The Titans picked up a pair of players on Thursday night, selecting receiver Carnell Tate out of Ohio State at No. 4 overall before trading back into the first round to select defensive end Kendrick Faulk out of Auburn at No. 31.
After making the picks, General Manager Mike Borgonzi shared his excitement about the two players.
“Carnell Tate, we thought he was the best receiver in the draft,” Borgonzi said, via the team’s website. “And then coming back up and getting Keldric Faulk, who really fits this defense. I mean, long, can play outside, inside. Looking back to some of [Robert] Saleh’s defenses, too, it reminded me a little bit of [Arik] Armstead when he had him there in San Francisco. So, really excited about adding these two guys here tonight. Great character guys, too.”
When it comes to Tate in particular, the Titans are excited about the statue of the 6-foot-2, 192-pound wideout.
“Well, he’s a bigger, vertical guy. The route running, very efficient, his route running,” Borgonzi said. “I thought he had exceptional ball skills to be able to track the footballs, catch radius downfield. I think he’s going to be a great fit in this offense. And you know, he’s 20 years old last year playing at Ohio State. He’s a young kid.
“But Tate has the ability to play big downfield. That’s the one thing, all these contested catches downfield, his ability to go up and catch the football, contort his body in certain ways. I think it’s going to be great for Cam [Ward].”
The Titans went offense at No. 4 in round one. That had to be a hard thing for coach Robert Saleh to do.
He ultimately got a defensive player by trading back into the first round.
The Patriots had traded No. 31 to the Bills, who traded No. 31 to the Titans. Who took Auburn edge rusher Keldric Faulk.
He’s a guy who could get plenty of one-on-one opportunities, given that defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons continues to be a dominant player.
To get pick No. 31, the Titans gave up pick No. 35, No. 66, and No. 101. They got back pick No. 69 and No. 165.
The Titans have selected receiver Carnell Tate with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Tate, who played his college ball at Ohio State, was widely considered the best receiver in the class.
He appeared in 39 games for the Buckeyes with 23 starts. He caught 51 passes for 875 yards with nine touchdowns in 2025, playing 11 games. He was out for three contests with a leg injury.
In all, he caught 121 passes for 1,872 yards with 14 touchdowns in his collegiate career.
Now, Tate is on his way to Nashville, where he will be a top weapon for last year’s No. 1 overall pick, quarterback Cam Ward.
The first set of photos from the New York Post showing Patriots coach Mike Vrabel and NFL reporter Dianna Russini at an adults-only resort in Sedona, Arizona was taken while Russini worked for The Athletic. The Athletic is now reviewing her reporting, after her resignation.
The latest set of photos from the New York Post was taken while she worked for ESPN. The question now becomes whether ESPN will be reviewing her reporting.
ESPN has declined comment in response to an email inquiry from PFT.
Here’s an example of reporting that could be scrutinized, regarding a situation that developed after March 2020, when the photos published earlier today were taken.
In May 2021, Russini reported that the Falcons “have discussed several offers for wide receiver Julio Jones, including an offer of a future first-round draft pick.” The report, under a headline that proclaimed “Atlanta Falcons have offer of a 1st-round pick for Julio Jones, sources say” created a clear impression that the Falcons had an offer in hand of a first-round pick for Jones.
Her report also downplayed the Titans’ chances of landing Jones, calling them a “long shot.” (At the time, Vrabel served as head coach of the Titans.)
Ultimately, the Titans acquired Jones and a 2023 sixth-round pick for a 2022 second-round pick and a 2023 fourth-round pick.
So how did the reporting potentially help the Titans? Putting out the word that the Falcons had been offered a first-round pick could have had a chilling effect on any team that may have been considering offering a second-round pick. Calling the Titans a “long shot” allowed them to maneuver quietly for Jones.
Given the relationship between Vrabel and Russini, it’s not crazy or reckless to wonder whether her reporting was directly or indirectly connected to the effort to help the Titans get Jones on the best possible terms. Which, of course, will bolster suspicions by Eagles fans that she had been working more recently with Vrabel to get Eagles receiver A.J. Brown on the best possible terms.
The point for now is that the newest photos directly relate to her time at ESPN. And that specific entanglement could explain why it took so long for ESPN to pay full attention to the story. In the end, its own credibility could be undermined by the reporting Russini did while working there.
Throughout the pre-draft process, Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love has been widely expected to go to the Titans with the fourth overall pick in the draft.
Not anymore.
A late surge of bets has come in on Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles, who is now favored over Love to go fourth overall at some sports books.
Styles could make sense because he’s an ideal fit for the defensive scheme preferred by first-year Titans head coach Robert Saleh. As Saleh looks to rebuild the Titans, he may think a linebacker can do more for his defense than a running back could do for his offense.
At the same time, there’s also talk that Love could be off the board when the Titans pick: Love’s odds to go No. 3 overall are now second only to Arvell Reese’s odds.
We all know the Raiders are going to take Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the first overall pick, but after that it’s wide open from No. 2 on down. And that includes the possibility of the Titans taking Styles in what would be a surprise, but not a betting upset.
