Patriots select All-SEC defensive lineman in 2026 NFL mock draft
The Patriots continue their efforts in boosting the defensive line by selecting Auburn's Keldric Faulk with the No. 31 pick in this mock draft.
There have been varying opinions on what the New England Patriots will do with the No. 31 overall pick in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft. NFL.
com's Bucky Brooks stuck with need in a recent mock draft by having the team take Auburn defensive lineman Keldric Faulk with the pick. Faulk measures in at 6-foot-6 and 285 pounds. He is coming off a 2025 season that saw him record 29 tackles, two sacks and four pass deflections.
In 2024, he registered 45 tackles, seven sacks, 11 tackles for loss and one forced fumble. The Patriots need help on the edge, and Brooks believes that Faulk would be the guy to do it. He broke down his case in his latest mock draft : "The big-bodied Auburn product displays enough versatility to enable New England to seamlessly transition from a 3-4 front to a 4-3 without a personnel change.
As a heavy-handed, run-stopping edge defender, Faulk would elevate the Patriots' early-down defense while adding a developmental pass rusher to the rotation. " The Patriots lost K'Lavon Chaisson in free agency and released Anfernee Jennings. They signed veteran Dre'Mont Jones on the open market, but that might not be enough, especially with an aging and injury-plagued Harold Landry III playing on the other side.