Locked On Titans - Daily Podcast On The Tennessee Titans - Tennessee Titans MUST DRAFT ELITE Guard or Sign Kevin Zeitler IMMEDIATELY After NFL Draft

Episode Date: April 6, 2026

The Tennessee Titans have a massive hole at right guard and it is a dangerous place to be with Cam Ward going into Year 2. Filling that hole with a worthy option will require a valuable pick to be used because there are only four, five aggressively, guards in this class that can be counted on to start right away. Names like Vega Ioane, Emmanuel Pregnon, Chase Bistonis, Keylan Rutledge and Gennings Dunker. If the Titans miss on those options, they will be in a rough spot because the drop off at interior offensive line comes on Day 3. You will only be left with riskier options or Cordell Volson and Jackson Slater.    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.

The Tennessee Titans only have two good paths remaining at right guard. Draft one early or bring back Kevin Zeitler. We'll break it down 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 get ready for the NFL draft by talking about the Titans open right guard spot.

They need a starter, so they either need to take one of the top guards in the draft, or they are left with three other options, one of them being signing Kevin Zeitler back, and that's one that they're going to have to take. We'll talk about the day three drop-off at guard that I don't really trust. Before we get into all of it, do want to thank you for making the 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 up to my everydayers out there. Tune in Monday through Friday. Couldn't do it without you guys. If you aren't an everydayer, you need to be one. We're in the middle of the 2026, locked on Titans, NFL draft preview series going position by position, getting you ready for the draft in just a couple of weeks.

We're finishing up. the offense with the guards, with the centers tomorrow, then will be on to defense. 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, the Tennessee Titans have two options here. Either they bring back Kevin Zeitler or they draft a guard high in the draft. And in my opinion, I think there's only four guards that are actually good enough to be counted on to start right away.

Maybe you could add a fifth in there, and I know that a lot of you guys would add a fifth in there. I don't know that I'm quite there, but there are at least four, all right? And that's the situation the Titans are in that we did not want them to be in, to be in a position where the offensive line is actually worse today than it was at the end of the season for Cam Ward and year two coming off an injury at the end of the season. Now, Cam appears to be healed and things should be good to go there, but nonetheless, taking Cam Ward's safety and protection, very, very seriously

is something that the Tennessee Titans just simply have not done so far. So again, they are left with two paths, in my opinion, to viable guard play. Either they draft one of these four or five guys at the top of the draft, or they bring back Kevin Zeitler, and anything else is simply not good enough.

Like, it's simply not good enough if they go with any other pass. So who are the four or five guards that the Tennessee Titans could take here, who I think would make sense? Now, most of you guys have heard, of the top guard in the draft. It's Vega Ione out of Penn State. 6 foot 4, 320 pounds, absolute mauler,

32 and 3 quarter inch arms. That's long for being a guard. Again, just incredible power, a big strong frame, really, really strong hands that just lock you up. He can get off the line of scrimmage with good athleticism and burst. He's going to be a perfect fit for the Tennessee Titans gap, multiple run scheme, strikes with his hands with great power,

he's got good range. Literally the only thing that I could think of to give a negative. Tione is he may not be a perfect fit in a zone scheme. It's not going to be a maximization of what he does best. But if the Titans are going to take Vega, it's going to be in a tradeback scenario

because he's not going to make it to the second round. So it would be a situation like we talked about on yesterday's locked on Titans, podcast where we did the mock draft and we had the Titans trading back to 12 and 20. I think at pick 20 and heck maybe even pick 12 if the Titans feel convicted. He may be an option in one of those scenarios. If the Titans were able to make a big tradeback to like 16 through 22, I think that's where you would take Vega Ioni.

But I don't know that that's the most realistic option for the Titans. I think even if they did make a tradeback, something like that. I don't know that they could take a guard in that situation. much more plausible, in my opinion, is that the Titans would take a guard at pick 35. Round 2, I think that's a good spot historically to get a decent interior offensive lineman. I think there's a lot of value there.

And probably my favorite guard out of all of these names that we're going to talk about, well, I don't know. That's a toss-up. I like a lot of these guards here at the top. But the next guy on the list who I think would be a, perfect fit for the Titans is a manual pregnum. The 6 foot 4, 314 pounder out of Oregon, 33.6 inch arms. Great length inside. Great length. 11 inch hands.

All right, and he uses them. 7.72 in the 3 cone. You guys know that 7.7 number is important to me. At a 35 inch vertical, a guy that size, he is also a physical mauler. with great size, with powerful hands. Again, monstrous hands, long arms. He uses that length. Once he gets his hands on you, you're done. And he's a really, really good athlete for his size,

gets up to the second level, attacks people, good range, good radar as well. He needs to sustain his blocks by having better technique with his hands and getting his hands in the right spot. And he may not be the best in zone. but the Titans are going to have a lot of pulling action with their guards. They're going to run a lot of gap runs. They're going to run zone because it's multiple, but the gap runs are going to be way more prevalent in the system

than the zone runs. And Pregnone was a guy who pooled a lot with Oregon, did a lot of fake pools as well or like play action pools. Like you see the Titans utilize, you've seen Peter Skoronsky do that a ton. I think Emmanuel Pregnone is just absolutely fantastic. He would be a favorite. of mine for the Tennessee Titans to draft.

And the next guy who's in that range, in my opinion, is Chase Passantis. Now, I don't think that Chase Basantus is my cup of tea. I like Pregnone and the guy we're going to talk about after Basantus a lot better. But Basantas reminds me, and I've seen this comparison by some, he reminds me of Peter Skoranski. He's a less talented Peter Skoronsky. 6'5, 315 pounds. So he's got offensive tackle size.

Only 31.75 inch arms though. Like Peter Skoronsky, very short arms. Not huge hands. Very good three cones. 7.53. He's a very good athlete. Not even 22 years old quite yet. So he's got that offensive tackle size.

He's got really quick hands. Really, really quick hands. He moves his feet quickly as well. like Peter Skoronsky does. He's very quick with his hands, very quick with his feet, can reset. But at 653.15, with not long arms, guys can get in his chest,

and it's hard for him to anchor. And he can use his quick feet to flip back and readjust and try to re-center, but sometimes he can't. With smaller hands and not very long arms and not a very burly frame, his punch isn't quite that great. gets off balance for a guy his size

who should be a better mover. He gets off balance a little too often. Can't really plant his roots and drive guys. You know, I think he'd be better in a mostly zone scheme that can use his quick feet and his quick hands. But I like Chase Basantis, but I would not be willing to take Basantas at number 35. I know a lot of people like him,

but I would not feel comfortable with that. At 66, I would feel comfortable with that. But honestly, Vagione and Emmanuel, Pregnone are the only guards that I would be willing to take 35 or higher. And I would take both of them at 35. And I'd be happy to do it.

But I don't think that I could take Bessontas. I would have Bessontas in the next group of guys, which is a three-man group of Bessontas, Kilon Ruttledge, and Jennings Dunker. That would be the next group of guys that I would look at. But again, if the Titans don't get one of those five guys, they absolutely have to go out and bring Kevin's back immediately after the draft. So we'll talk about the remaining top group

and what the Titans path forward is with Zeitler or if they decide not to do that. Do you want to let you know that today's episode is sponsored by better help. Financial stress is something a lot of people are carrying right now. It's not just about numbers. It can affect your sleep, your relationships, your overall mental health in ways that really build up over time. And the reality is struggling with money doesn't mean that you've failed. Sometimes it just means you haven't had the right kind of support. It's something that I've thought about, how easy it is to just put pressure on yourself financially

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and get 10% off at betterhelp.com slash locked on. That's BetterHelphelp.com slash locked on. Fans, let's continue today's edition of the Locked on Titans podcast. Again, we're breaking down the guard class in the 26 NFL draft as part of our NFL draft preview series where we go position by position looking at a ton of different guys will go over 200 different prospects by the time that we've gone through every single

spot. But guard is a big one. Again, the Titans got to draft one of these top guards or they got to bring Kevin Zeitler back. And we talked about Emmanuel Pregnone. We talked about Vega Ione. We talked about Chase Basantis. But the next guy that I want to go to is secretly, I said it

with Emmanuel Pregnone, but secretly Keelan Rutledge is my favorite guard of the entire group. 6'5, 316 pounds, 33.75 inch arms so he's got super long arms and boy does he have strong hands and here's the thing

a guy who's thicker built more burly in his build kind of got a belly to him he's got a Santa Claus build out there he ran a 7.543 cone he can move okay and his hands I'm telling you his punch

when he punches the pass rusher or he gets hands on a guy in a combo block on a double t he moves you. He has power in his hands. Absolute strong hands. Number one thing that stood out. Good anchor.

Once he senses center of gravity, he's got that belly and he just sits back and you can't get through him, man. You just simply can't get through him. He drives guys off the line of scrimmage again, really good in combo blocks. He's going to be great in gap runs. Think about where you have a center and a guard and they have to displace a nose tackle. You've got to move that nose tackle out of the.

way. He is excellent at those kinds of blocks. He pulls as well. I saw him pull so many different times again, a good mover for a guy with his kind of build and stunts just do not get back. So he will be so good on stunts where he's literally looking inside waiting for the guy because he knows a stunts cut. He like recognizes the defensive tackle. It's not rushing forward as quickly and it immediately alerts him that a stunt is coming and the way that he snaps his head and his vision and then pops his hands to catch the stunt guy, it's awesome. He's an awesome player.

I don't think that he'll last to 66. But if he were at 66, I mean, who, you would have to take him. This guy is going to be a player. Now, he can get all balance when he's going forward. You know, get him, he's a good puller, but getting him out in space, on, you know, screen, things like that. He's not the best mover in that regard. His quickness, like, I think he's better in a gap scheme.

I don't know that he's going to be a great fit in a pure zone scheme, but the Titans are going to be more gap-heavy, in my opinion, then they will be zone. They'll play some zone, they'll do some mid-zone, some inside zone, which looks like duo anyway, quite honestly. So I think Keelon Rutledge is the perfect value,

the perfect skill set, and the perfect fit with the Tennessee Titans. He is my favorite by far guard in this class. Now, the last guy that I want to talk about here is Jennings Dunker. And Dunker has a lot of fans, and I think a lot of it is because of his look. He's got this long red mullet, and, you know, it was very noticeable at the Senior Bowl

and the Combine and during the season. So he just kind of looks cool. Let's just be honest about it. He just looks cool. as an offensive lineman. And that makes a lot of people like him. But I don't know that Jennings Dunker is the level player that Rutledge and Basantis and Pregnone and Ione are.

I just don't know. He's got good size. 65, 320, 33 and a half inch arms. He was an offensive tackle in college. He's probably going to be moving in to play guard at the next level. He is strong, all right? He is an ox. Okay, so big size, big strength.

He plays nasty, he's got a finisher mentality, he'll maul you in the run game and move you around. But he is not a very good athlete, in my opinion. He's very rigid. I make fun of David Bailey and say he has a lack of ankle flexion. He looks like the tin man. Like Jennings Dunker is real tight hips. He runs like a toy soldier. You know, just not a lot of fluid agility.

Not good on the move. He's not necessarily good at stunts and seeing them right away. like we talked about with Keelan Rutledge. I think Dunker, in my opinion, deserves to be in the tier with the other four guys we've talked about, like the first four guys. But he is by far and easily the worst of the group.

He's the ugly duckling of the group. I don't think he's, I think he's a much better prospect than the rest of the guards that we're going to talk about. But he's not on the level of the first four guys that we talked about either. So it's kind of a middle ground, which realistically could leave Jennings Dunker available at number 66.

Right? That makes sense. So to me, those are the top five guards. And if the Titans don't get one of those five guys, Vegaione, Emmanuel Pregdon, Chase Basantis, Keelon Rutledge, Jennings Dunker, if the Titans don't get one of those five guys, you can't count on that player to be a starter day one. And again, the alternative is you would have to go out and sign Kevin Zitler. It would be an absolute must at that point, in my opinion.

Look, we can be excited about Jackson Slater. He played in one game. Like, I know special teams, whatever. But as a guard, real stats, real opportunity. He played in one game. One game of real opportunity. There is no way in the world that you can watch that film

which I've done three times now just went back and watched it a couple weeks ago actually when I was looking at Andrew Sloatman and Jackson Slater to see if I could see a starting center in there or a starting guy and I just don't know how you could say that yet. I don't know how you could feel comfortable with that especially Cam Ward going into year two

because think if they don't bring back Kevin Zitler you know maybe they go out and sign somebody else in free agency Greg Van Rack. and Joel Botonio, something like that. But there's no value of continuity there. Both of those guys are 36 years old. It doesn't give you any value of being younger than Kevin Zytler. Why would you do that?

Why would that be a better solution than just bringing back Kevin Zitler, who's already in town? And that would, with the lack of continuity of Zytler being around, and Zytler being a better player, than those players consistently throughout the last couple of years. Betonio was a very good player at one point in time. But Van Roten has never been that. So if it's not Zitler,

it's some other older veteran that I'm not as confident in as I would be with Zitler. Or it's Cordell Vosan who signed as a free agent who, again, wasn't good enough to play on the Bengals' offensive line. The Cincinnati Bengals. Volson is not a good player. I've watched a lot of his games.

He is not a good player. He is a backup. up, he is like, it's like when the Titan signed Brandon James and Sam Mustifer and Ali Udo last year. Like, Mustafa and Jamies were literally just veteran camp bodies to add competition. That's how I view Cordell Volson. They don't even know if he's going to make the team. He's not like a guarantee to make the team.

And then Jackson Slater. And again, you can't tell me with absolute certainty right now that Jackson Slater should be a starter. He was a, you know, fifth rounder. So those are the paths. Either one of those top five guys, Ione, Pregnon, Bezantus, Rutledge, Dunker, or you bring back Kevin Zitler,

or it's Volson and Slater. And I just refuse to believe, I refuse to believe, that the plan for Cam Warden year two is to go with Cordell Volson or Jackson Slater as the starting right guard. So it's one or two options. It's a top guard in the draft,

66 or higher or at Zeitler. It's got to be one of those two things. I guess we'll find out in a couple of weeks. But with that being said, the reason I feel that way is because there is a drop-off in talent, in my opinion, with the rest of the guard class.

There's much more, and we'll talk center tomorrow, but I would feel much more comfortable with the Titans bringing back Kevin Zeitler and then drafting a center rather than the other way around trying to go with Austin Schlotman or Jackson Slater at center and then find a guard in the draft, I'd feel much more comfortable with the other way because there is a massive drop-off here on day two that we have to discuss,

or day three is what I mean. Fans, let's cap off today's edition of the Locked-on Titans podcast. Again, talking about the guard spot for the Titans and why the Titans got to get one of the top guards in the NFL draft that we talked about earlier, or bring back Kevin's... That's the only two good paths remaining. Before we dive into why those are the only two good paths remaining.

Do want to thank you again for making Locked on Titans your first listen each and every day. Make sure that you guys check out the Locked on Titans every day or club. Hit the link down below in the description of the podcast to join. It's basically the cost of a cup of coffee each month. The show's free all year round. It's a small, easy way to help support me and support the channel. Also, you're going to get some perks.

You get ad-free versions of the podcast in your favorite podcast app. You get added to the Locked-on Titans group chat, which is absolutely fantastic and so much fun. You get access to a Locked-on Titans merch store. So many bonus features for you guys, again, supports the show. Locked-on Titans every day or club. But again, we're in the middle of the Locked-on Titans NFL draft preview series. Tomorrow on the bonus show that comes out in the afternoon, I'm going to be talking about the center group because that deserves its own episode.

I almost put the two together like I normally do, but with how important it is to the Titans this year, centers, you get your own episode this year. But with that being said, again, outside of the top five guards, Vega Ione, Emmanuel Pregnone, Chase Basantis, Keelon Rutledge, and Jennings Dunker, I think the rest of the group is not that great,

if I'm honest with you. And I don't think that you could take any of the rest of the guards until 142 or later. Like, I wouldn't take any of these guys at 101. I think 101 would be a great spot for center, not for guard. I'm not taking any of these guys in round four. I'm waiting until round 5 at minimum.

And at the end of the day, if you're taking a guard in round 5 or lower, round 6, round 7, how can you look at that guy and guarantee that they're going to be a starter from day 1? You can't. That's my whole point. These guys are fifth round.

or lower talents. There may be some guys that pop in here. There may be some guys that turn into guys. I'm not saying that none of these guys can be starters. I'm just saying counting on them to be a starter day one and not bringing in Kevin Zitler. Like if you have the number one guy on my list, Bo Stevens from Iowa.

If you have Jackson Slater, Cordell Voulson, and Bo Stevens, competing for right guard, that's not good enough. It's not good enough. That's not enough protection for Cam Ward. That is not good enough. Like Bo Stevens, 6-5-315,

31-inch arms, very small arms, 763 cone, he can move a little bit. But 23 and a half years old, so an older prospect as well. Listen, he's a smart blocker. He has good tempo, he understands timing, when to get to his landmarks. He can drive some guys because he's smart about when he gets there and catches them off balance.

Good in that zone run scheme that we've seen from Iowa for so long. He's good in that way. But he doesn't have length. Guys get in his chest. He's not a good athlete. You know, he's not a great mover, super lateral quickness. Just a smart guy who knows when to beware.

Doesn't have power to drive people. in man blocking situations. That doesn't fit what the Titans want, in my opinion, and that's a fifth round talent. Billy Shroth. Notre Dame, I believe 6-4-3-10. Longer arms, 32.88. He can drive guys.

He's got strong hands, smart player, tough player. But not a quick mover. Doesn't have a lot of movement skills to get to the second level. Can't mirror pass rushers. He's just got a really clunky lower body. Jalen Farmer. Now, that's a guy I am interested in if the Titans take a guard later on. 6-4-322, 34.75 inch arms.

I like that length. He's got a nice burly firm, nice thick frame. He's strong, he drives guys off the ball. Really good run blocker. He has the tendency to stop his feet, though, which gets him off balance, gets him beat. doesn't pick up twists and stunts very well, not a real quick guy in pass protection.

He is a better run blocker than a pass protector, for sure. But in round 5, round 6, if he's a good enough run blocker, that'll be worth it. And we can help him with Latham in the center. Kegan Trost is kind of the opposite of that. Very interesting athletic guy. He's 6, 4, 311, played tackle in college, 32 and a 3rd inch arms.

He's 25 years old. help him if he's a mature guy. It may not if he's not. But he's got a great frame. He's a good athlete, strong hand, smooth mover. Just needs to have better range in a slide. He's a little upright. People can get underneath him.

But Keegan Trost, if you don't want a mauling, run blocking guy like Jalen Farmer, Kegan Trost is an athletic mover who you could work with. The Titans have had a meeting, according to Justin Mello, with Alex Hackey 6.5, 308, 31 and 3 4th inch arms. That's why he's going to move from tackle at Oregon into guard as an NFL player.

7693 Cone. Love hearing that. Another older guy who may be ready to play, 24.8, ready to come in and compete. Good size, good mass, strong hands. Decent mover. He's got versatility with being a guy who played at Oregon. They did multiple different runs. He played tackle, moving to guard. It's good versatility.

But doesn't have the anchor. Doesn't have elite length. Doesn't know how to use independent hands consistently. Jeremiah Wright, a guy I'm interested in, 6.5, 331, 33.6 inch arms. This guy's got length. Burly frame, nasty. That's what I want in this offense. I want a Jeremiah Wright.

I want a Jalen Farmer. I want these guys. I want an as Cooper. of Miami. Cam Ward's old teammate, one of his best friends, 6.5, 334, 34.3.3 inch arms. Big frame, length, power, strong hands, nasty finisher in the run game. Micah Morris out of Georgia, 65, 334, 33.6 arms. Strong, good athlete for a guy that size. Dominating hands when he gets the paws on you.

Now, all these guys may not have the nimblest feet of all time. would say that Annes Cooper is pretty good, pretty nimble for a guy his size. I would tell you that. But Micah Morris, Anez Cooper, Jeremiah Wright, Jalen Farmer. Squatty, sturdy, strong hands, nasty finishers. That's what I think the Titan should be looking for at Guard personally. That's because you have Skoronsky, who again, we compared to Basantis. Skoronsky is not like a big,

malling power guard. He's a positional blocker. Smart IQ, smart hands, quick feet, always in position, can readjust, can change on the move and change on the fly. Pete isn't that big mauling type guard that'll just, and imagine Latham and one of those guards. Because of the center, in my opinion, I think the Titans want more of an athletic center. I've been talking about that since Brian Dable got hired

since I studied his offense. I think they want more of an athletic center and they want, they want big mauling guards is what they want to go next to it. And we know Pete isn't that. So I think getting one of those guys on the right hand side is important. But again, what really is important here is you can't count on Micah Morris or Annette Cooper or Jeremiah Wright or Jalen Farmer. You know, I don't think you can count on those guys to be the starter day one and it be good to go. So that's why, again, the whole point of the episode full circle is these day three guys don't inspire me enough or give me enough confidence for the Titans to do anything other one of the top guards or bringing back

Kevin Zeidler. Those are the only two logical paths forward if you actually care about support and Cammore. But with that being said, that is going to do it for me today, folks again on tomorrow's bonus episode, we are going to do the center group and I think there are some great centers available for the Titans in the top 101 picks. But with that being said, again, that's going to do it for me today, folks. As always, I am your host, Tyler Rowland, and this was Locked on Titans.