Keldric
Faulk.
Keldric
Faulk.
Auburn· 6'5"· 288 lb
"Long, base-end EDGE with 288-pound power and inside/outside versatility; the projection hinges on whether the pass-rush plan catches up to the physical tools."Pre-draft read
Aligns as a 5-tech in base and kicks inside to 3-tech on obvious passing downs, giving a defense a rare 288-pound player who can two-gap on early downs and rush from three spots on third. Primary win trait is heavy-handed power — the long-arm punch stones tackles at the line and the bull rush converts speed to force through the guard's inside shoulder. Secondary trait is length management: he stacks and sheds with extension, keeps his chest clean against down blocks, and sets a firm edge on outside zone.
Pass-rush plan is still developing; the cross-chop and inside spin flash but he leans on power more than counters. Get-off is above average for his size, and he runs to the ball with genuine chase effort from the backside.
He's a hand-in-the-dirt 4-3 DE with two-gap potential whose size and strength makes him an ideal fit for schemes that prioritize a one-gap 4-3 penetrating front.
Year 1 starter as a base end with sub-package interior rush reps, with Pro Bowl ceiling if the pass-rush plan develops.
A weak-side 3-4 outside linebacker who's asked to primarily drop in coverage or be a bendy wide-9 speed rusher.
Keldric Faulk's rare size, strength, and alignment versatility make him a scheme-flexible prospect, but his best utility comes in fronts that value power and gap integrity.
Keldric Faulk | 2025 Highlights
Junior-year reel showcasing long-arm wins and reduced-inside pressures.
Auburn EDGE Keldric Faulk 2026 NFL Draft Highlights
Pre-draft cut-up focused on run-game anchor and pass-rush plan across three positions.
Keldric Faulk Auburn Pro Day
Pro Day workout footage from Auburn's spring 2026 session.
He projects as a scheme-flexible starter with the ability to anchor an NFL defensive line. Evaluators expect him to primarily play 5-tech on early downs, with the versatility to reduce to 3-tech on passing downs, offering a valuable piece for a team looking for a player who can two-gap and rush from multiple alignments.
He was a three-year starter at Auburn, where he accumulated 10 sacks and 19.5 TFLs over 35 games. His production was considered by some to undersell his on-field impact due to consistent double teams he faced in an undermanned defensive front, with real reps logged at 4i, 5-tech, and reduced 3-tech.
The primary questions surrounding him were the development of his pass-rush arsenal beyond his long-arm and bull rush, and whether his best professional role would be as a base end or a full-time interior lineman. Despite these questions, consensus boards generally placed him as a late Round 1 selection, indicating confidence in his potential as a starter with All-Pro upside.
- 01
Long-frame base end
6'5", 288 pounds with the arm length and play strength to two-gap, set edges, and reduce inside on passing downs without a size drop-off.
- 02
Heavy-handed power rush
the long-arm punch and bull convert speed to power on tackles and guards, collapsing the pocket's inside shoulder even without a counter.
- 03
Elite run-defense floor
stacks and sheds with full extension, controls down blocks, and rarely loses gap integrity when teams run at his outside shoulder.
- 04
Alignment versatility
logged real reps at 4i, 5-tech, and reduced 3-tech, giving defensive coordinators a rare Day-One three-position piece up front.
- 05
Motor and chase
plays with genuine backside pursuit for a 288-pounder and finishes through the whistle, which shows up as hidden tackles on cutbacks.
- 01
Underdeveloped pass-rush plan
flashes a cross-chop and inside spin but defaults to power on 3rd-and-long, and the sack production (10 in three years) lags the tools.
- 02
Bend and corner-turn
high-cut lower half and stiff ankle flexion mean he prefers to convert power rather than dip under a tackle's outside hand.
- 03
Snap anticipation
plays the ball more than the ball plays him; average get-off jump keeps him from stealing free rushes on third down.
- 04
Hand fighting under duress
resets slower than the top pass rushers in the class when the first move is stalled, letting tackles reclaim the fit.
| Yr | Team | G | Tkl | Sk | Int | PD | FF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Auburn | 13 | 36 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2024 | Auburn | 12 | 45 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2025 | Auburn | 10 | 27 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Career | — | 35 | 108 | 10 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
A dash means the figure is not published by a source we trust — never a zero we invented.
Long-armed edge whose bull rush and run defense outrun the sack numbers on a middling defense.
Base-end frame with power-heavy rush plan and true three-position versatility along the front.
Long, powerful base end who wins with strength and length but stalls when the first move is defeated.
Everything above is the pre-draft evaluation. This section is what actually happened — updated year over year.
Pre-draft context: Auburn's highest-upside defensive piece since the Derrick Brown era, Faulk arrived on the Plains as a five-star and started as a true freshman. Listed at 6'5", 288 pounds with the long frame and reduced-inside snaps most 285-pound ends never get, he stacked three seasons of premium SEC reps at 4i, 5-tech, and 3-tech. The board consensus was late Round 1: rare positional flexibility, elite run-defense floor, and All-Pro upside if the pass-rush plan expands beyond long-arm and bull. Career production of 12.5 sacks and 24 TFLs was viewed as a Auburn-defense drag on the numbers rather than a tools flag.
NFL fit — Tennessee Titans: Tennessee took Faulk at 31 to plug into a front that needed a modern base end who can also reduce inside next to Jeffery Simmons. The fit reads clean: he plays 5-tech on early downs, kicks to a 3-technique on third down, and lets the Titans keep bigger bodies fresher. Whether he becomes a 10-sack player depends on whether the staff builds a counter tree — cross-chop off the long-arm, inside spin off the bull — that unlocks the physical tools. The run-defense floor should show up week one; he sets edges, wins with extension against down blocks, and closes cutbacks with real chase effort. The team-building math also matters: Simmons commands doubles inside, which is exactly the interior room a reduced-Faulk profile needs to hunt one-on-ones on passing downs.
Retrospective: Too early for a career call — Faulk is a July 2026 rookie whose first camp starts weeks from this profile. The evaluation to track: does the pass-rush plan mature enough to convert the tools into 8–10 sack seasons, or does he settle in as an elite run-defending base end with third-down flashes? The floor is a decade-long starter with cross-position value; the ceiling is a Cameron Jordan-style front-anchor who prints Pro Bowls without ever posting a 15-sack year.