Locked On Titans - Daily Podcast On The Tennessee Titans - NOT DOWN with Caleb Downs for Tennessee Titans at the Top of the NFL Draft & Mid-Round Safety Fits

Episode Date: April 10, 2026

The Tennessee Titans could take one of the "non-premium" positions in the first round of the NFL Draft, but that should not mean Caleb Downs is a possibility. Downs is a fine prospect, but with the Titans having Kevin Winston and Amani Hooker, safety not being a prime need and Downs being an overrated prospect, it would be a poor choice for Mike Borgonzi. However, the Titans could choose to add a safety much later and what type of player they look for will tell us a lot about who will be doing what in the secondary.   LOCKED ON TITANS EVERYDAY CLUB: https://lockedontitans.supercast.com/   Subscribe to the TicTacTitans Film Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@TicTacTitans   TicTacTitans Merchandise: https://dixons-dream.square.site/shop/tictactitans-gear/C3AAPNWXSXA6SBYG3USV2I7R?page=1&limit=30&sort_by=category_order&sort_order=asc   Follow Tyler on Twitter @TicTacTitans   Follow the show on Facebook @LockedOnTitansPod   Subscribe to the Locked On Titans YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/LockedOnTitans/videos   Everydayer ClubIf you never miss an episode, it’s time to make it official. Join the Locked On Everydayer Club and get ad-free audio, access to our members-only Discord, and more — all built for our most loyal fans. Click here to learn more and join your team’s community: https://lockedonpodcasts.com/everydayerclub Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! TurboTax This year you’re getting a major upgrade — Intuit TurboTax now has in-person locations nationwide. Visit http://TurboTax.com/local to book your appointment today. FanDuel Today's episode is brought to you by FanDuel. Right now new customers can bet just five dollars and get two-hundred and fifty dollars in bonus bets if your first bet wins.Visit https://FANDUEL.COM to get started — Play Your Game. Indeed Listeners of this show get a $75 Sponsored Job Credit to help give your job the premium placement it deserves at http://Indeed.com/podcast. Betterhelp This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Sign up and get 10% off at http://BetterHelp.com/LOCKEDON. FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

There are a lot of things the Tennessee Titans could do at the top of the NFL draft that I would be happy with. But I am not down with Caleb Downs. I'll explain on today's edition of Locked on Titan. You are Locked on Titans, your daily Tennessee Titans podcast, part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. Welcome to the Locked on Titans podcast. I am your host, Tyler Rowland Titans fans. on today's show. We are going to finish off the 2026

Locked on Titans NFL draft preview series with the safety position. I'll talk about why I am not down for Caleb Downs at the top of the NFL draft. Also, we'll talk about some of the mid-round and day three safety fits for the Tennessee Titans. Before we dive in, do want to thank you for making Locked-on Titans your first listen each and every day.

Remember Monday through Friday, Tennessee Titans content all year round, always for free. Make sure that you get subscribed, stay subscribed. It's your team every day. Speaking of every day, shout out to my everydayers out there. Tune in Monday through Friday. Couldn't do it without you guys.

If you aren't an everydayer, now is the perfect time to be one. We are less than two weeks away from the NFL draft. I'm going to do a ton of mock drafts next week looking at three round scenarios for the Titans. What's the best path? What's the best start? And I can tell you one thing,

one of the best starts will not include Caleb Downs. So make sure that you stay locked in with the number one Tennessee Titans podcast in the world locked on Titans. But with that being said, again, I am not down with Caleb Downs. And I know that this throws some people off. I am a Buckeye. If you don't know, I'm from born and raised in Ohio, live in Ohio,

love the Ohio State Buckeyes. I've been a Buckeyes fan longer than I've been a Titans fan. The reason I'm a Titans fan is because I like the Ohio State Buckeyes and followed Eddie George around. You know what I mean? Things like that. But I am not overly high on Caleb Downs. Quite frankly, I think I'm lower on Caleb Downs than a lot of people.

But there's two different facets to this conversation. There is Caleb Downs is a player and then the Tennessee Titans. Let's start with the Tennessee Titans. The Titans can't take a safety at the top of the draft. You just gave Amani Hooker a big-time contract extension. Now, I don't think that Amani Hooker is some great player who, oh, you can't draft a safety because you have Amani Hooker. But having a Monty Hooker on the contract that he's on right now,

and having just drafted Kevin Winston, it just doesn't make any sense to take a safety number one in the NFL draft. Like, I'm sorry, I just can't go for that. You know what I mean? That just does not make sense for me. It's a non-premium position. It's not a position of need. You have two starting quality players there.

And not only that, but there's this. I believe in Kevin Winston. Sue me. I think Kevin Winston can be just as good as Caleb Downs. Fight me. That's how I feel. That's the take. That's the spicy one.

And I think that the best version of Caleb Downs, the best version of Caleb Downs, where he is totally maximized as a player. I think he's a pro bowl level player. Caleb Downs fully maximized. is doing the same things that Kevin Winston is doing when Kevin Winston is maximized.

Kevin Winston can play the big nickel. He can play dime linebacker, come downhill over the middle, hit somebody, be good in run defense, make plays on the ball. Like, the best version of Caleb Downs and the best version of Kevin Winston cannot be on the same football team at the same time.

I don't believe that. So, from the Titans' perspective, I don't understand why Caleb would be an option. And then Caleb Downs the player. Look, he's 5-11, 206 pounds, 30.25-inch arms, didn't run a 40-yard dash

because it's probably like a 4-6, 4-6, 4-6, 4-7, but probably high 4-5-4-6. He's 21.4 years old, so still young. Look, he's got elite IQ. The dude knows football. He knows where people are going to be. He is a leader. Like he is the one, you go here, you go here, no, you're on the wrong hash.

No, we need to slide the D line. Hey, watch out for this guy. The motion's going that way so they're running this play. Tape study, work ethic, film room, leadership, locker room, elite football character. Elite football character guy. And that matters. He reads defenses perfectly. Astounding tackler.

Just all the intensity. tangibles, all of the little small things you could ever want in a football player, Caleb Downs has him. But the big things, some of the big things he doesn't have. He is not an elite athlete. He's not the athlete that Derwin James or Jalen Ramsey were. Or Jamal Adams. He isn't as big as Derwin James, Kyle Hamilton. It's not as big as those guys.

He's 5-11. Slow. Slow, I say. He would smoke me twice in a race before I finished once. But there's a reason he didn't run the 40-yard dash because it would not help his draft stock. Not an elite athlete,

doesn't have elite size. I just don't see Caleb Downs as a certified top 10, top five type of talent. in the draft. I don't see it. I think he's going to be a good player. Caleb Downs is going to be one of the better safeties in the NFL, I believe that.

But what's the value of that? How good is that? Is he a Pro Bowl level safety, or is he an all pro level safety? Now, we can joke about the Pro Bowl and all that, but you guys know what I mean when I say that. Is he a top five player at his position, or is he just top 10, top 12 at his position?

I think he's top 10 at his position. I don't know that Caleb Downs is a Hall of Fame level player. I just don't see him that way. Think he's a mid-first round, good safety. And that's not, the Titan shouldn't be taking that. I would take cornerback way before I would take Caleb Downs at safety. And, you know, the other first round safeties, if we go down the list, Dylan Theaman from Oregon or Emmanuel McNeil Warren out of Toledo.

I don't think either of those guys make sense for the Titans, even in a trade, down. There have to be other edges, wide receivers. Offensive linemen on the board. Like, I would rather take offensive tackle than take safety if the Titans traded back to like 16 through 25. You know what I mean? If the Titans trade anywhere 16 or lower, I would rather take offensive tackle than take safety. So, like, I would rather take Veg Ione. or Emmanuel Pregnan, or I'm not as high on Chase Pesantis,

but I guess he's involved in that conversation. Like, I would rather do that. I would much rather go with offensive tackle. Now, Dylan Theeman is, you know, 6 foot, 200 pounds, 4 or 5 speed, he's reliable, he's versatile, he can play in any kind of defense you want, anything you want a safety to do, deep half, post safety, box safety, a little bit of slot overhang, like Dylan Theaman can do anything.

And that's why he's going to be drafted in the first round. But he's not a super twitchy athlete by any stretch of the imagination. You know, he's just solid like Caleb Downs. Maybe a little better athlete, a little faster. I actually think he ran a 435, not a 4.55, if I'm reading my own chicken scratch correctly. So, not a super twitchy, super strong athlete, but he's versatile, he's tough. I don't think that the Titans could take a Dylan Theemman in the first round, even with a big tradeback.

Same thing. I would be more interested in Emmanuel McNeil Warren. I think I have a hot take. I think EMW has just as good of a chance as Caleb Downs to be an elite all-pro level player in the NFL. Like, if you told me five years from now, Emmanuel McNeil Warren is a better player in the NFL than Caleb Downs, I would not be shocked.

Now, I don't think that's likely. Caleb Downs has a way higher floor, but ceiling? I think Emmanuel McNeil Warren has a higher ceiling than Dylan Theaman or Caleb Downs. He's 6-3-200, 32-inch arms, 4-5-40s, he's 22 years old, great speed, he's long,

great ball skills, he's physical, he's just a little over-aggressive. But again, I'd rather have to back him down than make him go. So, Emmanuel McNeill Warren, the Titans can't take him he's got a chance to be there at 35 I don't think it would make sense

but if they did it I wouldn't I wouldn't be mad I think he's gonna be a stud I really do I believe in the Toledo product you know what I mean but again those are the top three safeties those are the first round safeties and whether it's a trade back or not

I just don't see those guys as people who make sense for the Titans now as we get down into the rest of the safety class, there are more guys who I do think are fits. Do want to let you know that today's episode is brought to you by TurboTax. It's tax time, but for a lot of us, the old way of doing taxes is a lot.

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Need to hire. That's a job for Indeed sponsored jobs. Let's cap off today's edition of the Locked on Titans podcast and cap off the 2026 Locked on Titans NFL draft preview series. I didn't do quarterback. I didn't do interior defensive line.

I'm going to keep it real with you guys. I just don't care about those positions for the Titans for obvious reasons. But we've hit every other position you know, 10 to 15 to 20 different gods at every single spot. Again, next week we're going to be focusing on mock drafts

what paths the Titans could take, three round combinations that would be best to start the Titans draft. So excited to dive into all of that with you guys. Make sure you stay locked in with the number one Titans podcast in the world locked on Titans. But again, the rest of the safety class is very interesting. And I think that all of these guys that we're about to talk about,

you have the top three at the top. Caleb Downs, Dylan Theam, and Emmanuel McNeil Warren. But after that, I think there's a chance of safety doesn't go until after 66. I mean, if you want to count like Trading Stukes as a safety or Keante Scott or something like that, then maybe you could argue that I'm wrong semantically on that. But AJ Hawsey out of LSU, Zaki Wheatley, out of Penn State, Bud Clark, Genesis Smith, are those guys going to go next? When do they go?

I don't know that they, there are a lot of safeties in round two. I don't know about that. Halsey is a guy that I'm very interested in. 511, 215, ran a 4-5, not the fastest, guy in the world, but man, he still has range. He's ranging. He goes across the field. He has great hands, gets a ton of interceptions, always reading the quarterback's eyes, super instinctive. He just can be out of control. He goes too hard for big plays sometimes. And again, he's rangy and has good instincts and feel to be where he needs to be, but he doesn't have elite

speed, doesn't have elite size. Again, can be out of control, over aggressive to the ball, but as a deep free safety to just play in the back end and take anything away that's deep, I think he would be awesome. I think he could, he has some Kevin Bayard to his game.

Let's say that. Zaki Wheatley, 6-2-203, 31-inch arms, 4-640, but he's 24 years old. Look, great size, fluid mover for a guy that size, he's physical, but doesn't make a lot of plays on the ball. Obviously, doesn't have the deep speed.

I think he's more of a versatile, safety where Halsey is a back end safety. He could play a little bit of everything. He's a split field safety, I would say. But the age, the speed concerns, I'm not as certain. But I think Zaki Wheatley at like 101

wouldn't be a terrible pick for the Titans. Bud Clark is a guy with a lot of fans. TCU, 6 foot, 188, 31.6 inch arm, 4-4-1 on the 40-yard dash. another guy who's 24 years old though. He also, good range, good ball skills. Just lean, you know, 6 foot 188, that's skinny. He's another undisciplined player, just too over-aggressive,

needs to be more sound in his technique, more patient. Genesis Smith is a guy who I am very interested in. Because I think what the Titans need with their other safety is a back-end safety. They need somebody to replace Tony Adams eventually. They need to replace a Monty Hooker too, but let's go one step at a time here. You have a Monty Hooker and Kevin Winston who can be box safeties, forward safety, split safeties. But they don't have that deep middle cover three center fielder. And that's what Genesis Smith is out of Arizona.

6 foot 2, 202 pounds, 32.7 inch arms, almost 33 inch arms. or in a four, five, 40s, 21 and a half. This dude is a pure center fielder. The problem is he doesn't want to play in the run. He's not physical. But if he is the third safety that only plays on passing downs, why is that a problem?

I don't need him to play the run. What I need him to do is play center fielder and not get beat deep and make interceptions when it does get thrown deep and he can pick people off. And that's what Genesis Smith is. He is a true center fielder, a free safety in the back end.

So I think pick 101, that would make a ton of sense. Jalen Kilgore is another guy that people like out of South Carolina, I believe that it is. 6-1-2-10, 33-inch arms, ran a 4-4. So think that height-weight speed. 6-1-2-10, 33-inch arms, 4-4-40-yard dash,

and he's 21.2 years old. High, weight, speed, age, has ball skills, just can be a little out of control. And that affects him when he's playing the ball, it affects him when he's trying to tackle. But Jalen Kilgore is an interesting guy. To me, he's more of a strong safety

slash nickelback type player, though, than he is an actual safety. No what I mean? VJ Payne is another guy like that. strong safety box safety type 63206 33 inch arms 4 4 24 22 years old again height weight speed

long arms he's great in man coverage against tight ends he just needs better awareness out there on the field to read routes and zone coverage where to be recognizing when he's being sold all that different stuff but he could be drafted in the 4th round 6th round and just be a tight end

racer like Dan Crookshank was that one year. You remember that when Dan Crookshank had the Crookshank Redemption year? That was crazy. That was fun. The last guy I want to mention is Kamari Ramsey out of USC. He's more again, strong safety, might be more of a nickelback slot guy. 6 foot, 231 inch arms, 44740, 21.7 years old. Great athlete, really smart, really tough player. He's had a ton of injuries, though. He's just had a ton of injuries. And that's why he's last on my list. I just don't think the Titans are going to be in on consistent

injury guys. So, those are the top 10, 11 safeties in the draft. I don't know if I feel comfortable. I don't think that if the Titans take any other safety and it's not one of these guys, I just don't think

that there's someone who I could get realistically excited about like they're going to make an impact. on the football team. You know what I mean? Like I just, they're a fringe roster guy. They would have to prove it to me.

So, but I think some of these safeties could be available on day three because I don't think, I don't think these safeties are going to go super high again. Hossy, Wheatley, Clark, Smith, Kilgore, Payne, Ramsey. Are these guys going to go in the second round? I'm not convinced.

But let me know your favorite safeties. Let me know how you feel about Caleb Downs as well. But that's going to do it for me today, folks, again next week, mock draft heavy. Doing mock draft trios all week long. Can't wait. As always, I am your host, Tyler Rowland, and this was Locked on Titans.