The Tennessee Titans infused some much-needed talent into the roster in the 2026 NFL Draft, including multiple picks in the first round, Carnell Tate, and Keldric Faulk. Both players fill needs and have upside.
Now, with offseason team activities fully underway, it is a great time to assess the potential impact the tandem will have on the team in 2026 to see whether general manager Mike Borgonzi made the right selections.
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Mike Clay of ESPN did just that and projected the 2026 rookie leaders in multiple categories, and both Tate and Faulk find their names in his rankings.
Number 1. Carnell Tate, Tennessee Titans: 1,065 yards, 5 TDs
Both Tate (No. 4) and Tyson (No. 8) were top-10 selections, which is notable. Take a look at the production of the 16 wide receivers who were selected with a top-10 pick since 2012. It’s a small sample, but 12 of the 16 wideouts produced at least 865 yards. The 13 receivers on the list who appeared in at least 14 games averaged a hefty 25% target share (Rome Odunze’s 19% was the lowest). History tells us Tate and Tyson will be very busy and productive as rookies.
If he stays healthy, Tate should quickly find his way into the lineup, and he has the skillset to excel in the new offensive system. While he lacks elite physical traits, he is a nuanced route technician and has the size to create matchup problems on the outside. Couple that with the addition of Wan’Dale Robinson in the slot, and return of a healthy Calvin Ridley, Tennessee’s receiving corps appears to be in a better place than it was in 2025.
T-3. Carnell Tate, Tennessee Titans: 5
Touchdowns from rookies have been on the decline (fewer than 140 in three of the past five seasons). While last season was an outlier (as predicted in this column due to the loaded running back class), we should see a major crash back to earth in 2026.
Since 2012, 32 rookies have reached 10 TDs, with RJ Harvey (12), Jeanty (10), and TreVeyon Henderson (10) hitting the mark last season. Of those 32 double-digit TD scorers, 23 were running backs, so even in a year with a shaky running back class, seeing Love and Price atop the list isn’t surprising. The aforementioned past five backs selected in the top seven all produced a minimum of 300 touches, 1,300 yards, and 10 touchdowns as a rookie.
The low wide receiver numbers might seem foolish, but if we look at the 602 rookie WRs since 2012 in our sample, only 53 (8.8%) reached six TDs in their first season. Tetairoa McMillan led all first-year receivers with seven TDs last season, and only five others reached five scores. As our earlier chart showed, even the 16 top-10 wide receivers who played a major role as a rookie averaged 5.6 TDs.
With his size, Tate should easily become a red zone threat for Cam Ward and the offense in 2026, but his impact should not end there. Even without elite measurables, Tate proved to be a deep-ball threat throughout his college career, and Ward throws an outstanding deep ball; a combination that should give Tate a chance to make an impact throughout the season, and possibly exceed those projected numbers.
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Number 5. Keldric Faulk, Tennessee Titans: 4.4
Rookies are averaging 106.0 sacks per season over the past decade, but the past two seasons (84.5 in 2024 and 100.0 in 2025) have been far below that average.
James Pearce Jr. led the way with 10.5 sacks last season, but no other rookie had more than 5.5, and only two others reached 5.0 (Jalon Walker and Nic Scourton). Micah Parsons’ 13.0 sacks in 2021 were the most by a rookie over the past decade, and only five other freshmen (including Pearce) reached double-digits. Four of the five were first-rounders. (Maxx Crosby was a fourth-rounder in 2019.)
That’s especially relevant, considering that five edge rushers were drafted in the first round this year (all listed above), and it’s why none of them is projected to clear 7.6 sacks. In fact, each sack projection above would rank in the top 25 among first-round picks over the past five years. All five edge rushers will likely be busy, but let’s keep statistical expectations in check.
The projected numbers for Faulk appear to be about right. Not only is Faulk still developing as a pass rusher, with Robert Saleh’s desire to consistently rotate his defensive linemen, but he also may not receive the same amount of pass-rush opportunities that other edge prospects get in different systems. If Faulk can muster 4.4 sacks as a rookie along a stout defensive front, it would be a win for this draft class.
This article originally appeared on Titans Wire: Titans’ Carnell Tate, Keldric Faulk projected to be top rookies
