With one week of Tennessee Titans training camp in the rearview, let's take a break to look at the Titans' rookie draft class and throw out one observation about each of them.
WR Carnell Tate (Round 1, pick 4)
Observation: Poise will never be a problem.
Early this week, I asked Carnell Tate about what I thought might be a difficult circumstance he's had to deal with: Catching passes from a different quarterback every year since he was a sophomore in high school. To my surprise, Tate said the adjustment has almost nothing to do with how hard the quarterback throws or how tightly he spins the spiral and more to do with understanding timing and a quarterback's tendencies to throw the ball earlier or later in a route.
A day later I asked the same question to Derrick Mason, the all-time
leading receiver in the franchise's Titans era. Without knowing Tate's answer first, Mason offered an almost identical reply.
For as much as we can focus on Tate's athletic talents, the fact that he already understands and communicates about the game like one of the best players in franchise history feels more valuable. So much of Tate's early success seems connected to how easy everything seems to come to him. Natural skill helps, but that baseline understanding of responsibilities and feel for how to play the position can't be underrated.
DE Keldric Faulk (Round 1, pick 31)
Observation: This is where he needs to be.
The Titans' attack-style defense suits Faulk. He's admitted he was a bit of an overthinker in college, reading and reacting to what the offense presented him in a way that might've slowed him down. Now he gets to play more freely. Faulk talks like an unburdened player, someone who's finally getting to play the game in a way he didn't know he was missing out on. He needs some seasoning, but the Titans identified someone who not only fits what they like but also someone who is buying into that philosophy super quickly.
LB Anthony Hill (Round 2, pick 60)
Observation: Time is on Hill's side, but it might not need to be.
Between Cedric Gray, Cody Barton, Mohamoud Diabate, Dorian Mausi and James Williams Sr., the Titans aren't hurting for linebacker help. Coach Robert Saleh's defense makes life easy on linebackers as is, and now these backers are free to play behind one of the league's most imposing D-lines. Hill's one of at least six linebackers I'd trust to make plays if the season started today. Point being: There's no need to rush him in.
Well... Hill's flashing early. He's not always in position, but he's young. And when he's in position, he changes the game. Three interceptions in a week of practices as a linebacker... that's impressive. If by the end of camp he's caught up to the speed of the pro game, he might be undeniable even in a loaded group.
OL Fernando Carmona (Round 5, pick 142)
Observation: The Titans gave themselves options.
Even at the Titans' biggest question mark position, Carmona doesn't feel like a real contender to start Week 1. Can he start sometime in the future? Well, if Jackson Slater wins the starting job, Carmona's not going to have a lot of space to operate with Slater and Peter Skoronski entrenched on either side. But for an organization where depth has been an open wound for half a decade, there's nothing wrong with home-growing some with the potential to develop it into something more.
RB Nick Singleton (Round 5, pick 165)
Observation: There's a chance...
No one should be pushing Singleton to start over Tony Pollard or Tyjae Spears. But the traits are obvious. It's easy to look at him and think you're seeing a starting rotation caliber NFL running back. He's powerful, he's explosive, he runs hard. He plays in a market where fans have Derrick Henry, Eddie George or Chris Johnson sized expectations for backs. But being good enough to be a rotational starter with big play chops is good enough to make this version of this team reach its potential.
DL Jackie Marshall (Round 6, pick 184)
Observation: Team value matters.
Let's keep this simple: Saleh prioritizes defensive line depth. Marshall fills a spot in the rotation. It's hard to see him as anything more to this date, and that's not a bad thing.
C Pat Coogan (Round 6, pick 194)
Observation: What does development even mean here?
Coogan has plenty of the juice that made him so popular at Notre Dame and Indiana. He led the charge to pump up the crowd and get fans amped for O-line drills on the first day of open practice, and fans responded. That instinct can't be undervalued. But it's also pretty clear the Titans aren't pushing Coogan to start right away, and he's an older rookie who turns 24 in November. If Coogan's a developmental prospect, there's real question to the value of developing someone who'll be in his mid-20s before he's ever expected to start.
TE Jaren Kanak (Round 7, pick 225)
Observation: "Tight end" doesn't feel like the right term here.
The Titans didn't draft Kanak to play tight end. Not in the conventional sense. He can move around an offense and play tight end and H-back and fullback and whatever he needs. But it's hard to find a role for him in this particular offense. He's a special teams and special packages weapon, and nothing we've seen in the first week of camp has changed that perception.
Nick Suss is the Titans beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Nick at nsuss@gannett.com. Follow Nick on X @nicksuss. Subscribe to the Talkin’ Titans newsletter for updates sent directly to your inbox.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: We've watched the Tennessee Titans' 2026 rookie class for one week. Here are our thoughts
