Auburn's Keldric Faulk Crashes Top 10 of ESPN's Latest NFL Mock Draft

ESPN’s Field Yates released his preseason 2026 NFL Mock Draft on Wednesday morning, and the Auburn Tigers found their way into the top 10 thanks to superstar Preseason First-Team All-SEC edge rusher Keldric Faulk.

Faulk projects to be the leader of the Auburn defense as a junior in 2025, following two seasons of rapid improvement at the position. He racked up 7 sacks in 2024, good enough to be tied at No. 36 in the nation in just his first season as a full-time starter.

Auburn Tigers On SI | Facebook | X

Yates mocked Faulk as the first edge off the board to the Carolina Panthers at the No. 6 overall pick, a team that has been trying to find an injection of talent off the edge since trading Brian Burns to the New York Giants and letting hybrid linebacker Frankie Luvu walk in free agency.

“Faulk has the length and torque to rush off the edge, but his 6-foot-6, 288-pound frame really allows him to be disruptive and attack from a variety of alignments,” Yates wrote on ESPN. “He had seven sacks last season. The Panthers made a pair of Day 2 investments on the edge this year (Nic Scourton and Princely Umanmielen) but should keep working on this pass rush group. The team's 5.4% sack rate tied for fourth worst in the NFL last season.”

If Faulk were to end up with Carolina, the Panthers would boast a very impressive combination of Auburn talents on the defensive line. Former Tigers star Derrick Brown has been an anchor in the middle of the defensive line for Carolina since they drafted him at No. 7 overall in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Listed at 6-foot-6 and 288 pounds, Faulk’s versatility would allow the Panthers to use him as a valuable chess piece on the defensive line, attacking off the edge as well as the interior. Both Umanmielen and Scourton don’t have the size to play in multiple spots like Faulk, which would more than likely limit them to more rotational roles behind the Auburn superstar. However, there is no such thing as too much depth off the edge.

As for the 2025 season, Faulk will need to continue to develop to secure his position as a top 10 pick. Though his size and athleticism alone are enough to have NFL teams salivating, an improvement in technique could push Faulk into even the top-five conversation.

Faulk has proven he has the ability to use his hands well and attack with a pass rush plan, but NFL teams will want to see him develop a larger arsenal of both initial moves and counter moves and increase his production once again in 2025.

Though Faulk is losing his running mate from 2024 in Jalen McLeod, the Auburn defensive line is still extremely talented. Keyron Crawford, Jamonta Waller, and Amaris Williams are all solid options for the Tigers off the edge, and the interior is just as talented.

Faulk’s development will be an important factor in the success of the Tigers in 2025. Having a game-wrecking edge rusher as opposed to just a star at the position can be a game-changer, especially at the college level. If Faulk can wreak havoc on opposing tackles and quarterbacks, the Auburn star should both improve the prospects of the 2025 team and his own status as a must-have prospect in the 2026 NFL Draft.