Did Auburn's Keldric Faulk Help or Hurt His Stock at the Combine?

Six Auburn Tigers from the 2025 team were invited to the NFL Scouting Combine last weekend in Indianapolis, headlined by projected first-round pick and star edge rusher Keldric Faulk.

After the event, Auburn Tigers on SI spoke with SI Draft Expert Daniel Flick to discuss what he saw from Faulk in Lucas Oil Stadium.

“I just thought everything that he did was fine,” Flick said. “I didn't think that he moved incredibly fluidly. I didn't think he was very impressive in the drills. But, it wasn't disastrous.”

That area of “fine” has been the main concern for Faulk for much of the draft cycle, especially when paired with his lack of stat production in his junior year for Auburn, when he totaled just two sacks. Though, importantly, fine doesn’t mean bad.

Hearing a lot of discourse about Keldric Faulk I will say turn on the tape! 6-6 285lbs, and freakishly athletic, verified elite strength (700-pound squat, 415-pound bench) that translates directly to violent hand usage and anchor ability at the point of attack! He’s raw in his… pic.twitter.com/6mOYHyrWIU
— DraftNerd (@TALKINGBALL1) January 31, 2026

Faulk still tested at an okay level, which, at his size, is still impressive. Though he has never been the most polished athlete, few would try to argue that the 6-foot-6, 276-pound edge rusher with almost 34.5-inch arms does not have an NFL frame.

“I thought his weigh-in numbers were very impressive,” Flick said. “You see it on the Auburn site, but you don't fully know, because for a lot of teams, those numbers aren't always accurate. For him to measure in what he measured at, and then you see the frame in person, very, very impressive, he is a specimen. And I think that will very much intrigue a lot of teams.”

In addition to his impressive frame, Faulk also showed solid maturity for his age, acknowledging in interviews that the part of his game he still needs to work on the most is his pass rush. That willingness to identify personal areas of weakness and commit to improving them will be attractive to NFL teams. Frankly, that attitude would fit extremely well with Dan Campbell’s Detroit Lions, who seem to be an exceptional scheme fit for Faulk.

Faulk also showcased an ability to be a leader at Auburn, both within his position group and on the defense as a whole. That ability will also increase his value to NFL teams, especially coming from one of the youngest players in this draft class. Faulk is just 20 years old and will be 21 for the 2026 NFL season, giving whichever team drafts him even more time to develop him for the future.

“Remember again, that he is one of the younger guys in the whole draft class, and you see the body type, and he's very smart too,” Flick said. “That's one of the things about him that really popped to me, is he's extremely smart and very competitive, [with a] high motor. He's got all the traits to be really, really, really good.”

Even with minor athletic detractors and pass-rush questions, it is clear that one of the NFL’s 32 teams will be getting an elite competitor, a reliable run defender, and a possible locker-room leader for many years to come, which most teams would say "yes" to in a heartbeat. His combination of tape, an NFL frame, young age, demeanor, and leadership abilities should all easily keep him firmly in the first round when the NFL Draft finally arrives in April.