The Tennessee Titans may have plenty to get excited about with Carnell Tate, but the rookie drawing the strongest early buzz is Keldric Faulk.
Faulk’s status took a hit Wednesday when he left practice with a shoulder injury, but the early returns from his first NFL action have already made him hard to ignore. The former Auburn standout has started to look like someone who can help right away, not just a long-term project.
Robert Saleh made the move to trade up and take Faulk with the 31st pick after his SEC production at Auburn, where he finished with 10 sacks over three seasons. At 6'5", he brought the kind of edge presence that naturally turns heads. Still, it was what he did in week one that really pushed the hype forward.
Against the 49ers, Faulk finished fourth among all defensive rookies last week according to PFF. He didn’t record a sack, but he was active throughout the game and consistently made life uncomfortable for San Francisco’s offense.
The biggest signs came in the trenches. Faulk showed he could shed blocks and force the 49ers to account for him, and San Francisco even started chipping him to slow him down. That kind of attention is a pretty loud signal for a rookie making his debut.
Faulk is not a finished product yet, and the Titans know that. Coach Saleh will have time to mold him into a more polished player, while Tate is still being viewed as the future running mate for Cam Ward rather than an immediate WR1.
For now, though, Faulk has already done enough to make the Titans’ rookie class look more interesting. His preseason going forward will depend on the shoulder issue, but he appears to have a real chance to factor into the regular season as well.
Year one should still be about learning for Faulk, especially with Cedric Gray, Jermaine Johnson, and Jeffery Simmons around him. But his ability to disrupt the 49ers in week one suggested a player whose adjustment period may not last nearly as long as expected. Once he settles in, he looks like the kind of edge talent Tennessee won’t be able to keep off the field for long.
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