The San Francisco 49ers had a 12-5 record in the NFL last season. San Francisco struggled to sack the quarterback. The 49ers somehow won a playoff game against the Philadelphia Eagles before getting smacked against the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC Divisional Round.
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Feb 24, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch speaks at the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
San Francisco will need to address the defensive line in the 2026 NFL Draft. They will be in win-now mode and time might be running out on them to win a Super Bowl. The 49ers will have the 27th overall selection in the 2026 NFL Draft.
San Francisco 49ers Select Keldric Faulk In Latest 2026 PFF NFL Mock Draft
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Auburn Tigers defensive end Keldric Faulk (15) celebrates a stop as Auburn Tigers take on South Alabama Jaguars at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala. on Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025. Auburn Tigers lead South Alabama Jaguars 28-9 at halftime.
Jordan Plocher of profootballfocus.com created his latest 2026 NFL Mock Draft. He has the 49ers selecting edge rusher Keldric Faulk from the Auburn Tigers. Plocher said, “At 6-foot-5 and 276 pounds with 34-inch arms, Faulk is too big and too good a run defender to fall much further in this draft. He can help anchor against the double teams from the Rams’ duo-heavy scheme, too.
Faulk posted an 85.5 PFF run-defense grade in 2025, with 20 run stops and a 1.3-yard average depth of tackle. The 49ers will hope he can eventually develop into a more productive pass rusher, given his size, length and athleticism.” It would be a surprise to see him still on the board 27th overall in the 2026 NFL Draft. Faulk will most likely be off the board by the time San Francisco is on the clock.
They could very well draft an offensive line if Faulk is off the board. However, if the 49ers do draft Faulk, this would be a good selection for them. Last season with Auburn, he recorded 29 tackles, two sacks, one fumble recovery, and four pass deflections. He is 6’6″ and weighs 285 lbs. There is a lot of talented pass rushers in the 2026 NFL Draft. Faulk and the 49ers would be a good match.
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