Last offseason, Keyron Crawford was determined to improve on what he deemed a disappointing debut at Auburn. And doing so may result in him becoming a Day 2 pick in the NFL Draft.
Of Auburn's NFL hopefuls, no one's stock has risen more during the draft process than the 6-foot-4 pass rusher — to the point where, earlier this week, he was mocked in the second round this week by ESPN's Field Yates, who said Crawford was "more impactful than Keldric Faulk for Auburn in 2025."
The stats back that up. While Faulk was a gravitational force — credited by his teammates for opening up lanes to the backfield because of the attention he commanded — Crawford was second on the team in sacks and tackles for loss, only behind All-American linebacker Xavier Atkins.
"Man, as he got used to how we do things … it was crazy to see how fast he took that jump," Faulk said after Auburn's pro day this week. "You wouldn't have thought after the first part of that '24 season that he would be the player he is now."
Just five years ago, Crawford was playing football for the first time. He was an undervalued recruit because he only played his senior year at Briarcrest Christian in Memphis.
So as a transfer Auburn, even after a productive stint at Arkansas State, Crawford still had a lot of development ahead of him. In his first season with the Tigers in 2024, Crawford lamented the fact that he came close to a number of big plays, but ended up with only sack on the season. He was determined to finish those plays in 2025.
"We expected it out of him because he worked at it so hard," Faulk said. "We were in here at 6, 7 o'clock at night, 9 o'clock at night, getting work in."
After posting five sacks, 9.5 tackles for loss and a team-high 43 QB pressures, Crawford's name really started buzzing after his week at the Senior Bowl in February.
"It was more of just my interactions," Crawford said after Auburn's pro day this week. "A lot of it was not football related. It was just my mindset, how I'm wired, how I interact with other people."
Crawford's name wasn't necessarily looming large on the radar of NFL scouts a few months ago, but it's impossible to ignore his blend of production, raw skills and maturity. He was a popular character at Auburn's pro day.
"I'm someone whose ceiling hasn't arrived completely," Crawford said of his message to NFL teams during the draft process. "As far as my learning, elevating as a player — my growth is still improving."
Auburn has the potential for one of its most top-heavy drafts in several years. The Tigers have not had three players taken between Day 1 (first round) and Day 2 (rounds two and three) since 2020. With Faulk, Crawford and center Connor Lew, Auburn could do so next month.