Auburn's Keldric Faulk Steps Into the Draft Spotlight on the Eve of Round One
With the 91st NFL Draft officially kicking off Thursday evening from Pittsburgh, Auburn defensive end Keldric Faulk has emerged as one of the most widely discussed prospects in the entire first round. Multiple teams — including the Chicago Bears, Los Angeles Chargers, and Houston Texans — have been publicly or privately connected to the 6'6", 276-pound edge rusher in the final hours before picks are announced.
Faulk is widely expected to become the first Auburn player selected in the first round since defensive tackle Derrick Brown went to the Carolina Panthers in 2020. CBS Sports analyst Randy Cross, breaking down Faulk's profile ahead of the draft, described him as a future defensive leader at the NFL level. "This is a guy who is very versatile and he's a really good edge-setter," Cross said. "He's an excellent run defender and a guy that's going to be one of the leaders of the defense."
What the Numbers Say — and Don't Say
Faulk's three-year career at Auburn produced 109 tackles, 19.5 tackles for loss, and 10 sacks — modest numbers for a likely first-round selection. His most productive season came in 2024, when he recorded 45 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, and seven sacks, along with a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. His 2025 campaign was comparatively quiet with just two sacks, a figure that has drawn scrutiny from fans and analysts alike.
Yet NFL evaluators have been remarkably consistent in their high regard for Faulk despite the modest sack totals. The Athletic's Dan Brugler ranks him among the top defensive ends in this class. At the NFL Scouting Combine, Faulk himself addressed the production question directly, pointing to Auburn's defensive philosophy. "Since my freshman year, we always said that we had to earn the right to rush the passer and that right came on first and second down," he said.
Multiple Franchises Circling Faulk Heading Into Draft Night
The breadth of team interest surrounding Faulk reflects how seriously NFL front offices are betting on his upside over his existing production.
Chicago Bears: A Coaching Connection Adds Intrigue
Of all the teams connected to Faulk, the Chicago Bears' interest carries a particularly notable subplot. Bears defensive line coach Jeremy Garrett previously coached at Auburn in 2023 — the very season Faulk arrived as a freshman. Garrett also overlapped with Faulk in that role before moving to the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2025 and then Chicago. That familiarity between coach and player could carry real weight in the Bears' war room as they hold the 25th overall pick. Assistant general manager Jeff King recently told reporters that Chicago is keeping all options on the table at 25, though draft analysts have repeatedly connected the team to defensive linemen in this class. Faulk has been described as the most "controversial" of those options given the production debate.
Chargers and Texans Also in the Mix
ESPN's Peter Schrager, in his final pre-draft mock, projected Faulk to the Los Angeles Chargers at pick 22, citing edge rusher depth as a pressing need following the departure of Odafe Oweh. Schrager noted that Faulk's traits are exactly what coaches want at the position and that his two-sack 2025 season should not define how teams evaluate him.
Meanwhile, the Houston Texans have been reported by Lance Zierlein to be quietly exploring a trade-up in the first round, with Faulk identified as a potential target. Houston already made significant investments at defensive end this offseason, extending both Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter to major contracts. But Hunter will turn 32 next season, and the team lacks proven depth behind their two stars. Faulk's ability to also move inside on passing downs adds an additional dimension of value for a defense seeking versatility up front. This kind of draft-night maneuvering is not unusual — as seen with other first-round targets generating last-minute buzz, teams often position themselves aggressively in the hours before the clock starts.
Why Faulk's Profile Is Dividing Opinion — and Why Teams Are Buying In Anyway
The tension around Faulk as a prospect captures a broader dynamic in modern NFL Draft evaluation: the increasing weight given to traits, athleticism, and character over raw production at the college level.
Faulk turned 21 in September 2025, meaning he will still be 21 years old when his NFL rookie season begins — an age that gives credence to the argument that his best football is well ahead of him. He was a four-star recruit and the 10th-ranked defensive lineman in the 2023 recruiting class, earning SEC All-Freshman honors in his debut season before adding Third Team All-SEC recognition in 2025.
Beyond the athletic profile, multiple sources have highlighted Faulk's leadership qualities and locker room presence as genuinely unusual for a player his age. Coaches at Auburn consistently praised his maturity and character, traits that NFL organizations tend to weight heavily when projecting how a young player will develop in a professional environment.
The debate over Faulk reflects a well-worn tension in draft circles: teams drafting on production tend to find safer short-term contributors, while teams drafting on potential occasionally unearth transformational talents. For whichever franchise calls Faulk's name on Thursday night in Pittsburgh, the bet will be firmly in the latter category — wagering that the tools, the age, and the intangibles will ultimately produce an impact player that the college stat sheet only partially hints at. Cowboys fans are experiencing similar draft anticipation as teams across the league finalize their boards before one of the most unpredictable first rounds in recent memory.
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