Auburn Tigers' 1st-Round NFL Draft Drought Coming to End Sooner Rather than Later

The 2025 NFL Draft has come and gone, and with it, a fifth straight first round in which an Auburn Tiger was not selected. It was 2020, the last time a Tiger heard his name called on the opening night of Draft weekend, when the Carolina Panthers selected Derrick Brown as the seventh overall pick.

It has been well documented since the beginning of head coach Hugh Freeze’s tenure that a drastic talent upgrade was needed at Auburn, and it appears the NFL agrees. A string of uninspiring seasons and what felt like a lack of enthusiasm in recruiting by previous leadership had left the talent cupboard bare on the Plains.

The product on the field and the yearly NFL Draft results have reflected the fall off. A complete roster overhaul has been a priority for Freeze and staff, and after two complete off-season recruiting cycles and with an aggressive strategy in the transfer portal, the goal has been realized.

At least on paper.

Freeze and company have brought in consecutive top-10 recruiting classes, and Freeze has acknowledged that the current Tigers squad looks quite different than that of the previous lackluster seasons. Multiple four and five-star players now pepper the roster. In 2025, 26 of 32 prospects drafted in the first round were four or five-star recruits coming out of high school.

Freeze’s roster flip over the course of his tenure has been more than impressive, and should lead to the end of Auburn’s first-round misfortune.

We’ll take a look at a few players who could break the Tigers’ dry spell.

Keldric Faulk - Edge

Faulk joined the Tigers as a four-star recruit in 2023. And over the past two seasons, he has established himself as one of the Southeastern Conference’s premier defensive players, recording seven sacks and 11 tackles for loss in 2024.

Faulk is the clear and present danger to end the Tigers’ first-round woes. At 6’6 270 pounds, Faulk has the combination of size, strength, and quickness that NFL clubs covet. In an early mock draft for 2026, The Athletic has Faulk being selected No. 6 overall by the Panthers.

Cam Coleman - Receiver

Coleman was the prize of the 2024 recruiting class and won’t be eligible until the 2027 draft. Coleman didn’t have the explosive debut season that his class contemporaries Jeremiah Smith of Ohio State and Alabama’s Ryan Williams had. But he managed to flash plenty in 2024 and finished with eight touchdown grabs.

The expectations for Coleman in year two are sky high, with many believing consistency at the quarterback position is the key to unlocking a big season for the sophomore.

At 6’3 and almost 200 pounds, Coleman possesses the frame, length, and body control reminiscent of a young A.J. Green. Green was selected fourth overall by Cincinnati in the 2011 NFL Draft. If Coleman can string together a couple of highly productive seasons, look for NFL teams to target the receiver high in 2027.

Connor Lew - Center

Lew signed with the Tigers as a four-star in 2023. Before the start of the 2024 season, Freeze said that he thought Lew was an NFL-caliber center. And Lew lived up to the billing. According to Pro Football Focus (PFF), Lew only allowed one sack in 442 pass blocking snaps in 2024.

PFF also lists Lew as a top-5 interior offensive lineman returning to college football in 2025. At 6’3 300 pounds, Lew has the ideal size that NFL teams are looking for. The interior o-line is not traditionally drafted high, but with a strong 2025, Lew could find himself rocketing up draft boards.

Deuce Knight - Quarterback

Yes, hopefully the streak has already come to an end by the time Knight is eligible for the draft in 2028. And yes, it is ridiculously too early to hang a potential first-round grade on a kid who has not played a snap of SEC football.

But the fact of the matter is, Knight is a big, athletic kid with a rocket, laser arm playing the most sought-after position in sports. His 6’4 213-pound frame and rumored sub-4.5 40-yard dash surely already have NFL scouts salivating.

If the former five-star recruit can live up to some lofty expectations and put together some productive seasons, expect him to not only be looked at as a potential first-round selection, but as potentially the top pick overall.

Auburn hasn’t had a first round pick in five years. It’s no coincidence that they’ve lost seven games in each of the last-four seasons and haven’t won more than six since 2019.

The first-round drought will come to an end sooner rather than later with upgraded talent up and down the Tigers’ depth chart. Now it’s up to Hugh Freeze and his 2025 Tigers to take care of business on the field.