Keldric Faulk Could Fill A Hole On Minnesota's Defensive Line

The Minnesota Vikings need to bolster their defensive line after several key departures, including Jonathan Allen, Javon Hargrave, and Harrison Phillips. Though some may argue that the interior of the defensive line is more important to address, the draft features many highly talented edge defenders worth drafting, including Keldric Faulk.

Faulk is a 6’6”, 290 lb. edge defender out of Auburn who’s projected to be drafted in the mid to late first round.

Keldric Faulk is one of the more distinctive players in this year's draft. Despite playing most of his snaps on the exterior of the defensive line, he’s much more of a run stopper than a pass rusher.

He kind of plays like former No. 1-overall pick Travon Walker, a more run-stopping defensive lineman. However, Walker played most of his snaps on the interior of the defensive line at Georgia, which is where teams typically play their run stoppers. Faulk playing most of his snaps on the edge could make him an enticing player in Brian Flores’ defense.

Multiple teams may pass on Faulk because he’s more of a run stopper on the edge. NFL teams value pass-rushing ability from the edge position. Given that pass rushing isn’t Faulk's primary strength, he may not develop into a well-rounded player, despite his physical attributes. His draft stock would likely be much higher if he were a better pass rusher, even if he were worse against the run.

Still, having a run stopper on the edge of the defensive line is a huge asset that many teams tend to overlook. With the prevalence of Sean McVay and Kyle Shanahan offenses that feature wide-zone concepts that force defenses to move horizontally, teams must have the personnel to stop them.

Fortunately, that’s something Faulk excelled at in his time at Auburn.

In the above clip, Faulk gets off his block instantly and stops the ball carrier almost where he got the handoff. That’s something every NFL team needs, given the modern offensive run schemes in the league.

Over the last two seasons, Faulk led all SEC defensive linemen with 72 run tackles.

Though Faulk’s run-stopping ability is one of his best attributes, his pass-rushing ability is often overlooked, even if it’s flawed.

It’s easy to forget that he is also a pass rusher. He didn’t record many sacks last year.

Still, teams would often double-team him and scheme their plays away from him.

One of Faulk’s downsides is that his pass-rush ability is unrefined. However, that’s something that can be coached and developed in the NFL.

Still, Faulk is young and has time to develop as a pass rusher. He was 20 during the 2025-26 college football season, despite having played three years at Auburn. He only recently turned 21, making him one of the younger players in the draft. Therefore, he has plenty of upside and room to grow.

Despite being inconsistent at push rushing, he’s frequently able to bat the ball down due to his size and range.

Faulk is a great prospect who also gives nothing but the utmost effort every play. Below, you can see him chasing down a wide receiver where most defensive linemen would have given up.

You can’t coach effort, and he showed it every play.

Faulk also offers a lot off the field. He was named to the SEC Football Community Service Team.

He’s a guy you want to have in your locker room for multiple reasons

Keldric Faulk is one of the best players available in this year's draft. If he falls to the Vikings, they will land a terrific player at a great value.