Heading into the Tennessee Titans’ preseason opener on Thursday, the rookie spotlight was supposed to land on Carnell Tate. Tennessee’s fourth overall pick was expected to be a major part of the offense right away, which is why his rough start drew so much attention.
Instead, it was another rookie who walked away with the loudest debut against the San Francisco 49ers. EDGE Keldric Faulk turned heads with a strong first showing and gave the Titans’ front line a real jolt.
Faulk played with plenty of edge and showed he can get into passing lanes in a hurry. The rookie’s tape from that game points to a player who already looks ahead of schedule, and one who could keep moving up in Robert Saleh’s defensive rotation.
Keldric Faulk inside spin + run stopReally impressive first outing for the #Titans rookie DL. Explosive off the edge and flashed some really violent hand usage pic.twitter.com/TuyHL92uXS
The attention on Tate made sense before kickoff. Cam Ward is the face and leader of the Titans right now, and Tate was drafted to be his direct running mate.
But a defensive rookie making the earliest impact in Tennessee is hardly a shock, especially with Saleh now running the show. That should have been clear once he was hired.
Saleh clearly valued Faulk from the start, since he and the Titans brass traded up to take him with the 31st pick in the first round. The former Auburn Tiger checks in at 6'5", 274 lbs, a frame that leaves him with more technical growth ahead than physical development.
Saleh’s background makes the pick even easier to understand. He has served as a defensive coordinator for five seasons in the league, and in Nashville he even took over play-calling duties.
Faulk now sits at the center of Saleh’s revamped defense, and it probably won’t be long before he earns a real role once the regular season begins.
Outside of the secondary, Tennessee’s defense already has some established pieces in place. Jeffery Simmons, John Franklin-Myers, and Cedric Gray are already on the defensive line, which means Faulk isn’t being asked to carry the whole load right away.
Tate and Faulk do share that part of the equation. Both rookies are working behind mostly dependable veterans, which gives them time to develop without being thrown into everything at once.
So while preseason growing pains weren’t out of the question for either player, the second game against the Seattle Seahawks puts the pressure on Tate to answer back. Faulk, on the other hand, has already given Saleh a return on a risky investment, and if he keeps playing like he did in his debut, that move is going to look better by the week.
In Other News...
Fernando Carmona Just Turned Up The Heat On Titans Camp Battle
The Titans got an extended look at their right guard competition in the preseason opener against the 49ers, and rookie Fernando Carmona made the most of it. He was on the field with the first-team offense and held up well in both protection and the run game, giving Tennessee something to think about as camp enters its next phase.
Cordell Volsons arrival in the rotation did little to settle the spot, and the battle now feels a little more open than it did a few days ago. Carmonas strong showing has put him squarely in the mix with Volson and sophomore Jackson Slater, and the staff will have plenty to weigh before it decides who should claim the job. [Read more 🡒]
Titans Win Came With One Encouraging Sign And A Few Concerns
The Titans preseason win over the 49ers offered a little of everything, which is often the point this time of year. Tennessee came away with a 19-13 victory, and there were a few encouraging signs tucked inside it, starting with Joey Slyes reliable night on field goals and Femi Oladejos return from injury, where he looked productive and active on defense.
Still, the tape will give the coaching staff plenty to sort through. CorDale Flott and Alontae Taylor were targeted often and drew penalties, while Cam Ward had moments where the ball came out late and the accuracy wasnt where it needs to be. Preseason is for sorting out exactly these kinds of questions, and for Tennessee, this game left a clearer picture of some spots that look steadier than others. [Read more 🡒]
Cam Wards First Titans Test Left One Worry Hard To Ignore
Cam Wards first live game action in a Titans uniform came with the kind of uneven showing that can linger well beyond the preseason opener. Against the 49ers, Tennessee got the win anyway, 19-13, but Ward had a hard time getting comfortable, as the offense rotated through other quarterbacks and the new starter spent much of the night trying to find a rhythm.
The bigger takeaway for Tennessee is not the score so much as the baseline this performance set for Ward going forward. The Titans are still committed to him as their starter in his second year, but the opener offered an early reminder that the transition will not be smooth by default, and the next few weeks will say a lot about how quickly he can settle in. [Read more 🡒]