Titans Hit the Draft “Daily Double,” Adding Carnell Tate and Keldric Faulk After a QB-Era Pivot

By David Oglesby

Photo / Ohio State Athletics

PITTSBURGH, PA - The Titans treated Thursday night like it came with a built-in winning formula, landing the draft “daily double” by going from playmaking offense to edge-rushing defense without skipping a beat. After selecting Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate with the fourth overall pick, Tennessee then moved back into the first round to grab Auburn edge Keldric Faulk at 31—a rare one-two punch that feels custom-built for the Titans’ immediate future.

It also continues a fascinating NFL trend: when a team invests a first-round pick in a quarterback one year, the very next draft often becomes about upgrading the weapons and protection around him—or at least accelerating the roster around the new signal-caller. In Tennessee’s case, the offseason logic is simple: if you’re going to bet on a franchise quarterback, you can’t wait five years to fix the pass-catching and the front-four problems.

Titans GM Mike Borgonzi said Tate was the kind of receiver the team believes can translate quickly—“bigger, vertical,” with efficient route running and the ball skills to win contested throws downfield. He also emphasized Tate’s youth and how his contested-catch ability could help Cam Ward right away.

And then there’s Faulk: Borgonzi framed the trade-up as a “fit” move for the defense—long, versatile, and capable both outside and inside—echoing how teams often think about matching athletic traits to scheme rather than just stacking positions.

For Titans fans, the takeaway isn’t just two first-round selections—it’s the message that the franchise is trying to build a QB-ready foundation, quickly. That’s the gamble, the urgency, and, in Nashville, the hope: make Ward comfortable, make the defense tougher, and see what happens when both halves of the roster grow up at the same time.