Titans plan for Keldric Faulk is perfect balance with Carnell Tate as dual first round draft picks
The Tennessee Titans have two first round picks for the first time since 2017, and Robert Saleh’s plan for one is the perfect match to balance out the other for the long-term roster structure.
When the Tennessee Titans traded back into the end of the first round on draft night to take Auburn defensive end Kedlric Faulk, my first instinct was to be pretty lukewarm on the pick of the player.
My instinctual reaction on the trade was much harsher as the trade created a pick gap from pick 69 to 142, giving up pick 101 within the details of the trade. As much as I was against that draft process to make it more difficult for the Titans to check off more roster needs (interior offensive line, linebacker, and cornerback), I was open to really liking the player Faulk could be, under one condition.
Robert Saleh’s plan for how to use the talented, very young Faulk was crucial.
What the Titans REALLY LOVE about Keldric Faulk
The Titans seem set to use Keldric Faulk in the way I had hoped: turn him into another version of players Saleh’s defensive scheme has utilized before, along the likes of Titans free agent signing John Franklin-Myers, and veteran defensive lineman Arik Armstead.
In order to do that, Faulk needs to be closer to 300 pounds than 270 pounds. Auburn listed him at 288 pounds during the season, but Faulk weighed in at the NFL Scouting Combine at 276 in February. To me, it makes sense that Faulk’s camp would like him to be a “true edge rusher” to push his draft stock higher.
Instead, I think it’s better for Faulk’s career to have landed with Saleh’s scheme to move him up and down the defensive front like he’s done with both Armstead and Franklin-Myers.
“We see him outside on early downs and kick him inside on pass downs,” Saleh said in Faulk’s introductory press conference April 24.
“We think he’s got an elite trait to rush the passer on the inside, and combination between him, Jeffery (Simmons), John Franklin-Myers, I mean, that’s a pretty lethal combination between the three of them. We’ll find different ways to get them all on the field.
“(Faulk’s) foot speed is really, really good for a man of his size, which is why kicking inside, when you bring that combination of power, length and then the foot speed and short area quickness, that’s a really, really tough down for a guard, which is why we think he can win in there more consistently if we can get him going on reps.”
Saleh’s longterm plan for Faulk should make Titans fans buy-in
“Reps” is the name of the game in the NFL and in life, overall. Saleh’s defense is all about rotating the defensive lineman in seven or eight deep, which limits an individual player’s reps with the idea of each rep being higher quality.
With the Titans internally seeing Faulk as a young Franklin-Myers it nicely slots the rookie behind the veteran on the hockey-style “second line” to provide less of a drop-off during the rotation.
The longterm plan for Faulk that really clicked for me over rookie minicamp weekend is how the roster construction will allow Faulk to fill out physically, as a 21 year old rookie, over the first couple years rotating with Franklin-Myers, to then take the full reigns on the “top line” around when the veteran’s 3-year contract runs out.
Faulk’s ceiling balanced with Carnell Tate’s floor in Titans’ multi-layered “rebuild”
How Faulk’s plan balances out with fourth overall pick Carnell Tate is another layer I really appreciate from the Titans planning under GM Mike Borgonzi and his first year head coach hire in Saleh.
In my opinion, the Titans HAD to find a day-one impact player with zero risk to use the fourth overall pick on in this draft. QB Cam Ward needs more help now. This team has to start to see his franchise QB future in the present. Tate checks that box with a high floor from the Ohio State WR factory.
We can’t lose site on a theme of Borgonzi’s second draft pick from the 2025 draft class, either. When the Titans took Femi Oladejo from UCLA on day two of the draft a year ago, Borgonzi preached “multi-year plan”. Oladejo is way more of a project in a full position change from off-ball linebacker to edge rusher than any transformation Faulk will go through, but the point stands.
The Titans had to have impact players NOW for Ward, but keeping the zoomed out big picture in mind. Franklin-Myers is part of the free agency class for the defense to add veterans to help Ward on the other side of the ball. Now, Faulk checks the box for a player who will help Ward some now, but really be a ‘dude’ once Cam is in full franchise QB mode in the new stadium down the road.
A lot of times sports franchises struggle with the balance of building for now and later. I think the Titans did a pretty damn good job of doing both in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft.