As NFL teams enjoy their month-long break from mid-June to mid-July, the offseason is at its quietest. However, football fans have less than three weeks to wait before training camp begins and eventually leads into the preseason and regular season, which starts during the week of September 7.
During this downtime, training camp previews have been prepared, and analyses of pivotal position battles for all 32 teams have been conducted. Now, attention shifts to highlighting one rookie from each team who could secure a starting spot in training camp. The focus today is on the Tennessee Titans.
Tennessee’s 2026 Draft Class
- Carnell Tate, WR, Round 1
- Keldric Faulk, DE, Round 1
- Anthony Hill Jr., LB, Round 2
- Fernando Carmona, OG, Round 5
- Nicholas Singleton, RB, Round 5
- Jackie Marshall, DT, Round 6
- Pat Coogan, C, Round 6
- Jaren Kanak, TE, Round 7
The Titans selected Carnell Tate with the fourth overall pick, intending for him to make an immediate impact. Tate will be entering a competitive environment with wide receivers Wan’dale Robinson, Calvin Ridley, and Elic Ayomanor also vying for attention.
However, Keldric Faulk is the rookie to watch closely. Last season, Tennessee’s pass rush was lacking in consistency. Without Jeffery Simmons’ 11 sacks, the Titans would have slid from 12th to the sixth-fewest in the league for sacks. Sacking leader Jihad Ward is no longer with the team, and key players like Dre’Mont Jones, Arden Key, and T’Vondre Sweat have moved on as well.
Jermaine Johnson, a former first-round pick of the New York Jets, will strengthen the pass-rush unit, but Faulk stands out as a significant variable. Despite a less impactful season last year—30 pressures, 27 hurries, five tackles for loss, and two sacks—Faulk grabbed NFL scouts’ attention with an impressive sophomore year that saw 45 pressures, 31 hurries, 11 tackles for loss, seven sacks, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery.
While he is still young, not turning 21 until September, Faulk possesses considerable potential. He could be instrumental in enhancing the team’s edge rush, especially with Jeffery Simmons anchoring the middle.