Cowboys' new reported Round 1 target could spark serious draft backlash

It’s always wise to be cautious about NFL Draft rumors with a week to go until the event. More often than not, the endless rumor mill ends up being just that: rumors that never end up coming to fruition. A lot of times, it’s just GMs and league decision-makers throwing out chum to see who will bite and to cause misdirection.

But there are times when things start to leak and wind up becoming fact. One great example of this is the Tyler Booker surge that happened a week before the draft in 2025 for the Dallas Cowboys.

Booker was not a name that was on our radar for much of the draft process, until amock draft by Peter Schrager where he mocked the Alabama star to Dallas.  And all of a sudden, Schrager has a new name that Cowboys fans should start thinking about in Round 1.

Over the last week, Akheem Mesidor from Miami (FL) has picked up some steam as a possible Round 1 pick for the Cowboys. And to a degree, it makes sense if they are truly out on Rueben Bain Jr. and don’t believe they will be able to obtain David Bailey or Arvell Reese. But there is another defensive end who might be an option earlier than you might think.

Auburn EDGE Keldric Faulk appears to be a Round 1 target for the Dallas Cowboys

In a recent interview with the DLLS Cowboys, Schrager mentioned that he keeps hearing Keldric Faulk in connection with the Cowboys. Faulk is currently No. 19 on the consensus board, and given the fact that he is a versatile defender, it does make some sense.

For a team that wants to be more multiple on defense, Faulk could be the perfect fit. He’s got the length and power to be a 4-I in Christian Parker’s defense. But he’s also has the athleticism to be a full-time EDGE rusher. However, the knock is that he hasn’t improved much at all as a rusher over the last three seasons.

Faulk recorded just five tackles for a loss in 2025, which is well below average for a first-round defensive end. It was also a big decrease from his 2024 season when he recorded 11 TFLs and seven sacks. His junior season was supposed to be the year that catapulted him inside the top-five picks and that just didn’t happen.

Now, he is expected to go somewhere in the teens or early 20s, and that makes much more sense. But is he fit for Dallas? The answer is complicated.

His versatility would fit well into Christian Parker’s defense. However, he’s so far away from being a reliable pass rusher, and that’s what Dallas needs more than anything else. There is a good chance he never has a single season of double-digit sacks in his career. That’s just not the type of player he is or projects to be in the NFL.

But if the Cowboys want another long-arm defender who can play up and down the defensive line, it does make sense. He’s only 21 years old and has been a good starter in the SEC. But if this is the pick at No. 12 or No. 20, it’s hard to imagine it’s going to ignite a lot of passion and excitement in the fanbase.

Faulk is a good player. But is he the right player for Dallas? We are about to find out.

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