Auburn Tigers’ 1st-Round NFL Draft Drought Coming to End Sooner Rather than Later
The 2025 NFL Draft has come and gone, and with it, a fifth straight first round in which an Auburn Tiger was not selected. It was 2020, the last time a Tiger heard his name called on the opening night of Draft weekend, when the Carolina Panthers selected Derrick Brown as the seventh overall pick.
It has been well documented since the beginning of head coach Hugh Freeze’s tenure that a drastic talent upgrade was needed at Auburn, and it appears the NFL agrees. A string of uninspiring seasons and what felt like a lack of enthusiasm in recruiting by previous leadership had left the talent cupboard bare on the Plains.
The product on the field and the yearly NFL Draft results have reflected the fall off. A complete roster overhaul has been a priority for Freeze and staff, and after two complete off-season recruiting cycles and with an aggressive strategy in the transfer portal, the goal has been realized.
At least on paper.
Freeze and company have brought in consecutive top-10 recruiting classes, and Freeze has acknowledged that the current Tigers squad looks quite different than that of the previous lackluster seasons. Multiple four and five-star players now pepper the roster. In 2025, 26 of 32 prospects drafted in the first round were four or five-star recruits coming out of high school.
Freeze’s roster flip over the course of his tenure has been more than impressive, and should lead to the end of Auburn’s first-round misfortune.
We’ll take a look at a few players who could break the Tigers’ dry spell.
Keldric Faulk – Edge
Faulk joined the Tigers as a four-star recruit in 2023. And over the past two seasons, he has established himself as one of the Southeastern Conference’s premier defensive players, recording seven sacks and 11 tackles for loss in 2024.
Faulk is the clear and present danger to end the Tigers’ first-round woes. At 6’6 270 pounds, Faulk has the combination of size, strength, and quickness that NFL clubs covet. In an early mock draft for 2026, The Athletic has Faulk being selected No. 6 overall by the Panthers.