Is it too early to be looking ahead to the 2026 NFL Draft? Probably. Are we going to anyway? Definitely. With the Dallas Cowboys holding two first-round picks, it’s going to be a very important draft if they want to re-enter a championship window. The expectation is that the Cowboys will use both first-round picks on defense, but which defenders could they target?
One of the most commonly mocked players to Dallas is none other than Keldric Faulk, a defensive end from Auburn. 36 percent of user mock drafts on Pro Football Focus have the Cowboys landing Faulk in Round 1.
And now, two more well-respected voices in the draft community believe Faulk could wind up being the selection for the Cowboys in Round 1.
Keldric Faulk would be the ideal Round 1 pick for the Cowboys
The Cowboys aren’t going to replace Micah Parsons in the 2026 NFL Draft. Let’s just be clear about that. But that doesn’t mean Dallas can’t get a whole lot better on defense. And one player who would fit their current scheme well is Faulk.
In a recent mock draft done by Nate Tice and Charles McDonald at Yahoo Sports, they had the Cowboys selecting Faulk with the No. 11 pick. Here is a snippet of why they believe Faulk could be a real difference-maker in Dallas next year:
"While the Cowboys' offense has been very fun to watch so far this season (come back soon, CeeDee Lamb), their defense has been horrid to watch in just about every way. You could even say there’s a Micah Parsons-sized hole in it. Faulk is big (listed 6-6, 285 pounds) and can align as a true 4-3 DE, and would be a steal at pick No. 11. He has length and is a smooth mover who has really improved his hand usage this season. And most importantly, he can defend against the run, too."
Faulk is not the bendy, 4.50 40-yard dash type of edge rusher. Instead, he’s long, powerful, and built to stop the run. The Cowboys need players who can generate pass rush too, and he has generated nine sacks in his last 17 games. He is currently No. 5 on Dane Brugler’s big board and compared him to Mykel Williams, who the Cowboys were rumored to like in the 2025 NFL Draft.
You would like to see more production (sacks, tackles for a loss, etc.) from Faulk over the next few weeks, but there just aren’t many players of his size who can move as fluidly as he can. He is expected to run in the low 4.7s at the NFL Combine, which is incredible for a player of his size.
It’s not hard to envision how he would fit into Dallas he could be the strongside defensive end to start the season and the hope is that Donovan Ezeiruaku, who is a much smaller player, could be the weakside rusher on the other side. That would be a strong pairing that would give Dallas both size and speed off the edges.
Faulk is regarded as one of the top prospects in the 2026 NFL Draft, and he almost makes too much sense for the Cowboys considering their defensive end need. Keep a close eye on him during the rest of the college football season, as he could be a Round 1 target for Dallas.