The Tennessee Titans shocked fans by trading back into the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft to select former Auburn defensive lineman Keldric Faulk with the 31st pick. Faulk was the Titans' second choice of the evening after they landed wide receiver Carnell Tate at fourth overall.
Faulk represents yet another investment in Robert Saleh's defense. The offseason in Tennessee has welcomed an abundance of defensive reinforcements. Familiarity with Saleh and his scheme has been a recurring theme, as the Titans have acquired several players he previously coached, including John Franklin-Myers and Jermaine Johnson II.
It's rare that the rebuilding Titans get aggressive enough to acquire a player when it requires them to forfeit draft positioning. Mike Borgonzi and Saleh made an exception for Faulk. Hearing Saleh discuss Faulk, it comes as no surprise that they were willing to break precedence.
NFL Draft: Tennessee Titans head coach Robert Saleh says exactly what he loved about Keldric Faulk
That familiarity is everything for Saleh. He's coached a number of defensive players with similar traits to Faulk's length, strength, and physicality. Speaking with the media at Tate's and Faulk's introductory press conference, Saleh compared him to his ex players.
"We've had a lot of history with guys with his skill set," Saleh said. "With Arik Armstead and a gentleman who is with us here now, John Franklin-Myers. We drafted Mykel Williams a year ago. We know exactly how to utilize his strengths. The sky's the limit for this young man. There's a lot of football he has to learn, but we're excited to have him."
Faulk is a near 6-foot-6, 276-pound defensive playmaker with an 82.25-inch wingspan and 34.5-inch arms. The 6-7, 290-pound Armstead is a strong comparison. Like Faulk, Armstead displayed terrific inside-outside versatility.
Armstead developed into a fantastic player under Saleh's tutelage. He played nine seasons in San Francisco, leading to a 10-sack campaign in 2019. Saleh obviously sees similar potential in Faulk.
Saleh even name-dropped Franklin-Myers. After previously coaching him with the New York Jets, he obviously appreciated him enough to convince the Titans to sign him to a $63 million contract. Like Faulk, he possesses inside/outside versatility.
The Titans have a vision for Faulk in Saleh's defense. His past experiences with defensive linemen of a similar stature with strength and length have gone swimmingly. Saleh knows exactly how to maximize Faulk's skill set, and that should allow the ascending 20-year-old defender to develop nicely.
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