When the Tennessee Titans selected edge rusher Keldric Faulk in the 2025 NFL Draft, and traded up to get him, there was one particular career path he could take. As training camp transitions to the NFL preseason, the former Auburn pass rusher has already flashed in ways that won’t show up on a stat sheet. 

That disconnect between production and perception will define Faulk’s career in Nashville just like it did in the pre-draft process, and I’d like for Titans fans to understand it now before the frustration sets in later.

I highly doubt Faulk ever really becomes a flashy box score stats guy. He plays a position where sacks are the currency of attention and respect, and he’s unlikely to pile them up in bunches. But he’s going to be valuable, and the general fan base may never fully appreciate how valuable.

My hockey player analogy that fits Faulk to a tee

The best way I can explain Faulk’s (expected) impact is to go outside of football all together. He’s the hockey player who has a boatload of assists and secondary assists, but just doesn’t score goals. 

At Auburn last season, Faulk operated in a ‘non-attack’ style defense and racked up a massive number of pressures that he simply wasn’t able to finish as sacks. The pressures, though, are indicative of his ability to get to the quarterback. His disruption is real even when the stat line doesn’t reflect it.

Some have compared his role to a less prolific sack version of former Titans defensive lineman Denico Autry. Many, including myself and head coach Robert Saleh, have drawn a line to current Titans veteran John Franklin-Myers, who has posted some solid sack seasons on his resume, but only has a career high of 7.5 (last season) . 

Franklin-Myers is about to turn 30 years old now, and there’s plenty of time for Faulk to develop into a player who can pair disruption with production. But even if Faulk never reaches JFM’s sack totals (34 career sacks in seven seasons), the value he brings through pressure, run defense, and versatility will be tangible for the Titans defense.

Training camp has already shown Faulk’s hidden strength

Two weeks into Titans training camp, Faulk has already stood out in a way that numbers can’t capture. He’s been stout against the run despite carrying  what appears to be a lean frame. At 6-foot-5, roughly 275 pounds, he’s a big human being. But standing next to the other defensive linemen on the field, he doesn’t look like the strongest guy out there. 

That changes the second the ball is snapped. On the field, Faulk is stronger than anyone would ever guess based on his frame. He moves blockers with a quickness that doesn’t match his muscle definition. It’s the kind of strength that shows up on tape, not in the mirror. And that’s precisely why a year from now, when Faulk shows back up to camp with another offseason of NFL-level training and nutrition behind him, the physical transformation should be noticeable.

He’s already Easton Freeze’s 2027 winner of the “Gunnar Helm Body Award”, which tells you everything about how his teammates and the people around the building view his frame-versus-production gap.

In the immediate reaction after the Titans drafted Faulk in April I was hesitant to celebrate the pick until I knew if the team wanted Faulk to be closer to 290 pounds or 275. Everything from Saleh and the coaching staff since tells me he will work his way over time closer to my preferred role from him, near 290. 

Why Faulk will be ‘Mr. Undervalued’ for the next 4 years

Here’s the scenario that feels inevitable this season. Let’s fast forward to Nov. 15. The Titans are deep in the season, and Faulk has 2.5 sacks. The reaction from the casual fan? What a waste of a pick. They traded up for this guy? That narrative is coming. It’s predictable. And it will be wrong.

The Titans diehards, ones who want to watch film, follow the snap-by-snap analysis, and pay attention to pressure rates will understand what Faulk brings. The general fan who Googles “Keldric Faulk stats” and sees a modest sack total will not. You can’t just pull up his numbers and understand how good he is. That’s not how he works.

Faulk is going to be Mr. Undervalued for the next four years. The Titans coaching staff and front office know what they have. The analytics will support what the film shows. But the public perception will lag behind because the NFL’s loudest currency for edge rushers remains the sack, and Faulk’s game doesn’t revolve around finishing plays in the backfield. It revolves around creating chaos that makes everyone around him better.

If Faulk ever posts 8 sacks in a season, that means he’s probably performing at a level far beyond what even that number suggests. His floor is disruptive. His ceiling is a player who changes the way Tennessee’s defense operates. The box score just won’t tell you that story.