Mike Borgonzi does not care about your mock drafts. The Titans general manager shocked everybody by taking Carnell Tate with the No. 4 pick, but he wasn’t done there.

Not content with waiting until Friday to pick again, Borgonzi traded back into the first round, landing the No. 31 pick from the Buffalo Bills. With that pick, the Titans selected Auburn edge rusher Keldric Faulk. Faulk was the No. 21 player on the consensus big board, so that alone tells you this was great value.

Some Titans fans may be upset with the fact that the team no longer has a second-round or fourth-round pick. Or there may be some thoughts that the team should have just stood pat and taken a player like Zion Young in the second. However, there are a couple of reasons why I think trading up for Faulk was the right move.

Keldric Faulk Among Youngest Players in 2026 Class

At the start of the 2026 season, Faulk will still be just 20 years old, making him one of the youngest players in the class. For example, Zion Young is already 22, and T.J. Parker, another second-round edge rusher the Titans could have taken, will be 22 in September.

It may not seem like a huge difference, but Faulk being one or two years younger than most other prospects could be massive. Faulk is still developing as a player, and the Titans could easily get a decade of high-quality play out of him.

Couple his youth with his raw athleticism and length, and you could have a special player. Not to mention, Faulk will be playing for Robert Saleh and can learn a thing or two about the rushing the passer from Jermaine Johnson II, Jeffery Simmons, and Jonathan Franklin-Myers.

Saleh Will Get the Most Out of Faulk

Speaking of playing for Saleh, there may not have been a better landing spot for Faulk. Saleh loves to rotate pass rushers and move them around the field, maximizing their production. Jermaine Johnson II, for example, had his best season under Saleh in New York.

Also, Faulk’s lack of huge sack production in college shouldn’t worry fans. Faulk lined up on the interior much of the time, and it’s hard to get sacks as a 4i or 0-tech. In Nashville, Faulk will line up as a 5-tech, while Simmons and Franklin-Myers handled the interior. And, while Faulk didn’t have the most sacks or pressures, he excelled in run defense and should be a net positive on the field even when he’s not getting to the quarterback.

Saleh has helped Will McDonald IV, Nick Bosa, and Solomon Thomas, among many others, have great success. There’s no reason Faulk, especially when considering his age, can’t be Saleh’s next successful edge rusher project.

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