Where did Auburn DE Keldric Faulk Land in ESPN's Latest Mock Draft?

Auburn Tigers edge rusher Keldrick Faulk has been a mainstay in first-round mocks for the 2026 NFL Draft, and Monday’s ESPN mock via Matt Miller was no different. However, Faulk’s name has slowly begun to slide from the top 10 down towards 20.

So, is this cause for concern?

The short answer is no. Mock draft season is all about hypotheticals, trial and error, and exploring all possible scenarios for the upcoming draft based on several different player-to-team fits. The fit in Monday’s ESPN mock? Faulk to the Detroit Lions at Pick 17.

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On paper, the fit makes complete sense. Detroit has needed another option to draw some attention away from superstar edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson for multiple seasons now, and Faulk absolutely fits that bill, especially if he can finish more plays and increase his production from the two sacks he had in 2025 with Auburn.

Additionally, Faulk fits the type of edge rusher the Lions so well that it is as if he were deliberately made for it. Under its current leadership, Detroit has gravitated toward larger pass rushers with imposing frames and elite power ability, headlined by Hutchinson at 6-foot-7 and 268 pounds. At 6-foot-6 and 285 pounds, Faulk’s size is exactly what the Lions covet.

That combination of pure bulk is already intimidating, but Faulk also has prodigious power that, if he learns to properly harness and utilize it, could make him a force both out on the edge and in the interior in designated pass rush scenarios.

However, that inside-outside ability is where some of the concerns with Faulk lie. Though it can be viewed as versatility, it has also caused some to worry that he could be a tweener at the next level, not sudden enough to rush effectively off the edge and slightly too small to play every down on the interior.

Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com brought up similar concerns in his first mock of the offseason, where he mocked Faulk to the Dallas Cowboys with their second first-round pick in this year’s draft at No. 20.

“Faulk is a tough evaluation,” Jeremiah said. “He has great size and is a smooth athlete, but I’d like to see him play with a little more urgency. The upside is tremendous.”

That same dilemma has been facing many among the draft community in recent weeks, and there seems to be a clear split between those who view Faulk as a potential game-breaking edge rusher and those who are worried about his ability to truly develop at the next level.

While playing on the Plains, Faulk’s ability to convert the suddenness of the edge rusher into power was what resulted in a majority of his pressures and sacks. That is the part of his game that NFL teams will be looking to develop, building a player who can completely overwhelm tackles on islands and devastatingly collapse the pocket.

However, even if he never finds that top pass rush gear at the next level, Faulk is still an incredibly stout run defender that would provide a notable boost to whichever unit he joins in 2026.

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