Why Dolphins Fans Shouldn't Sleep On Faulk
The Miami Dolphins have been linked to a lot of different prospects for the 11th overall selection in the 2026 NFL draft, some more often and more prominently than others.
New Dolphins GM Jon-Eric Sullivan will want to nail his first-ever Dolphins draft pick, at the same time hoping to land a player who can become a cornerstone for the team's rebuilding project.
And there's one player who has flown a bit under the radar until this week that Dolphins fans shouldn't dismiss as a possibility, and that's Auburn defensive end Keldric Faulk.
He's not nearly as "sexy" a name as, say, Carnell Tate or Francis Mauigoa or Mansoor Delane, but Faulk does have a lot of appealing traits.
For one, he's got positional flexibility, having lined up pretty much everywhere on the Auburn defensive line. He's a high-character player with clear leadership skills. And he's also still only 20 years old, with plenty of room for his game to grow.
What Faulk isn't is a polished pass rusher, so the Dolphins would not be adding him to juice up the pass rush. Rather, he's the kind of versatile defensive lineman who should help the defense in every facet.
Largely because he had only two sacks in 2025, Faulk most often is projected to go toward the back half of the first round, as was the case in a mock draft by NFL.com's Chad Reuter, who sent him to the Dolphins after a projected trade with the Chicago Bears for the 25th overall pick.
This is what Brugler wrote to explain the pick: "First-year general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan spent the past 20 years in the Green Bay organization, and there is plenty about Faulk's profile that screams 'Packers.' His speed and length on the edge at 275 pounds would make for a promising building block on a rebuilding roster."
MORE POSITIVE FEEDBACK ON FAULK
In his scouting report on NFL.com, draft analyst Lance Zierlein described Faulk as being a "culture player praised for leadership, accountability and character."
This fits the criteria for a first pick of a new general manager.
But it's not why the Dolphins would take him, particularly at 11.
The bottom line is that Faulk, given his age, size and athleticism, looks like a prospect with a very high ceiling who might need a year or two to reach it, and the Dolphins can be patient considering where they are as an organization.
It also could be that none of the draft prospects who could be difference-makers right away - think Sonny Styles, Caleb Downs, Mansoor Delane - will be available at 11.
If that were the case, the Dolphins certainly could do worse than Faulk.
On the latest episode of the All Dolphins Podcast, draft analyst Fran Duffy of the All City Network made a strong case for Faulk.
"Everyone points to the fact that he had two sacks last year; he had eight the year before as a sophomore," Duffy said. "So it's like, all right, well, if you flip that now, everyone loves Keldric Faulk. It's very funny how that can work. This is a system at Auburn where it was a lot of, like, three-man rushes, contain rushes, where, hey, our goal is to keep the quarterback ... in the pocket, keep them contained.
"I think that if you look at Keldric Faulk and say, all right, for a 275-pound pass rusher, how often was he asked to pin his ears back and go. He's going to do more of that in the NFL. By the way, clean medical, by the way, very young, by the way, outstanding football character. ... He's got great length, phenomenal run defender, pass rush, I would say all right, like hands at the top of the rush can improve. I look at this kid, I think he can be a like Pro Bowl-level defensive lineman, whether it's off the edge or inside. I compared him to Arik Armstead (of the Jacksonville Jaguars) over the summer, where a guy that's got that flexibility is bounced back and forth between edge and defensive tackle in his career, and it's not a matter of if he hits like it to me, it's a matter of when.
"That's the my faith in the player. But even taking that aside, asking around the league, a lot of people will say he's gonna go earlier than people think, I'm not sure why he's only getting projected as the back end of the first round. I think he can play."
Another scenario here is the Dolphins maybe trading back from the 11th spot and taking Faulk, say, closer than 20th.
But there's an argument to be made that maybe, just maybe, it's not a crazy notion to think the Dolphins could take him at 11th.
Today's best reads
- What to Expect from Sullivan In His First Dolphins Draft
- Examining How Much Draft-Weekend Trade Activity to Expect from the Dolphins
- Breaking Down the Biggest Sullivan Press Conference Takeaways
- Examining High-Risk, High-Reward Draft Prospects the Dolphins Might Consider
- Examining a Potential Clue for Dolphins Top Pick
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This story was originally published April 19, 2026 at 8:00 AM.