With the No. 23 pick in the 2026 SB Nation NFL community mock draft, the Philadelphia Eagles select … Keldric Faulk, EDGE, Auburn.
Here’s the quick explanation I submitted in The NFL Feed (check that out if you haven’t already):
I figured I’d expand on my reasoning here at BGN.
But first, I have to point out that my four-year streak of correctly predicting the Eagles’ actual first-round selection through the SB Nation NFL community mock draft came to an end last year. In fairness, Jihaad Campbell was
long gone by the time I was on the clock since he was selected at No. 8 in the mock draft. And my mock draft pick of Grey Zabel, who was selected at No. 18 in real life, would’ve been a really good get for the Birds at No. 32. I know ball. But I digress.
Getting back to Faulk, it wasn’t a no-brainer pick. I’m really of the mind that the Eagles prefer to trade up for an offensive tackle in this year’s draft. They’ve wanted to draft a potential Lane Johnson successor for years now but the board just hasn’t worked out that way. Maybe that’s the case again this year if there’s a run on tackles before they pick at No. 23. But I don’t think Howie Roseman is going to be so patient and will rather try to preempt such a run.
In the event that Roseman can’t reasonably move up and he has to sit tight at No. 23, that’s where I see Faulk coming into play. There’s talk about the Auburn product going at No. 20 to the Dallas Cowboys, which would be annoying, but him making it to No. 23 doesn’t seem crazy. He’s the No. 20 prospect on the 2026 NFL Draft Consensus Big Board as compiled by Arif Hasan.
When it comes to draft experts I trust, opinions on Faulk vary. BGN’s own Jonny Page isn’t a fan; he has Faulk as his seventh-ranked edge rusher. PHLY’s Fran Duffy, meanwhile, has Faulk as his top edge rusher and No. 2 overall prospect. Here’s what NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein writes on him:
Faulk has a long, developing frame, good movement skills and the potential for odd or even fronts once he gains more muscle mass. He’s a culture player with high character who earns a grade bump based on his age (turns 21 in September), traits and advanced foundation. A fluid athlete with good movement skills, he works around blocks with finesse but needs more assertive initial strikes to set firmer edges in gap control. His toughness and mentality suggest he’ll play through blocks more consistently in an NFL environment. Faulk’s rush is diverse. However, with average upfield burst, he might require a move inside on passing downs, where his long levers, quickness and agility can overmatch guards. Faulk needs polish but offers a high ceiling that should reveal itself within a couple of years.
The feeling here is that Faulk checks a lot of boxes; his profile is one worth betting on. The Eagles seem to be interested in acquiring a more proven commodity at edge rusher but it’s looking like that might be a costly option between contract and draft pick compensation ramifications. Faulk represents good value at No. 23 and the Eagles do appear to be interested in him; Faulk recently told the Inquirer’s Devin Jackson that Philly hosted him on a pre-draft visit.
Besides, Faulk was the most popular option in the BGN poll I conducted to help make this pick:
So, what do you think of my selection?
