The first round of the 2026 NFL Draft raises a massive question about the Tennessee Titans:
Is this team trying to win now?
At face value, the answer should be no, right? The Titans went 3-14 in 2024 and then went 3-14 again in 2025. They hired a new coach and followed that hire with an offseason of moves that raised the floor but didn't put anyone on roster who'd make anyone think this squad's ready for a playoff push.
Then the Titans pushed their chips in during the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft in a peculiar way. With the No. 4 pick, they passed on high-upside edge Arvell Reese and all-world linebacker Sonny Styles to draft Ohio State teammate Carnell Tate, a wide receiver who projects as a No. 1 despite never being one in college. Then, come the No. 31 pick, the Titans traded up four spots and picked edge defender Keldric Faulk, a top-tier talent who doesn't have the production to match and who doesn't fill the wide-nine speed rusher role the Titans needed to address.
So... are these the habits of a team that's trying to win now or the habits of a team that's focused on development now that the floor's been raised?
"I'm really excited about the two guys we added here tonight," Titans general manager Mike Borgonzi said. "Carnell Tate, we thought he was the best receiver in the draft. Then coming back up to get Keldric Faulk who really fits this defense. He's long. He can play outside-inside. I'm really excited about adding these two guys here tonight. Good character guys too."
Well that doesn't really help.
Carnell Tate? Difference maker, or Titans' next Corey Davis?
We have to face the facts about Titans history repeating itself here: Vince Young and Kenny Britt didn't develop into a great QB-WR combo. Jake Locker never developed alongside Kendall Wright and Justin Hunter. Marcus Mariota didn't thrive even with Dorial Green-Beckham and Davis drafted to be his guys. Now it's Tate and Cam Ward in back-to-back years. You draft a quarterback. You surround him with receivers. You try to make it work.
The Titans' problem, historically, is that they don't make it work.
Is Tate the guy to make it work? He certainly can be. The trio of Tate, Ridley and Wan'Dale Robinson gives the Titans three pass catchers who would've been their best receiver in December when Ward was playing his best football despite throwing to rookies and glorified practice squad players. Squint and you can see the makings of a three-level attack that lets the shifty Robinson handle underneath routes, the physical and composed Tate make contested catches and the speedy Ridley taking the top off defenses deep.
But that's a committee projection much more than it's a Tate projection. The offense feels more complete, but Tate feels less like a missing piece and more like a final piece, a utility player rather than a game-changer.
Faulk's the same thing: Utility, not game-changer. Here's a guy who logged two sacks last season despite preseason All-America hype, and a guy who plays big instead of with speed. He gives the Titans the starter they're missing on the line, but he doesn't give them anything new. He's an upgrade by talent, not by transformation.
Did Titans get better in Round 1 of the NFL draft?
Our primary question is valid. Tate just turned 21 in January. Faulk doesn't turn 21 until September. These are projects. But they're also players drafted to fill needs in the present-tense. It's not a surprise this regime believes in exposure therapy; just look at how last year's rookie class was thrown into the deep end.
But all offseason, the Titans made moves that indicated they were taking things slow. Build a baseline secondary. Build a baseline defensive interior. Bring in offensive players familiar with coordinator Brian Daboll's scheme to ease transition.
Now it's two premium-position players who don't quite fit the Titans' precise premium needs. On the surface, these are win-now moves. In practicality, they're win-now moves that have to be better than they've ever been in order for the Titans to win now.
It's an aggressive strategy, and it's one that shows a lot of confidence in Ward to take the leap the Titans expect him to. Even if these picks aren't necessarily the kinds of players who'd help him make that leap steadily.
Nick Suss is the Titans beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Nick at nsuss@gannett.com. Follow Nick on X @nicksuss. Subscribe to the Talkin’ Titans newsletter for updates sent directly to your inbox.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: What Titans picks Carnell Tate, Keldric Faulk accomplished NFL draft Day 1
