The Tennessee Titans paid a steep price to move back into Round 1 for Keldric Faulk. Now the attention turns to how they’ll navigate a wide gap in their remaining picks.
Late Thursday night, the Tennessee Titans completely shook up their 2026 draft class by trading back into the first round and selecting Auburn edge rusher Keldric Faulk with the 31st overall pick.
It’s no secret that an edge rusher was one of the team’s biggest needs heading into the draft. In Faulk, the Titans land a young prospect who is already a strong run defender with plenty of tools to develop as a pass rusher.
So regardless of how you feel about him as a prospect, there’s something to be said about the value here—especially considering how far he slid past his projected range, and the clear investment made by the Titans and head coach Robert Saleh.
I tend to believe Saleh knows how to evaluate edge rushers, and he certainly understands what his defense needs. So I won’t go too far down the rabbit hole of criticizing the selection.
What I do find interesting, however, is the draft compensation Tennessee gave up to make it happen.
The Titans originally held the 101st overall pick—the first selection in the fourth round and notably the first pick on Day 3 of the NFL Draft. That pick was included in the deal.
Buffalo received picks 35, 66, and 101, while the Titans came away with picks 31, 69, and 165.
Even if you view the drop from 66 to 69 as negligible, sliding back 64 spots—from the top of the fourth round to the middle of the fifth—is a steep price to pay to move up just four spots. That’s especially true when you consider that Faulk, or another edge rusher in a similar tier, may have still been on the board at 35.
With as many needs as this roster still has, that’s a significant investment by Tennessee.
So where does that leave them?
As things stand heading into Friday night, here’s a look at the Titans’ remaining draft picks:
- Round 3 (No. 69 overall)
- Round 5 (No. 142 overall)
- Round 5 (No. 144 overall)
- Round 5 (No. 165 overall)
- Round 6 (No. 184 overall)
- Round 6 (No. 194 overall)
- Round 7 (No. 225 overall)
One key thing to watch is how the Titans approach the gap between picks 69 and 142. There’s a noticeable drop-off in player value across that stretch, and with the number of holes still on the roster, it’s fair to question whether they’re comfortable making just one selection in that range.
It wouldn’t be surprising to see Tennessee package multiple fifth- or sixth-round picks to move up and bridge that gap.
But as of now, GM Mike Borgonzi and the Titans still have seven selections remaining to shape this draft class. Here's a look at one position they'll need to address sooner rather than later.