Live Takeaways from MIKE BORGONZI’S APPearance on the Install Show
Via 104-5 The Zone on X
Written By Brody Rupert
On the night of May 1st, Buck Reising and Greg Cosell held their annual Install Live show, and this year they had a very special guest – general manager Mike Borgonzi. I had the pleasure of going to this live show, and here are some of the things I learned.
Borgonzi is VERY high on Keldric Faulk
The player that received the most attention between Borgonzi and Cosell was the 31st overall pick: Keldric Faulk. They spent a good amount of time talking about him as a prospect, and Borgonzi stated that the first thing that really caught his attention upon their first meeting was the length that Faulk has. He described that his fingers went down to his knees and that he is a large man with large hips and a big butt (his words, not mine).
Borgonzi made a comparison with Faulk that made a lot of sense: Arik Armstead. Titans’ new head coach Robert Saleh worked with Armstead in San Francisco and helped him become the player that he is, and the similarities between the two gave Borgonzi extra confidence in the player they were choosing to draft. The similarities in question mostly relate to their versatility; Armstead is renowned for his ability to line up all over the defensive line, being on the edge often but being able to play in the interior if needed. Faulk was similar during his time at Auburn, where he lined up all across the defensive line.
Another big thing about Faulk, relating to the draft that Borgonzi mentioned, was clearing up why they drafted him despite limited pre-draft connections. Faulk mentioned that when he was drafted, he was shocked they drafted him and that they had not communicated much in the pre-draft process. Borgonzi cleared the air by stating that, from their research in the pre-draft process, Faulk checked all the boxes personality-wise. That is the biggest thing they are checking on with visits and top-30 invites, but they believed they had sufficient data from his combine and pro-day. He also stated that the limited public interaction between the two does not tip teams off that they are interested.
Borgonzi had one main thing he wanted Faulk to work on, and that was finishing on the quarterback. He only had 2 sacks in his last season of college, and the team would like to see him do better at knowing his pursuit angles and getting to the quarterback
Confident with Nick Singleton
Another player that got quite a bit of attention from the pair of Borgonzi and Cosell was fifth-round pick Nick Singleton. It is important to understand where Singleton fits within a running back room that already has talent in Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears. The biggest thing to Borgonzi seemed to be the size that Singleton possesses. He is bigger than both Spears and Pollard, while maintaining similar speed. He is extremely physical and does not give up on his runs.
Borgonzi also says that having all three halfbacks helps with their passing game. They can all be utilized by catching out of the backfield.
Borgonzi gave a personal comparison with Singleton to one of his guys back in Kansas City, Isiah Pacheco. Pacheco, while not as tall, is still large for his height but also has good speed and is an extremely hard runner. The Chiefs got Pacheco in the 7th round of his draft, so Borgonzi getting a player he thought was similar with a 5th brings me a lot of confidence.
Greg Cosell also had a comparison with Singleton, and that was Darren McFadden. McFadden was a successful running back who had a very similar height and weight, but was able to outrun defenses with his speed.
One thing that was not mentioned with this pick that I would have been very interested to hear is how 2025 6th round pick Kalel Mullings fits into the halfback room. I expect Mullings will still have a role because he is the largest of the bunch, so he can still be used in short-yardage situations.
Draft Strategy
Mike Borgonzi also gave a good amount of insight into the Titans' draft strategies this season. Early on, Greg Cosell asked about them trading up twice, and Borgonzi made his strategy pretty clear: If there was a guy they were confident about, they would try to move up and get him. They spend so much time in the offseason putting in research for these players, so if they had everything together and really liked one, they were not going to be hesitant to make a move up.
Cosell also asked a very intriguing question about what teams look for in later rounds. Borgonzi answered that it generally depends on position, but the two main aspects he gave were that sometimes they take trait guys – people who are fast, big, or something else physical – or intangibles. Intangibles are usually mental assets, such as their mindset.
Other interesting tidbits
Mike Borgonzi did say that the team was not done adding. There is still room on this team for veterans, so I expect them to add in the secondary and on the offensive line before the season is done.
Greg Cosell also gave an interesting anecdote that should give Titans fans some confidence. He stated that the first time he met Cam Ward, the first thing he said to him was, “What do I need to work on?” There was no hello or greeting; he immediately jumped to try to improve. Ward has a great mindset, and Cosell agrees with it.
Cosell also does not think Ward is a bust and that the Titans should not have taken Kyle McCord instead, contrary to what one guest was trying to argue.
Written by Brody Rupert
Contributor for SharmSports