Grading The Pick: The Tennessee Titans Draft Baylor DT Jackie Marshall No. 184 in the 2026 NFL Draft
Robert Saleh just added the next project to his defensive line to-do list, and his name is Jackie Marshall. With all the necessary athleticism, now he needs development.
Tennessee Titans GM Mike Borgonzi continues to invest in the position groups that win football games: the trenches.
Baylor DT Jackie Marshall is the newest Titan, taken with pick 184 in the sixth round.
Grading DT Jackie Marshall to the Titans
Marshall is a fifth-year senior who spent his entire college career at Baylor. He came the face of the franchise by his final two seasons, easily the best defender on the team. He’s the kind of prospect that went from the low-200’s to the high-200’s in a shocking amount of time between high school and college. He transitioned from linebacker to a DT who mostly played 3-tech and 4i along Baylor’s front, adding tremendous heft and muscle to his frame thanks to suddenly having a college strength and nutrition program in his life.
Marshall’s natural size being on the more cut end of the spectrum, it’s no surprise he’s a surprisingly nimble and explosive athlete in his larger, muscly football build. He’s agile for a big man, and that allows him to flash impressive upside on certain plays. As Dane Brugler puts it in his The Beast blurb, he has “intriguing upside when you grade to his flashes, though his inconsistencies in the run game must be addressed.”
He put himself on the radar as a junior when he posted 28 pressures as a rusher, but came back to earth as a senior with just 11. Refinement as a pass rusher is required in the NFL if he’s going to be a three-down option.
Ultimately, his twitch and range should allow him to be a useful rotational piece on early downs. He has the athleticism to be a pass down option someday, but it’s going to require DL coach Aaron Whitecotton really investing in his development at the next level.
The Titans’ DL room is deep and talented at the top. Any defensive lineman drafted in this range is going to have to really compete to make this roster. Taking a player who has traitsy upside like Marshall at least gives him a shot to show he has a way he can win in this league.
Grade: B-