Titans GM Mike Borgonzi unveils Keldric Faulk's NFL ceiling, drawing a comparison to a formidable former 49ers defender.
The Tennessee Titans drafted Keldric Faulk on Thursday at No. 31 overall, and he's already getting compared to a player that Robert Saleh previously coached.
The Titans started the night by taking Ohio State receiver Carnell Tate at No. 4 overall, a move I graded in a previous article.
It was rumored that Tennessee was going to try to trade back into the first round ahead of the draft, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. The Titans sent the No. 35, No. 66, and No. 101 picks to the Buffalo Bills in exchange for the No. 31, No. 69, and No. 165 picks.
Faulk is a versatile player who has the length to play inside and outside on the defensive line. He measured 6-foot-5 and had an 82-inch wingspan at the NFL Combine.
He was mostly known as a disruptor who could get into the backfield and spoil the running game in college at Auburn. Faulk finished with 19.5 TFLs in college.
General Manager Mike Borgonzi went to the podium after the first round had concluded and talked about how excited he was for both Tate and Faulk. He also had a player comparison for Faulk that dated back to Robert Saleh's days with the San Francisco 49ers.
Borgonzi compared Faulk to former 49ers edge rusher Arik Armstead.
"Really excited about the two guys we added here tonight," Borgonzi said. "Carnell Tate, we thought he was the best receiver in the draft. Then coming back up and getting Keldrick Faulk, you know, really fits this defense. Long can play inside and outside. Looking back to some of [Robert] Saleh's defenses, too, reminds you a little bit of [Arik] Armstead that he had there in San Francisco. So, really excited about adding these two guys here tonight. Great character guys, too."
Saleh spent last season as the 49ers' defensive coordinator, but it wasn't the first time he had held that role with them. He had the same position from 2017-20, coaching Armstead for four seasons.
Armstead had his best season in terms of sacks in 2019 under Saleh's guidance. The 49ers moved Armstead around the defensive line, and he recorded 10 sacks that season, which could be what Saleh wants to do with Faulk.
The edge rusher stayed in San Francisco until the end of the 2023 season before joining the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2024 on a three-year, $43.5 million contract.
It seems Borgonzi had his head coach in mind with the decision to trade back into the first round and find an edge rusher. This goes back to Borgonzi's comments about finding players your head coach wants.
The Titans found another weapon for Cam Ward, and a player similar to one of Saleh's former defenders at the 49ers.
A true win-win.