Three Auburn Tigers Land in Mel Kiper's Updated Draft Rankings

ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. released his updated Big Board for the 2025 NFL Draft earlier today, and three Auburn Tigers found their way onto the list: defensive end Keldric Faulk, center Connor Lew, and outside linebacker/edge rusher Keyron Crawford.

Faulk was once again the highest-ranked Tiger on the board, coming in as Kiper’s No. 16 overall player and No. 2 defensive end, behind only Miami’s Rueben Bain Jr. His 6-foot-6, 285-pound frame lends itself well to the next level, meaning Faulk could play out on the edge on early downs while sliding inside on designated pass rush downs.

“If you could draw up the perfect NFL 4-3 defensive end, it would be Faulk,” Kiper wrote. “He's what I call an 'LTPer' – someone who looks the part. He can win with outside and inside moves, and he moves blockers with his super powerful hands.”

Auburn defensive end Keldric Faulk is poised to be a First-Round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. | Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Tigers’ defensive star did not move from his last spot on the board, remaining Kiper’s No. 16 overall player, where he has been for much of this season’s cycle. Outstanding testing could propel him up the board late should he post it, but his low production numbers in 2025 will hurt him slightly. He put up just two sacks for the Tigers, a large drop from his seven sacks as a true sophomore in 2024.

The second Auburn Tiger on Kiper’s board is center Connor Lew, who ranked as Kiper’s No. 3 interior offensive lineman and No. 1 overall center in today’s edition. The true junior entered the season with high expectations, earning a spot on the 2025 preseason Rimington Award Watchlist.

Though Lew didn’t crack Kiper’s top 25 overall players, he is widely viewed as the most complete center prospect in this year’s class. However, his stock has taken a hit in recent months thanks to a torn ACL suffered in Auburn’s loss to Missouri on Oct.18. Despite the health concerns, Lew should still hear his name called on Day 2 of the draft at the latest.

Auburn’s Connor Lew is one of Mel Kiper's top interior linemen. | Gary Cosby Jr. / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The final Tiger Kiper listed is edge rusher Keyron Crawford, who Kiper has listed as an outside linebacker since he does not use the edge rusher designation in the making of the Big Board. Crawford ranked as Kiper’s No. 9 player at the position, just behind stars like Tennessee’s Joshua Josephs and even ahead of Texas Tech’s Romello Height.

Crawford has good size at 6-foot-4, 255 pounds, and saw his production jump from zero sacks in 2024 to a solid five in 2025 as a senior. The former Arkansas State transfer developed well while on The Plains, progressing from a rotational player to a highly effective cornerstone of the Auburn pass rush.

All three players have a chance to hear their name called in the top 75 of April’s NFL Draft, with Faulk being mocked as high as the top 10 due to his prototypical size and outstanding ability to both set the edge and provide pass rush upside.

More From Auburn Tigers on SI