Where Auburn’s Keldric Faulk Landed in Four Major Mock Drafts

Auburn Tigers defensive end Keldric Faulk is one of the top defenders in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Auburn Tigers defensive end Keldric Faulk is one of the top defenders in the 2026 NFL Draft. | Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

It’s set to be a quiet NFL Draft in 2026 for the Auburn Tigers, with just a few players expected to be selected. Most notable of these is junior defensive end Keldric Faulk, who tore up college football in his few years at Auburn so much that every major outlet’s mock draft has him drafted in the first round. 

Two questions remain, though: when and where?

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Auburn Tigers on SI took a look at four major mock drafts and where Faulk landed.

CBS Sports (Josh Edwards): 12th Overall - Dallas Cowboys

Josh Edwards of CBS Sports has Faulk heading out to Dallas to join a group that’s struggled in the wake of the loss of stellar edge rusher Micah Parsons, who was traded to the Green Bay Packers earlier this year.

“Dallas needs young, impactful players at all three levels of the defense,” Edwards wrote. “Donovan Ezeiruaku had some good moments as a rookie, so the two can develop together.”

If Faulk does head out to Dallas, he’ll join the aforementioned Ezeiraku, as well as Dante Fowler, Jr., though standout edge rusher Jadavion Clowney will be headed into free agency. With or without Clowney, though, Faulk could quickly make an impact for a Dallas team that went 7-9-1 in 2025 without Micah Parsons.

ESPN (Mel Kiper): 11th Overall - Miami Dolphins

Mel Kiper, a top draft analyst for ESPN, has Faulk landing just a pick earlier than Edwards to a Dolphins team that has just found a new head coach in Jeff Hafley. Hafley was previously the defensive coordinator for the Green Bay Packers and has experience with top-level edge rushers like Micah Parsons.

“Miami could use this pick to reload on the edge,” Kiper wrote. “The Dolphins traded Jaelan Phillips at the deadline, and Bradley Chubb could be a cap-saving release this offseason, since he has no guaranteed money left on his deal. Mixing Chop Robinson's burst with Faulk's power could be a long-term solution.”

In recent years, the Dolphins have been quite disappointing for the amount of talent they possess, leading to the removal of head coach Mike McDaniel. With a defensive mind at the helm, though, the Dolphins could prove to be a great landing spot for the young edge rusher.

Pro Football Focus (Gordon McGuinness): 20th Overall - Dallas Cowboys

PFF’s Gordon McGuinness has Faulk going much later than most other analysts, though he has the former Tiger landing with the same team CBS Sports has him going to: the Dallas Cowboys. Instead of Faulk at the 12th pick, McGuinness has Jerry Jones and co. snagging Arvell Reese, a linebacker from Ohio State, and waiting until the 20th pick to grab Faulk.

“After acquiring more pass-rush juice with Arvell Reese earlier in the round, the Cowboys can look to find a replacement for DeMarcus Lawrence here,” McGuinness wrote. “While Lawrence was good as a pass rusher, he was elite as a run defender — something the Cowboys lacked in 2025.”

It’s unlikely that Faulk will fall as far as the 20th pick, as he is rated as a top-two edge rusher in the draft. Still, if he does, he would be an absolute steal for the Cowboys with the 20th pick, especially in the wake of the Micah Parsons trade and Jadaveon Clowney’s free agency. Faulk could prove to be a long-term solution for Jerry Jones and company, but they’ll have to make sure not to wait too long to snag him.

USA Today (Michael Middlehusrt-Schwartz): 9th Overall - Kansas City Chiefs

Finally, Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz has Faulk landing highest of all, as well as on a team that’s been a consistent title contender in recent years. The Kansas City Chiefs had an uncharacteristic down year in 2025, but they’ve been to the Super Bowl in four of the last five years.

“In this scenario, however, Kansas City uses its rare early pick on a defensive end who more closely fits its longstanding mold,” Middlehurst-Schwartz wrote. “Faulk likely won't ramp up the pressure production right off the bat as he continues to find his way, but the imposing 20-year-old would help the franchise that stands at a crossroads chart a new course.”

Andy Reid’s team has boasted several notable quarterback threats throughout their reign of terror over the NFL, such as Chris Jones and George Karlaftis, so Faulk could be the next in a line of scary sights to see coming off the edge in Arrowhead Stadium.

2026 NFL Draft

This year’s NFL Draft is scheduled for April 23-25 in Pittsburgh, Pa., and will be the beginning of perhaps the most notable Auburn defensive career since Derrick Brown made headlines as a first-rounder to the Panthers in 2020.