Originally posted by adrianlesnar:
Whats the Beast got on Keyron Crawford?
EDGE12 Keyron Crawford Auburn
GRADE 2nd-3rd round OVR. RANK 54 YEAR 4SR BIRTHDAY Oct 17, 2003 AGE 22.52 HT 6'4" WT 253 lbs. JERSEY
No. 24
BACKGROUND
Keyron Crawford, one of four children in his family, grew up in northern Memphis, Tenn., with his mother (Kimberly Crawford-Davis),
who served in the military. His father (Michael) died in June 2010. His sister (Makyah) played college volleyball at Lawson State (Ala.)
Community College and Rust (Miss.) College. His grandfather (Eddie Crawford), who became a father figure in Keyron's life, was a
professional wrestler known as "The Snowman" and had a longtime feud with Jerry "The King" Lawler.
Keyron Crawford was a basketball-focused athlete throughout childhood and didn't play football growing up. He originally attended
Raleigh-Egypt High School in Memphis, where he was a standout basketball player on varsity for three years and helped the team to a
district title as a freshman in 2018-19. Midway through his junior year, in January 2021, Crawford transferred to Briarcrest Christian, a
private school in Shelby County (and the high school at which Michael Oher played). Crawford transferred with the plan to play
basketball and hopefully receive more recruiting attention. After he arrived at his new school, though, the Briarcrest coaches convinced
him that his best chance at earning a scholarship could be on the football field. Despite having never played the sport, Crawford joined
the football team in the summer of 2021 and immediately impressed while working out with the defensive linemen. He became a starter
in 2021 and helped Briarcrest to a 9-2 record. In his one season of football, Crawford finished with 78 tackles, 14 sacks and two forced
fumbles, which earned him regional defensive MVP and all-star honors. After the football season, he joined the basketball team and also
ran track, setting personal bests of 12.16 seconds in the 100-meter dash and 56.64 in the 400.
A three-star recruit, Crawford was the 60th-ranked edge rusher in the 2022 class and the No. 33 recruit in Tennessee. Two games into
his senior season at Briarcrest, he called trying football "the best decision I ever made," as Division I recruiters started making special
trips to see him play. Not even a month into the 2021 season, Crawford received his first offer (South Florida) and later added offers
from Arkansas State, Austin-Peay, Tennessee-Martin, Tennessee State and Western Kentucky. A few weeks before signing day,
Crawford received major offers from Iowa and Nebraska, but he had already developed a connection with the Arkansas State coaches
and committed to head coach Butch Jones. He was the fifth-ranked recruit in Jones' 2022 class.
After two years in Jonesboro, Crawford entered the transfer portal. He immediately received multiple offers, including from Arkansas,
Cal, Cincinnati, Georgia Tech, Indiana, Minnesota, Mississippi State and Virginia Tech. But Crawford was drawn to Auburn and former
defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin's vision for him in the Tigers' scheme.
Crawford accepted an invitation to the Senior Bowl.
STATISTICS AND MEASUREMENTS
YEAR (GP/GS) TKLS TFL SACK FF PD INT NOTES
2022: (10/0) 14 3.0 1 0 1 0 Arkansas State; Enrolled July 2022
2023: (13/13) 45 11.0 6 2 1 0 Arkansas State; Led team in sacks; blocked FG
2024: (12/0) 22 1.0 0 0 0 0 Auburn
2025: (12/12) 36 9.5 5 1 1 1 Auburn; Third Team All-SEC
Total: (47/25) 117 24.5 12 3 3 1
HT WT HAND ARM WING BP 40-YD 20-YD 10-YD VJ BJ SS 3C NOTES
COMBINE 6043 253 9 32 79 1/8 DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP Position drills only (choice; quad)
PRO DAY 6037 252 9 32 1/2 80 DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP -
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349STRENGTHS
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Shredded physique, with a six-pack and defined musculature
Athletic rusher who has flexibility to run the hoop or be effective on stunts
Sequences stab and ghost moves into club-rips to access the corner
Accelerates through contact to put blockers on their heels
Flashes burst to close when he has a path to the QB
Experienced spot dropping; used as a peel player against backs
Motor is always revving; describes his play style as a "Rottweiler or bulldog — something that is going to bite you."
High-character person and player (NFL scout: "You always see him working, but the coaches say he does even more when people
aren't watching.")
WEAKNESSES
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Needs to maintain weight in 250- to 255-pound range
Can get stuck at top of his rush and will be late to access his counters
Savvy blockers catch him leaning out past his feet into contact
Average strength in lower half — might struggle to anchor vs. bigger NFL bodies
Stack-and-shed hands need more refinement
Often plays too hot; can be late to break down and finish ball carriers if not squared up
Only one season as an SEC starter with modest production
SUMMARY
A one-year starter at Auburn (and two-year starter overall), Crawford played the "Buck" edge defender role (mostly stand-up) in former
defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin's hybrid front. After two seasons at Arkansas State, he was a backup for the Tigers in 2024 before
emerging in 2025 as one of the more disruptive players in the SEC. Despite rushing the passer on just 39.1 percent of his snaps, he
notched a pressure on 17.8 percent of his pass-rush snaps in 2025 (No. 4 in the SEC and No. 12 in the FBS).
NFL scouts focused this past fall on the Auburn defensive line to see Keldric Faulk — and left buzzing about Crawford. He explodes off
the ball with purpose and a growing repertoire of pass-rush moves. He lacks ideal length and lower-body power, and he feels undersized
at times on tape, especially once bigger bodies latch onto him. But his effort consistently pops as a pass rusher, run defender and
dropper. Overall, Crawford is still learning what it means to be a technician, but he is a twitched-up defender with the
compete skills and intriguing skill set to contribute right away. He offers role versatility and will fit 3-4 or 4-3 looks.
