The Tennessee Titans and New York Jets got involved in a trade on Thursday, and while the trade can not yet be finalized, it should be when the new league year begins. Tennessee sent nose tackle T'Vondre Sweat to the Jets for defensive end Jermaine Johnson. This trade could impact Round 1 of the 2026 NFL Draft slightly for both teams.
It is one of those rare 'player for player' trades, but a fresh start was needed. Johnson reunites with Robert Saleh, who is now the Jets head coach. Sweat heads to New York and gets to play for Aaron Glenn and a revamped defense.
It's clear that the Jets are right in the middle of a rebuild, and not only do they have a ton of NFL Draft capital, but the Jets also swapped an older player for a younger one, so that is a win in and of itself. As for the Titans, though, acquiring this defensive end can give is a small indication of where they plan on using their first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
TRADE: Titans agree to trade NT T'Vondre Sweat to Jets for DE Jermaine Johnson II. (via @TomPelissero) pic.twitter.com/CHzbcRe5UE
— NFL (@NFL) February 26, 2026
Tennessee Titans can still further reinforce the trenches in Round 1 of the 2026 NFL Draft
When this trade is finalized, the Titans defensive line is going to be better, but there is still some missing pieces. The connection between Saleh and free agent defensive end John Franklin-Myers is obvious, so Franklin-Myers could very well find his way to the Titans to team up with Johnson and stud defensive end Jeffery Simmons.
The Titans, despite this trade and a likely Franklin-Myers signing, should still keep their foot on the gas and further add to the defensive line in Round 1 of the 2026 NFL Draft.
It may seem like overkill, but there is no such thing as too many quality defensive linemen on an NFL team, and we could look to the Seattle Seahawks as evidence. In 2025, Saleh was the defensive coordinator of the San Francisco 49ers, and not only were the 49ers badly injured, but the defensive line talent still wasn't that special.
Saleh absolutely understands just how important the defensive line is at setting the tone for the rest of the unit, and even with Johnson in the picture, he's still already in his late-20s. And if the Titans were to sign Franklin-Myers, they'd get another defensive end approaching 30 years old.
All in all, the Titans have made solid moves thus far, but they should continue this defensive line shakeup into the NFL Draft. Many of the team's other needs like along the interior of the offensive line and at wide receiver, for example, can be addressed in free agency.
The Titans need to keep stacking in the trenches, period.