Defensive Lineman Keldric Faulk has Grown Man Power

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I love dominance in the trenches.

And that’s the kind of brute alpha power that was on full display while watching Auburn defensive lineman Keldric Faulk.

He can lock out his arms against 300+ pound offensive linemen at the point of attack, like he’s at a gym benchpressing them.

Oh yeah…

Notice how I called him a “defensive lineman,” and didn’t just refer to him as an edge?

That’s because, despite having enough juice to get past offensive tackles, he also loves sliding inside to defensive tackle at times and flexing on those dense-muscle, heavy-set interior offensive linemen.

Yes, he also has what it takes to play inside.

Faulk is different.

He’s a hybrid.

Game planning flexibility

On tape, Faulk lined up at:

• Edge
• Defensive Tackle
• Nose Tackle

Sometimes he was coming off the left edge ⎯and sometimes off the right.

Then they moved him inside to defensive tackle.

In addition ⎯

I spotted him lining up right over the center on a couple of reps, and once he even dropped back into pass coverage, and he looked pretty effective doing it.

Before the snap ⎯

Faulk can line up standing up. He can line up both hands down in the dirt in a four-point stance. He can also line up with one hand down in the ground in a two-point stance.

An NFL defensive coordinator will have a lot of fun scheming him, but opposing offenses won’t have quite as much fun trying to figure out where he’s coming from.

Still pretty raw looking

I think this is the scariest part about Faulk ⎯

He looks like a kid on Christmas morning trying to figure out how all his new toys work when it comes to his pass-rushing toolbox.

Faulk is a no-nonsense pass rusher who is excellent at leveraging space. However, as far as pass-rush moves are concerned, he shows a lot of them, but he doesn’t show them often.

This is what I charted in my notes in 12 games this season:

• Head Fake (2x)
• Spin Move (7x)
• Swim Move (7x)
• Rip Move (2x)

According to Pro Football Focus (PFF), Faulk recorded 316 pass-rush snaps in 2025.

18 “pass rush moves” isn’t a lot.

Biggest negatives?

• Hot 🔥and cold 🥶
• Drop in production 📉

Faulk got a slow start this season against Baylor, Ball State, and South Alabama, and that isn’t exactly the Lions, Bengals, and Bears (oh my), but then he came on stronger as the rest of the season progressed.

What about his pass-rushing production?

Sacks (PFF):

2024: Nine

2025: Two

Pressures (PFF):

2024: 45

2025: 30

* In both seasons, Faulk played in 12 games. So that’s not it. He only had one game that he was nicked up, and that was against Mercer. So, that’s not it either.

Faulk’s run defense stats also dropped 📉

2024: 45 tackles (30 solo)

2025: 29 tackles (23 solo)

So, what is it?

He didn’t look quite as motivated.

NFL projection

Faulk can take over a game at any time, and that’s the kind of ability that will cause some team to hit the first-round game show buzzer in the 2026 NFL Draft.

* I like the thought of Faulk with the Dallas Cowboys as a replacement for the departed DeMarcus Lawrence.

#15 Keldric Faulk 6-foot-6, 285 pounds

Daniel Kelly’s Final 2026 NFL Draft Grade: First-Round (I would select him)

Projected by NFL Mock Draft Database to be a First Round prospect as of February 22, 2026

Auburn Defender Keldric Faulk Springs Into the Pocket (2024: 10 games evaluated)

2025 game film evaluated: Baylor, Ball State, South Alabama, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Georgia, Missouri, Arkansas, Kentucky, Vanderbilt, Mercer, and Alabama (click to view games watched to form this evaluation)

Note: 57 double-team blocks during the season

2026 NFL Draft Scouting Report

Pocket disruptor. Three-down defender. Likes to play bully ball. Sleek and athletic frame. Long back. Long arms. Well put together. High football IQ. Heavy hands. Uses them well. Sometimes wins based on persistence. Throws his weight around. Good at flushing quarterbacks out of the pocket. Nice short-area close. Some stiffness. Average pocket adjust. Four offside penalties. Hits hard. Fighter as a run defender. Inconsistent shed. Gets fired up.

Final words

Faulk brings a strong presence to an NFL team.

Daniel Kelly is a former NFL Scout with the New York Jets. He was hired on the regime which featured Bill Parcells, Bill Belichick, Scott Pioli, Mike Tannenbaum, and Dick Haley. He is currently the Editor-in-Chief for First Round Mock, and has written for Sports Illustrated (Lions, Jets, and 49ers), NFL Draft Diamonds, and Yardbarker, as well as a featured guest on ESPN Radio and Fox Sports Radio. Featured in USA Today. For more information about him visit his website at whateverittakesbook.com. Follow on Twitter @firstroundmock.