Keldric Faulk Scouting Report

Keldric Faulk is a versatile edge rusher with a physical, violent temperament that also has high-end upside as a pass rusher.

Draft Grade: Round 1 - Pro Bowl Caliber

Strengths:

Run Defense: At this point in his career, Faulk appears to have the physical traits and technique that translate to him being an immediate high-end defender against the run at the edge position. 

Alignment-Versatile: Faulk can align in any alignment from 0-tech to 5-tech along the defensive front and be impactful. 

Physical Temperament: Part of Faulk's success is because he plays with a violent temperament and will seek high-impact collisions to set a physical tone.

Prototype Build/Length: Faulk has a frame that will allow him to play in multiple alignments. He can put weight on to fit a different position along the defensive line or drop weight to play another position along the defensive front. 

Concerns:

Elite Athleticism: Does Faulk have the elite explosiveness and quickness to consistently win around the edge against high-end athletic NFL OTs?

Handling Double Teams: There are reps where Faulk is displaced off the line of scrimmage against double teams.

Keldric Faulk Summary/Projection:

Keldric Faulk is a true junior prospect who has been an impactful defender for the Auburn Tigers since his freshman year. Throughout his career, Faulk's role and production have steadily increased, and he has now elevated himself into being one of the best defensive linemen in all of college football. Faulk has a great blend of length, quickness, and a physical, violent temperament that projects him to have the ceiling of a high-end defensive end, one who can be impactful in multiple schemes against both the run and the pass.

When evaluating Faulk against the run, the first thing that stands out is his ability to give high-end, valuable reps from virtually any alignment along the defensive front—from the 0-tech, to the 4i, to playing as a 5-tech stand-up edge rusher. When aligned in the interior gaps, Faulk shows a quick first step that he uses either to shoot the gap and create backfield disruption or to generate power, work through offensive linemen, and maintain the point of attack. From there, he can read the flow of the play and shed the blocker to get to the ball carrier.

As a perimeter run defender, Faulk does a good job of shooting his hands, creating extension, and locking out offensive linemen. He sets a hard edge and can consistently force runs with outside tracks to bend back inside, funneling them toward the flow of the defense. On the backside of plays, Faulk is a high-effort, high-pursuit player who will chase runs down from behind or run 10+ yards upfield to make a tackle. Overall, Faulk’s A-trait as a defender is his ability as a run defender.

As a pass rusher, Faulk displays multiple high-end traits that appear translatable to the NFL. He can win in several different ways off the edge. First, he has excellent speed-to-power conversion ability, allowing him to collapse the pocket and work through offensive linemen to reach the quarterback. His length, quickness, and natural power often overwhelm opponents when he works power rush moves. Faulk also has effective counters, and he can use moves like snatch-traps or convert a bull rush into a rip move to beat blockers.

When opting for quickness-based rushes, Faulk can win with his first step alone, ripping through the offensive lineman or pressing outside before crossing the blocker’s face to take an inside track to the quarterback. Thanks to his length, even when he doesn’t register a sack, Faulk frequently generates pressure, which can still negatively impact opposing offenses.

The main concern for Faulk as a prospect is whether he possesses the elite athleticism around the edge to consistently win against high-end, athletic offensive tackles in the NFL. While he has quickness, there are questions about whether he has enough burst and bend to be considered a true full-time edge rusher at the next level. If not, his best path to success may be as an alignment-versatile defender who creates mismatches from different positions across the line.