The Titans snag Auburn's Keldric Faulk in a draft-night trade, bolstering their crucial edge rusher position for the upcoming season.
The Tennessee Titans took Ohio State receiver Carnell Tate with the No. 4 pick, but they weren't done yet.
The Titans traded with the Buffalo Bills to get the No. 31 overall pick and took Auburn edge rusher Keldric Faulk.
The Bills received the No. 35, No. 66, and No. 101 picks. The Titans got the No. 31, No. ,69 and No. 165 picks. The Titans no longer have a second-round pick after the trade. Their next pick will be in the third round.
Faulk gives the Titans another starter at edge rusher that they so desperately needed.
The Titans had a middle-of-the-road pass rush last season, ranking 14th in the NFL with 42 sacks. Jeffrey Simmons was the only bright spot, really, finishing with 11 sacks in 2025.
Jihad Ward had five sacks, with Dre'Mont Jones and Jaylen Harrell accounting for 4.5.
General Manager Mike Borgonzi understood that Tennessee needed help between the trenches, signing John Franklin-Myers in free agency. Before all of that, he traded T'Vondre Sweat to the New York Jets for Jermaine Johnson, a proven edge rusher.
Faulk's college career started at Auburn in 2023. He played in every game as a true freshman. He became a starter as a sophomore
He came into his own and finished with 45 total tackles, 11 TFLs, and seven sacks in 2024.
Faulk's name appeared on many watch lists last season. His name was up for the Lott IMPACT Trophy, the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, and the Bednarik Award.
He played in 12 games for the Tigers in 2025, accounting for 29 total tackles, five TFLs and two sacks.
News broke before the 2026 NFL Draft that the Titans were exploring trading back into the first round for another pick. ESPN's Jeremy Fowler said that the Philadelphia Eagles, Cleveland Browns and Titans were all looking to do so.
Faulk is a player who can compete for the other starting edge rusher spot this offseason with Femi Oladejo and Jacob Martin. He is best known for his run defense, tallying 19.5 TFLs during his time at Auburn.
The main question with him is, can he develop into a reliable pass rusher instead of just being a backfield disruptor on defense?
The first night of the draft has come to a close, and the Titans walked away by taking care of two positions of need. Tate gives the Titans a deep threat and an elite route runner who can compete for one of the starting spots on the outside at receiver.
Faulk could very well be starting alongside Johnson on the edge this year.
Just when you thought the Titans were done in the first round, Borgonzi had one more trick up his sleeve just before the night ended.
Faulk is officially the newest Titan, as the franchise closes the first round with not one, but two draft picks.