Tales of the Titans: 2026 Draft Recap
- Om Brown
- 2 hours ago
- 5 min read
The 2026 NFL Draft concluded Saturday evening and as usual, some NFL teams made some great selections, while others picked a few head-scratchers. I am happy to say that the Tennessee Titans are one of the teams that picked on the better end of the spectrum! Let's take a look at which 2026 rookies will don the brand new "Titans Blue" jersey this fall.
Round 1 - Pick 4: Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State:
While I would have preferred to pick one of Tate’s OSU defensive teammates in either LB Sonny Styles or LB Arvell Reese, I still like the selection. Tate is a big-bodied deep threat who is a polished route runner and will immediately step in to be second-year QB Cam Ward’s favorite target. Tate joins an already stacked WR room to compete for a spot with former Giant Wan'Dale Robinson, veteran Calvin Ridley, and 2025 draftees Elic Ayomanor and Chimere Dike.
I love that the team is supporting Ward, and this pick makes me hopeful for not just this season, but the next 5 years as well! New offensive coordinator Brian Daboll is going to have a field day with the talent at wideout!
Grade: A-
Round 1 - Pick 31 (via BUF): Keldric Faulk, EDGE, Auburn:
The defense has had a major overhaul this offseason to kick off Robert Saleh's tenure. He brought in DT John Franklin-Myers and EDGE Jermaine Johnson, two players he has coached before. Star DT Jeffery Simmons will anchor the defensive line, but one more young piece was needed off the edge.
Enter Faulk. Tennessee traded back into the first round to take the Auburn product, who had slid from the mid-first round to the end. Faulk is a high-floor player who has the talent to develop into a double digit sack type of guy, but also one who can immediately plug in and play. 2025 second rounder, EDGE Femi Oladejo, is still developing, and adding Faulk to the mix will increase competition as the two fight to see who starts on the opposite side of Johnson. I love this pick!
Grade: A
Round 2 - Pick 60 (via CHI): Anthony Hill Jr, LB, Texas:
GM Mike Borgonzi traded into the second round to grab the do-it-all Longhorn. Hill was widely regarded as the 3rd best LB in the class (excluding Arvell Reese), and was a 2x Second-Team All-American in college. He will form an exciting young linebacking duo with 3rd year man Cedric Gray, who just finished second in the NFL in tackles. I said during Tate’s breakdown that I would have preferred Styles or Reese to Tate, but Hill’s selection plugs that hole perfectly. I am very excited to see what Saleh will cook up for Hill and Grey going forward!
Grade: A
Round 5 - Pick 142 (via BAL): Fernando Carmona Jr, OG, Arkansas:
Carmona played the majority of his collegiate career at tackle, but in 2025 moved inside to guard and started all 12 games for the Razorbacks. Listed at 6’5” and 315lbs, Carmona is the average size for a guard. He will likely slide in behind star LG Peter Skoronski, and provide valuable upside and depth on the line.
Grade: B-
This pick was part of an in-season trade shipping away EDGE Dre’Mont Jones.
Round 5 - Pick 165 (via BUF): Nick Singleton, RB, Penn State:
Singleton is a one-cut back who is an all-around solid player. He had a pair of 1,000-yard seasons at Happy Valley and totaled just under 1,000 yards receiving out of the backfield during his 4 seasons there. He is a good pass-protector and adds depth to a running back room that has some questions surrounding Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears’ future. Singleton has high upside and there was zero risk taking him this late in the draft.
Grade: A-
Trade Details: See Keldric Faulk pick for details.
Round 6 - Pick 184: Jackie Marshall, DT, Baylor:
Marshall sports good physical tools, but is a developmental player due to starting his college career on the outside of the defensive line. He's still raw on the interior, but he's athletic, which provides for great mobility and the flexibility to use him in different alignments. I mentioned before that the DT position is set with Simmons and Franklin-Myers, but Marshall adds intrigue as a depth piece in the room.
Grade: C+
Round 6 - Pick 194 (via NYJ): Pat Coogan, C, Indiana
Coogan won Offensive MVP in the Rose Bowl and was the leader of a juggernaut line that protected Heisman winner and 1st overall pick, QB Fernando Mendoza. Coogan has big game experience, as he was the starter for Notre Dame during their run to the championship game in 2024 before transferring and winning it all with the Hoosiers this past season. Coogan adds another body on the second string OL, but given the turnaround of the interior line, I wouldn’t be shocked if he ends up playing this season.
Grade: B
This pick was part of an in-season trade shipping away CB Jarvis Brownlee Jr.
Round 7 - Pick 225 (via DAL): Jaren Kanak - TE, Oklahoma
Kanak spent his first trio of campaigns as a Sooner at LB before making the switch to TE. Obviously, his lack of experience makes him very raw at the position, but it also means that he is athletic and can be a difference maker. He will likely be confined to being a H-Back at the NFL level, but Kanak caught 44 balls for 533 yards in 2025.
Grade: C+
Pick was part of a pre-draft trade to acquire DT Solomon Thomas.
Final Thoughts:
I love the aggressiveness in which the front office moved to get Faulk and Hill. Both of those guys will be a big part of the rebuild in Nashville. I also like the Tate selection. Giving Cam Ward a running mate for hopefully the next 5-10 years is a great decision, and given the depth of the receiver room right now, Tate doesn’t have to be “the guy” right away (assuming Calvin Ridley isn’t cut post-June 1st). The rest of the picks are high-upside players who fill necessary depth spots. Since the class was so top heavy, the overall grade of the draft is heavily swung by that.
Overall, I like this Titans draft class. It has the potential to be the class that helps turn around the franchise. September can’t come soon enough! Until next time, #TitanUp!
Overall Draft Grade: A-
Also make sure to check out the Basel Pod 1st Round Mock Draft from this year as well as the livestream of the 1st round to see how Sam, Jordan, Clubfoot and I did!
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