TribLive is highlighting the top prospects leading up to the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh. The three-day event is April 23-25.

Keldric Faulk

Position: Edge rusher

Height/weight: 6-foot-6/276 pounds

College: Auburn

The team that ultimately drafts Faulk will take him for his raw talent and seemingly high ceiling. He ranks among the youngest players in this year’s class, and he won’t turn 21 until September.

Faulk best showed his pass-rush potential as a sophomore when he made 45 tackles and tied for the team lead with seven sacks. Last year, however, he had just 29 tackles and two sacks.

Draft analyst Lance Zierlein said in his NFL.com profile that Faulk has “the potential for odd or even fronts once he gains more muscle mass.” He added that Faulk “needs polish” but his high ceiling “should reveal itself within a couple of years.”

A team captain at Auburn, Faulk has a reputation as “a culture player with high character,” which Zierlein said also boosts his draft stock with teams.

Faulk started 32 consecutive games over three seasons at Auburn, earning third-team All-SEC last year. He was named to the conference’s all-freshman team in 2023 after playing 13 games (eight starts) as a true freshman.

Key stat

4.67 — Faulk’s pro day time in the 40-yard dash, which would’ve tied for 10th among edge rushers at the NFL combine.

Did you know?

Faulk represented his Auburn teammates as one of 18 members on the SEC Football Leadership Council.

On draft

Here is a look at where the top NFL Draft analysts rank Faulk among players at his position and prospects overall:

Draft expert — Edge/Overall

Mel Kiper Jr. — third*/NA

Daniel Jeremiah — seventh/31st

Todd McShay — fifth/23rd

Field Yates — fifth/22nd

*Kiper lists Faulk third at defensive end. He’s not ranked among Kiper’s top 25 players.

Quotable

“You’re kind of rolling the dice that the talent will win out and he’s going to put it all together. He showed well two years ago, had seven sacks, and this year he fell back to two sacks. I kept watching and waiting.”

— ESPN analyst Mel Kiper Jr.