Why the Slide?: Keldric Faulk

Why the Slide Series

Keldric Faulk, DE, Auburn

Rnk: 17 SR PRP: 3 Ovr: 31. A+

This series was created a number of years ago in response to questions about why certain well-known prospects went unselected in NFL drafts. For these articles, I reach out to sources with NFL teams to find out why their organizations passed on drafting a given player and/or the reasons other teams passed on that prospect. The positive response to “Why Undrafted” and questions from readers about why prospects were drafted lower than the media’s expectations led us to create the parallel series “Why the Slide?” and “Was it a Reach?”

The trio of series is back this year. Feel free to email me requests at [email protected]. I can’t promise to get to all of them, but I will do my best and definitely will respond to the email.

At the start of the 2026 NFL Draft process, Auburn defensive end Keldric Faulk was seen as a potential top-10 pick. Faulk had an excellent 2024 season for the Tigers, where he totaled 45 tackles with 11 tackles for a loss, seven sacks, one forced fumble, and one pass broken up. At 6-foot-6, 275 pounds, Faulk has excellent size and showed versatility with where he can line up on the defensive line. In 2025, Faulk was used differently by Auburn, and he totaled 29 tackles with two sacks. Still, there were projections of Faulk going in the top-20, but he slid to the very end of the first round.

Team sources say the decline in production and the final season of tape hurt Faulk. Teams felt that Faulk was more suited to be a mid to late first-rounder, and he almost slid to night two of the draft.

The Tennessee Titans ended Faulk’s slide when they traded up to the 31st pick to select him, and that was a good landing spot. Tennessee has veteran ends in Jermaine Johnson and John Franklin-Myers, but Johnson is nearing the end of his contract, and Franklin-Myers has been in the league for some time. Faulk is in a great spot to develop into a long-term starter. Defensive tackle Jeffrey Simmons is one of the best defensive linemen in the NFL, and Faulk should learn a lot from watching Simmons. Simmons will also provide Faulk with single-block opportunities when they line up next to each other. Faulk is a young player who could use development, but in a year or two, he could emerge as an impact player and turn into a superb starter for Tennessee.