In a move that very few saw coming, the Tennessee Titans were not content with only taking Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate with the No. 4 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Mike Borgonzi and Robert Saleh traded up to the No. 31 pick in the Draft to acquire Auburn defensive end Keldric Faulk.
The Faulk selection makes sense for Saleh, as he is a versatile defender who can play as both a smaller defensive tackle and a traditional edge rusher. However, as is the case with any addition on the edge, there are players who will feel the sting of a new addition.
While Borgonzi did use a second-round pick on pass rusher Femi Oladejo last year, his inability to stay healthy and produce at anything approaching an NFL level when he was on the field certainly concerned this front office, so much so that they traded a premium pick to acquire competition.
In both 2026 and the future, Oladejo may find himself squeezed out of a role on a Titans defense that is trying everything it can to move some of their old, unsuccessful pieces aside in favor of shinier options.
Femi Oladejo is on notice after Titans trade up for Keldric Faulk
When you only tally 13 tackles in six games as a rookie and fail to record a sack, there's reason for a fanbase to suddenly start to feel some trepidation when it comes to making you one of the cornerstones of the new defense. Oladejo is going to start the year as a backup.
Not only is Oladejo behind Faulk and new addition Jermaine Johnson, but he is a player with a style that is going out of fashion. Saleh clearly wants larger defensive linemen who can play the run and still rush the passer, and Oladejo may not be that guy.
The Titans will likely give him a chance to show what he can do, as Robert Saleh has turned wide-nine speed rushers like Bryce Huff and Will McDonald into success stories with the New York Jets. However, Oladejo will have a very short leash, and the Titans likely hedged against a regression by drafting Faulk.
Faulk is a premium talent with a Pro Bowl ceiling if Saleh can work out the rough spots in his pass rush plan, and he will be given a much longer leash than someone this coaching staff is not familiar with in Oladejo.
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