Don't lose sight of that as we evaluate the eight players Tennessee Titans GM Mike Borgonzi brought in this weekend and their fit in what coach Robert Saleh is building.
Here's the roll call: WR Carnell Tate, DL Keldric Faulk, LB Anthony Hill Jr., OL Fernando Carmona Jr., RB Nicholas Singleton, DL Jackie Marshall, OL Pat Coogan and TE Jaren Kanak.
Put another way: Two toys for offensive coordinator Brian Daboll, three chess pieces for Saleh to mold in his image, two offensive linemen to plug crater-sized needs in the middle and a special teams multi-tool for coordinator John Fassel to mentor.
"Obviously you want to take the best player, but you try to marry up value without reaching," Borgonzi said in reflection. "But I do think we did fill some needs."
Carnell Tate, left and Keldric Faulk enter the room as the Titans present their first two NFL Draft selections at their practice facility in Nashville, Tenn., Friday, April 24, 2026.From left, general manager Mike Borgonzi, wide receiver Carnell Tate, edge defender Keldric Faulk and coach Robert Saleh take questions as The Titans present their first two NFL Draft selections at their practice facility in Nashville, Tenn., Friday, April 24, 2026.Coach Robert Saleh takes questions as the Titans present their first two NFL Draft selections wide receiver Carnell Tate and edge defender Keldric Faulk at their practice facility in Nashville, Tenn., Friday, April 24, 2026.Edge defender Keldric Faulk takes questions at the Titans' practice facility in Nashville, Tenn., Friday, April 24, 2026. He was the Titans second draft pick for 2026.Wide receiver Carnell Tate takes questions at the Titans' practice facility in Nashville, Tenn., Friday, April 24, 2026. He was the Titans first draft pick for 2026.Wide receiver Carnell Tate takes questions at the Titans' practice facility in Nashville, Tenn., Friday, April 24, 2026. He was the Titans first draft pick for 2026.From left, general manager Mike Borgonzi, wide receiver Carnell Tate, edge defender Keldric Faulk and coach Robert Saleh take questions as The Titans present their first two NFL Draft selections at their practice facility in Nashville, Tenn., Friday, April 24, 2026.1 / 7Meet the Titans newest draft picks Carnell Tate and Keldrick FaulkCarnell Tate, left and Keldric Faulk enter the room as the Titans present their first two NFL Draft selections at their practice facility in Nashville, Tenn., Friday, April 24, 2026.1 / 7Meet the Titans newest draft picks Carnell Tate and Keldrick FaulkCarnell Tate, left and Keldric Faulk enter the room as the Titans present their first two NFL Draft selections at their practice facility in Nashville, Tenn., Friday, April 24, 2026.2 / 7Meet the Titans newest draft picks Carnell Tate and Keldrick FaulkFrom left, general manager Mike Borgonzi, wide receiver Carnell Tate, edge defender Keldric Faulk and coach Robert Saleh take questions as The Titans present their first two NFL Draft selections at their practice facility in Nashville, Tenn., Friday, April 24, 2026.3 / 7Meet the Titans newest draft picks Carnell Tate and Keldrick FaulkCoach Robert Saleh takes questions as the Titans present their first two NFL Draft selections wide receiver Carnell Tate and edge defender Keldric Faulk at their practice facility in Nashville, Tenn., Friday, April 24, 2026.4 / 7Meet the Titans newest draft picks Carnell Tate and Keldrick FaulkEdge defender Keldric Faulk takes questions at the Titans' practice facility in Nashville, Tenn., Friday, April 24, 2026. He was the Titans second draft pick for 2026.5 / 7Meet the Titans newest draft picks Carnell Tate and Keldrick FaulkWide receiver Carnell Tate takes questions at the Titans' practice facility in Nashville, Tenn., Friday, April 24, 2026. He was the Titans first draft pick for 2026.6 / 7Meet the Titans newest draft picks Carnell Tate and Keldrick FaulkWide receiver Carnell Tate takes questions at the Titans' practice facility in Nashville, Tenn., Friday, April 24, 2026. He was the Titans first draft pick for 2026.7 / 7Meet the Titans newest draft picks Carnell Tate and Keldrick FaulkFrom left, general manager Mike Borgonzi, wide receiver Carnell Tate, edge defender Keldric Faulk and coach Robert Saleh take questions as The Titans present their first two NFL Draft selections at their practice facility in Nashville, Tenn., Friday, April 24, 2026.So, the Ward filter: Tate's got to be his No. 1. This isn't really negotiable. The Titans used the No. 4 pick to select a wideout, and anything short of that wideout developing into the Robin to Ward's Batman will be a disappointment.
Coogan's probably next on the pecking order of most directly tethered to Ward's development. Sure, he's a limited athlete with shorter-than-average arms who's already 23 years old. But he's got quite the pedigree for a college center. If he wins the competition to be the Titans' starting center, and that's a big if, that's a pivotal relationship for Ward to build.
Singleton has a ton of burst. Borgonzi compared him to Detroit RB Isiah Pacheco, and that skillset could be a nice rotational piece in a backfield that doesn't emphasize a feature back. Carmona will compete for a starting job at right guard, but it's too early to say what makes him all that different than last year's fifth-round pick Jackson Slater.
The defensive guys allow Saleh to be Saleh. It's a sideways correlation, but if Faulk can be the Arik Armstead type the Titans think he is and Hill can be the attacking downhill linebacker Saleh prizes, those are two crucial roles to let Saleh establish his defense his way parallel to Ward's growth.
There's really no sense in asking whether the Titans are better because of this draft. Of course they are. It's hard to imagine a scenario where a team can add eight rookies and get worse. The real question is whether these eight rookies position the Titans to get better in the right way and on the right timeline to accelerate Ward's growth and figure out of Ward's the real deal before it's time to negotiate a second contract.
It's tough to say yes emphatically. Coogan and Carmona are competitive pieces, but neither profile as a pro-ready starters. Borgonzi said they'll compete and that's that. Singleton adds athleticism to the backfield, but most scouting reports discuss a baffling level of inconsistency given his traits.
And the question mark on Tate is well-trod territory: Is he a No. 1 who's just had the poor fortune of playing behind Marvin Harrison Jr., Emeka Egbuka and Jeremiah Smith, or is he a textbook beneficiary of never drawing an opponent's No. 1 cornerback?
But maybe that's all a little unfair. The NFL draft has limitations. The only way the Titans could've gotten a true No. 1 receiver, a true No. 1 running back and two pro-ready linemen would've been by totally ignoring the defense and trading away assets. And then you're mortgaging an awful lot on unproven commodities.
If you're holding this Titans draft against the standard of perfection, it won't live up to scrutiny. If you're holding it against the standard of whether it made Ward's life easier, that's a low bar to clear, but sure.
If you're asking whether the Titans have clearly and effectively taken advantage of the last 12 months to best position Ward ― and the franchise by extension ― to succeed, well, that's surely what Borgonzi and company think they're doing. There's a clear vision the Titans believe in, and this class is another extension of that belief. It's a lot of high-character players, a lot of college captains, a lot of guys who've overcome extreme hardship, a lot of hard-work-beats-talent-when-talent-doesn't-work-hard-enough poster boys.
Borgonzi's committed to that philosophy from Ward through the last two drafts. Between those classes and this year's free agent spending spree, the roster has almost entirely turned over in that image. There's no denying that the Titans are sticking to the plan, and it's time to see the plan start working.
Nick Suss is the Titans beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Nick at nsuss@gannett.com. Follow Nick on X @nicksuss. Subscribe to the Talkin’ Titans newsletter for updates sent directly to your inbox.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: What Tennessee Titans accomplished in NFL draft, and how it helps Cam Ward