Titans Draft Focus: Braden Gall Evaluates 2026 NFL Prospects in Title Game

By BRADEN GALL, college analyst 

Each week, 440 Sports’ Braden Gall dives into the most important matchups and developments from the top prospects in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Indiana will play Miami for the national championship on Monday night… just like we all predicted back in August. There is no shortage of NFL talent worth watching for Titans fans. Many of these names we’ve discussed all year: Fernando Mendoza (Consensus No. 1), Reuben Bain (No. 4), Francis Mauigoa (No. 8). 

Southern California wide receiver Makai Lemon, left, jumps in for a touchdown as Utah State safety Jordan Vincent defends during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Makai Lemon of USC heads into the end zone/ ASSOCIATED PRESS

But there is a long list of developing Day Two prospects to study in this season finale. No, one game doesn’t dramatically change any evaluation - but it has to be considered an important data point. How does a player perform in the biggest game of his career?

The Passing Game

Mendoza’s stock is largely settled, but Carson Beck’s is not. The former Georgia quarterback is now a top-100 prospect (Consensus No. 98) and each element of both passing attacks should be studied Monday night.

Beck was average for most of the game but was exceptional in the fourth quarter against Ole Miss. Mendoza was accurate from the first throw of the game against Oregon and has been perfect in two playoff blowouts: He has five incompletions and averaged 10.3 yards per throw on 36 attempts with eight touchdowns and no interceptions.

Aside from Bain, Miami’s D-line features Ahkeem Mesidor (No. 42) and Akmad Moten (No. 116). The Hooisers have two rising prospects trying to protect Mendoza in versatile pivot Pat Coogan (No. 208) and tackle Carter Smith (No. 75) -- who also projects as a quality interior blocker. If Bain and Co. are neutralized, Miami may have no chance at the upset.

Further away from the trenches, both aerial assaults will be challenged. Indiana will deploy Elijah Sarratt (No. 43) and Omar Cooper (No. 100) against fast-rising nickel corner prospect Keionte Scott (No. 73) and potential top 10 2027 prospect OJ Frederique.

Miami’s offense will feature rockstar freshman Malachi Toney and CJ Daniels (No. 139) against D’angelo Ponds (No. 74).

Ground Attack

Mark Fletcher is a total joy to watch at 6-2, 225 pounds. He runs through faces but can also get to the edge and will be a fun study when he enters the NFL Draft next season. Trying to slow him will be linebacker Aiden Fisher (No. 208) and defensive lineman Mikail Kamara (No. 155). Running behind Mauigoa and Markel Bell (No. 246), Fletcher might be the most important player in the game not named Bain. 

Miami’s only shot at the upset is to feature a physical rushing attack that has carried it to the national championship game. Indiana has given up 2.8 yards per carry this season and allowed a team to top 100 yards rushing just twice all season and only once since Week 1 (117 yards, Penn State). 

Ohio State, Alabama and Oregon totalled 174 rushing yards and one touchdown on 69 carries (2.5 ypc) in Indiana’s last three games.

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Here is what I think I know about the 2026 NFL Draft at this stage of the process:

Makai Lemon is my WR1

We’ve spent all season tracking the wideout class and who could be the best player at this position. The answer is probably Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson but the Sun Devils pass catcher has been hurt each of the last two years.

Carnell Tate has also staked a claim with his polished route running, great range and elite contested catch ability. But the guy who has been the most consistent and excels in all situations is USC’s Makai Lemon. 

He’s not an elite raw athlete and is a touch undersized but so was Amon-Ra St. Brown -- who is Lemon’s direct comp. Lemon caught 79 passes for 1,156 yards (14.6) and 11 touchdowns for the Trojans this year and caught almost every red zone target he got this fall.

He also scored twice rushing the ball on nine carries, threw a touchdown pass and returned 14 kicks and punts.He has elite hands, runs great routes and is the most pro-ready prospect at the position.

The fourth pick might be a touch rich for Lemon -- or any wide receiver -- but would be a safe pick later in the top 10.

David Bailey is the edge pick at No. 4

Bain is a great player who makes all 32 teams better. But his positional questions are very real and a much bigger problem for a team with two enormous defensive tackles already. Arvell Reese is an elite pure athlete but has rarely played off the edge for the Buckeyes' defense this fall. Without any real tape of pass-rushing reps, teams are doing a lot more projecting with Reese.

Bailey is clearly the best pure pass rusher in this class. He is a proven weapon off the edge in either a 4-3 or 3-4 scheme and has been productive every step of his career -- he led the nation with 14.5 sacks. His pressure rates are incredible as he displays the ability to win 1-on-1s with more than one move. 

Finally, he began to answer his biggest question with his play down the stretch. He was much better against the run in the loss to Oregon in the playoff and over the final few weeks of the regular season. If Bailey can prove he can be left on the field in most running situations, he would be the clear-cut pick for the Titans at No. 4.

The best available offensive players must be considered

Running back and tight end would not be considered dire needs for the Titans team and picking either position in the first round is normally a luxury.

But Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq and Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love are much better options than fans might think. Both are elite offensive weapons who would make Cam Ward’s life better and both are worth taking in a trade-back situation.

Sadiq is a complete three-down tight end who blocks in the running game as much as he stretches a defense down the field. He’s rocked up and can make things happen after the catch as well. He pairs extremely well with Gunner Helm and would give the Titans an excellent 1-2 punch at the position.

Love’s tape speaks for itself. He’s arguably the best pure football player in this class and a true elite No. 1 back who can also catch passes, make people miss in space and score from anywhere on the field would be a huge asset to a Titans offense severely lacking in playmakers. 

Both should be heavily considered in a draft in which corner, edge and wideout might not be as deep in the first round as expected.