Auburn's Keldrick Faulk vs. Clemson's TJ Parker: ESPN Debates Best Edge Rusher

With the 2025 college football season fast approaching, it’s never too early to start breaking down the top prospects for next year’s draft.

Ahead of this season, ESPN’s Matt Miller named the top prospects at each position, and one Auburn Tiger is considered to be among the best edge rusher prospects in the 2026 NFL Draft.

When evaluating the top edge rushers ahead of next year’s draft, Miller named Auburn’s Keldrick Faulk as one of the top two players at the position, alongside Clemson’s TJ Parker. Although some positions have a clear frontrunner, Miller noted that this class is loaded with edge talent, with as many as six players potentially going in the first round.

While Faulk may not have been as productive as Parker was last season, Miller praised his athletic traits and even referenced an NFL scout who compared him to a productive veteran.

“Faulk brings a combination of speed and power at 6-6 and 288 pounds. With seven sacks last season, he proved his skill set of length, power and quickness can produce in the SEC. Now, a big season is expected,” Matt Miller wrote. “Faulk is going to get the Arik Armstead comparisons, but I think he's athletic enough to stay in space in the pros,” an AFC North area scout told Miller. “But you love that he can kick inside, too..”

According to Pro Football Focus, Faulk is the third-highest graded returning edge rusher in the SEC. Last season, he totaled 45 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, and seven sacks.

Earlier in the week, CBS Sports’ Mike Renner projected that Faulk would be a top ten pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Through two seasons at Auburn, he has recorded 80 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss, and 8 sacks. In 2023, he was named to the SEC All-Freshman Team after making 35 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and one sack.

Although Miller is clearly high on Faulk as a prospect, he wrapped up the article by naming Parker as the top player at the position.

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