Carnell Tate is garnering all the attention, but he wasn’t the Tennessee Titans‘ only first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Mike Borgonzi traded back into the first round to nab falling defensive end Keldric Faulk. Now, what are fair expectations for Faulk’s rookie season?
Faulk is nearly 6-foot-6 with an 82-inch wingspan and 34-inch arms. All of those measurables are 85th-percentile or better historically, per MockDraftable’s database. Faulk also leaped a 35-inch vertical and 117-inch broad jump,
95th-percentile results at the NFL Combine.
Faulk’s body type reminded head coach Robert Saleh of Arik Armstead. Saleh had loads of success developing Armstead into an effective and versatile defensive lineman with the San Francisco 49ers. Faulk is his next project with a similar pathway to relevance.
You wonder how involved Faulk will be as a rookie. Saleh has discussed plans to frequently rotate across the defensive line and the Titans are deep in numbers at the position. In addition to Faulk, Jermaine Johnson II, Jacob Martin, Femi Oladejo, and Jaylen Harrell are expected to get reps at the end positions. John Franklin-Myers is also versatile enough to kick outside if needed.
Johnson’s pedigree and familiarity with Saleh’s defense likely makes him the Titans’ primary end. Fans are probably underrating how involved Martin will be as a reliable veteran. The Titans would also love to develop Oladejo into a useful player, but that outcome isn’t a guarantee.
Faulk could command a selfless role as a rookie. At Auburn, he was tasked as being an early-down run stopper and selfless defender. He had more pass-rushing upside than the Tigers let him show in 2025. Hopefully the Titans tap into that pass-rushing potential while also utilizing his rare length and strength as an early-down run stopper.
It will be interesting to monitor Faulk’s role as a rookie on Saleh’s defense. The Titans aggressively pursued him largely because they believe Coach Saleh is the perfect mentor to fully unlock his abilities, which were somewhat muted at Auburn. Hopefully Faulk reaches his potential, but he’ll have to be patient as a rookie.
