Lakendral Barnes clenched her fingers tight around the powder blue Tennessee Titans jersey she was holding on April 24. It was the jersey with her oldest son’s last name − Faulk, as in Keldric Faulk − across the top of the back, the one with the No. 1 underneath that name.
A Titans official had come to retrieve the garment for a photo opportunity after Faulk and fellow first-round NFL draft pick Carnell Tate met with the media in Nashville a day after they were selected in the NFL draft. Tate with the fourth overall pick and Faulk with the 31st.
Advertisement
Barnes, who signed up Keldric for football when he was in first grade, was slow to let go. She relented when she was reassured it would land back in her hands.
“I was ecstatic. I was filled with emotion,” Barnes told The Tennessean of her reaction the night before, when Faulk’s agent called to inform her he’d been drafted. “I cried. I cried. It was a joyous moment.
“I was like, ‘Where’s he going? Where’s he going? Where’s he going?’ “
Then Keldric called.
“He just fell to his knees,” Barnes continued.
The 6-foot-6, 285-pound defensive end, whom the Titans traded up to choose 31st overall out of Auburn, not only had his mother in attendance at the Titans’ practice facility on April 24, his younger brother, J.J. Faulk, who plays for Auburn also was there.
Advertisement
They all were thinking about another person as they watched Keldric take another step toward his dream of playing in the NFL: Keldric and J.J.’s father, Russell, who died in a car accident in 2008 when Keldric was 3 years old.
“He tends to ask me, ‘Do you think my dad would be proud of me?’ ” Barnes said. “I always tell him, ‘Absolutely. He would be very proud of you.’ “
Keldric, who said he prays to his father before and after every game, also was quick to praise his brother for both his football ability and his support.
When asked if he was going to miss having his brother at Auburn, J.J. smiled.
Advertisement
“A little bit,” he said.
ESTES: Titans’ reach for Carnell Tate stirs up bad draft memories
ESTES: Meet Carnell Tate, new top Titans WR who’s survived tragedy with maturity
Faulk said April 23 he didn’t know much about his new teammates, but he said he spent a good chunk of time after he was drafted giving himself a crash course.
“The first thing that popped out to me was that everybody played fast and violent,” Faulk said. “I feel like I could play a lot of positions across the D-line … on early downs, like first and second on the edge, and having that ability to go inside on third downs.
Advertisement
Faulk was quick to point out things he needs to improve in his game. At the top of the list is accumulating more sacks. He had just 10 in 37 games for Auburn last season, despite 45 pressures in 2024 (eighth in SEC) and 30 in 2025.
“I had too many pressures and not enough sacks,” Faulk said. “I didn’t finish the play. It’s a small thing but it’s a huge thing in my mind. That’s the next 10 to 20% that I need to get. From there it’s just refining everything I already have, making sure I perfect (those things).”
First-year Titans coach Robert Saleh said he’s confident the team can develop Faulk into a force on defense, especially on third down.
Advertisement
“We’ve had a lot of history with guys with his skillset,” Saleh said, mentioning Micah Williams and John Franklin-Myers as examples. “We know exactly what’s going to be great with him, with how to utilize his strengths. He’s young. There’s a lot of football he’s got to learn.”
Saleh complimented Faulk’s foot speed and quickness inside, as well as his length.
“That’s a really tough out for a guard,” Saleh said.
Paul Skrbina is a sports enterprise reporter covering the Predators, Titans, Nashville SC, local colleges and local sports for The Tennessean. Reach him at pskrbina@tennessean.com and on the X platform (formerly known as Twitter) @paulskrbina.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: New Tennessee Titans edge Keldric Faulk’s mom cried at NFL draft. Here’s why
