Titans trade up into the First Round and select Auburn DE/Edge Keldric Faulk #31 Overall in the 2026 NFL Draft!
Okay okay! The Titans surprise me once again and snag themselves an edge rusher/defensive end out of Auburn in Keldric Faulk after trading up into the end of the first round with the Bills!
This was pretty awesome! Trading up isn't always as fancy or as slick as it seems but sometimes it turns out really good too! The Titans draft two guys in the first round, hopefully at least one of them pans out! Ideally both do!
Keldrick Faulk is labeled as an edge rusher although he actually underwhelmed in college when it came to actually rushing the passer. He made up for it by being very good in the run game though.
While his lack of QB pressure is a flaw in his game there are some factors that still make him a very good prospect. I already mentioned that he's very good in the run game, so that's valuable. Faulk is young, he won't turn 22 until September 7th, and he is also a tremendous athlete with tremendous size! So he's basically a somewhat raw prospect with some very desirable traits. With Robert Saleh involved with his development, hopefully Faulk can reach his seemingly great potential.
Keldric Faulk is 6'5 7/8" (pretty much 6'6"), 276 pounds with a very long wingspan of 82 1/4 inches. That size and wingspan is once again another positive trait that Faulk could develop into a good pass rusher. He also ran a 4.68 40-yard dash which is really impressive at that size.
The Titans really needed more talent at edge and on the defensive line in general as Faulk shows great versatility. In the past two seasons the Titans lost some notable pieces throughout the defensive line at various positions. Harold Landry III, Arden Key, and T'Vondre Sweat have all departed. They have added replacements like Oluwafemi Oladejo, Jermaine Johnson II, John Franklin-Myers and Solomon Thomas but they certainly needed the boost. I believe Faulk can be that boost. With Jeffery Simmons as the centerpiece and leader in the middle and with Robert Saleh leading the way from a coaching perspective... This might be excellent.
Also for what it's worth from a pass rush perspective, Faulk did have seven sacks in 2024. So it's not like he is completely incapable at getting to the QB. Let's see how he progresses!
Carnell Tate is pretty clearly a Brian Daboll pick, while Keldric Faulk is pretty clearly a Robert Saleh pick. Props to GM Mike Borgonzi as well for likely collaborating with everyone and facilitating the trade. I obviously have no idea how it all went down or what thought process went into making these selections, but this seems like a pretty good situation on paper. I get the impression the organization is working well as a team.
The team addressed two big needs, now it's up to the staff to develop the talent!
Welcome to the squad Keldric!
