espite the Patriots’ promising start to the season, they still have a few gaps in their roster, likely stemming from their struggles as a four-win team last year.

New England could be looking to enhance its defensive line during the 2026 NFL Draft. The Draft Network’s Keith Sanchez predicted the Patriots to select Auburn’s pass rusher Keldric Faulk at pick No. 30 in a new mock draft.

“The New England Patriots have probably been the biggest surprise of the NFL season and sit atop the AFC,” Sanchez wrote on Sunday. “This offense appears to be headed in the right direction under Drake Maye. So with that being the case, Mike Vrabel opts to draft edge rusher Keldric Faulk to add more firepower in the defensive trenches, giving the team a way to maintain leads by applying pressure to the quarterback.”

Faulk has been with Aubrun for three seasons now. However, this season, he has tallied just two sacks and five tackles for loss over 10 games. In contrast, last season, he registered seven sacks in 12 games, so it’s clear his numbers have dipped a bit.

Although Faulk hasn’t had the strongest season so far, The Athletic’s draft analyst Dane Brugler, recently unveiled his top 50 prospects for the upcoming 2026 Draft, ranking Faulk as the fourth overall player on his list and the No. 1 pass rusher.

“Because of the way Auburn deploys him, Faulk doesn’t post gaudy backfield numbers (just two sacks in 10 games this season). But, at 6 feet 6 and 270 pounds, he regularly impacts the game with power behind his hands to create movement, detach from blockers and find the football,” Brugler wrote on Tuesday.

“Faulk is one of the youngest players eligible for this draft class. When focusing on his high-level traits, it isn’t hard to get excited about what his future can be with continued development.”