doesn't need to be a priority until Day 3. That could mean paying attention to a high-upside player who was limited by injuries in college like LSU's Maason Smith, a more experienced but lower-upside guy like Duke's DeWayne Carter or even a smaller, more modern interior prospect like Baylor's Gabe Hall.

Defensive ends/outside linebackers

If Denico Autry leaves in free agency, the Titans could conceivably be in the market for Alabama's Dallas Turner, UCLA's Laiatu Latu or Florida State's Jared Verse, the top edge rushers in the draft, in Round 1. More likely, though, the Titans should be paying attention to athletic, diamond-in-the-rough pass rushers projected to go in the middle rounds such as Kansas' Austin Booker, Colorado State's Mohamed Kamara and Houston Baptist's Jalyx Hunt.

Inside linebackers

There's some sentimental value in targeting Michigan product and Brentwood native Junior Colson as a middle-round prospect. But there's probably more value in waiting a couple of rounds to target someone like Texas' Jaylan Ford or Missouri's Ty'Ron Hopper on Day 3 given the Titans' needs at positions with higher surplus value than middle linebacker.

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Cornerback

Cornerback is arguably the Titans' biggest need, so it'd be malpractice if the team didn't at least do its diligence on first-round prospects Terrion Arnold and Kool-Aid McKinstry from Alabama, Nate Wiggins from Clemson and Quinyon Mitchell from Toledo. Georgia's Kamari Lassiter and Penn State's Kalen King make sense as second-round targets to watch, while Notre Dame's Cam Hart, Oregon's Khyree Jackson and Auburn's Jaylin Simpson could all be early Day 3 candidates with chances to help the Titans as rookies.

Safety

Safety is another position, like inside linebacker or interior defensive line, where the Titans would be better served to wait for the late rounds and find value in someone like Ohio State's six-year contributor Josh Proctor or Utah's two-way star Sione Vaki.

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Nick Suss is the Titans beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Nick at nsuss@gannett.com. Follow Nick on X, the platform formerly called Twitter, @nicksuss.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: 23 defensive players Titans should be watching at NFL draft combine