Navigating the thousands of prospects available in the NFL Draft each year is a difficult task for scouts and GMs to handle. The best teams in the NFL are built off of draft picks on days two and three who make major impacts.
Cornerback L’Jarius Sneed of the Kansas City Chiefs was picked in the fourth round and has played a pivotal role for the back-to-back Super Bowl champions. Travis Kelce, Kansas City’s star tight-end, began his career as a 63rd overall pick.
In the past year, we saw outside linebacker, YaYa Diaby excel with Tampa Bay after being picked 82nd overall. The Los Angeles Rams drafted wide receiver Puka Nacua in the fifth round. Last season he totaled 1,486 receiving yards which set a new record for most receiving yards by a rookie.
Here are eight prospects who I believe will be drafted in round three or later but could make the strongest impact for their teams.
Wide Receiver Hayden Hatten, Idaho
Originally from Arizona, Hatten headed north to the University of Idaho to begin his collegiate career as a tight end. He found his first glimpses of success in 2021 and has not looked back since.
Over the past two seasons, he has played in 24 games totaling nearly 2,500 receiving yards and 25 touchdowns. Hatten has taken home FCS All-America Team honors in back-to-back years but has yet to earn the draft attention he deserves.
Hatten attended the Tropical Bowl over the offseason and weighed in at 6 ‘1”-209 which is an excellent size for the NFL level. His size is apparent, especially in the run game where he is one of the best blockers in this class.
Body control is another area where Hatten excels. He can work up and down the sidelines and make any catch that a quarterback throws his way.
One area where Hatten struggles is his short-area quickness. He struggles to create separation, especially over the middle of the field which will force him to play strictly on the outside at the next level.
During the 2023 season, Hatten was also named a team captain. He was a key leader on a squad that went to the FCS playoffs.
Wide Receiver Drake Stoops, Oklahoma
In my opinion, Stoops is one of the best route-runners in this class. His change of direction skills when working through the middle of the field allowed him to find separation against the best slot corners in the Big XII.
One of the knocks against Stoop’s game is his long speed. He was not invited to the combine, but ran the 40-yard dash at Oklahoma’s pro day and ran a 4.71 and 4.67 on his two tries.
However, Stoops will not be drafted for his long speed, because he will be a dynamic threat on third and short situations or red zone situations where quarterbacks need a receiver to get open quickly.
Stoops is the son of legendary Oklahoma coach, Bob Stoops. Drake spent six seasons in Norman and started 31 games in his time there. His best season came in 2023 when he amassed 962 yards and 10 touchdowns.
While he will not be a top-tier receiver in the league he will be a dependable weapon for a quarterback to work with over the middle or in short-yardage situations.
I have him ranked as the best slot receiver in the draft and if his play style at Oklahoma translates into the league he has the talent to play on Sundays for years to come.
Offensive Tackle Josiah Ezirim, Eastern Kentucky
Ezirim is still fairly new to playing offensive tackle because he began his career with Eastern Kentucky as a defensive tackle.
Since making the switch in 2022 he has been an imposing force for pass rushers. Ezirim packs a strong base into his pass-protection stances and does not get pushed around.
He is still somewhat raw at the position but he moves fluidly and can get to the second level with ease. His play earned him an invite to the Shrine Bowl where he weighed in with elite measurables.
Standing at 6’5”-324, Ezirim has the height and weight to play tackle in the NFL. He was also tied for second longest arms and he had the third longest wingspan of all tackles measured at the Shrine Bowl.
The positives of his game vastly outweigh the negatives, but he will need strong coaching to take the next step and be a starting tackle in the league. However, the raw talent is visible and he is a top 20 tackle prospect on my board and he can be a starter in the future.
Guard Gunner Britton, Auburn
One of the most recent players I have scouted Britton caught me off guard with how strong his tape was this past season. He is currently ranked as a top-five guard in this class in my opinion.
Britton spent his first five collegiate seasons with the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers. During his stint there he started in 17 games but decided to transfer for his sixth season to Auburn.
Standing at 6’6” and just under 300 pounds, Britton spent most of his time with Western Kentucky as a tackle but played primarily guard with Auburn. His ability to play at both spots on the offensive line will make him a desirable prospect.
What caught my eye with him was his ability to navigate the line of scrimmage and shuffle laterally to corral rushers. However, Britton also has the talent to move downfield and take on linebackers at the second level.
At times he struggled in the run game, but the entire offensive line at Auburn did. His pass protection was very strong which can be attributed to his experience at tackle.
His elite play earned him AP All-SEC Second Team honors this past season. I think he has the talent to start right away in the NFL, but at a minimum, his floor will be a versatile offensive lineman who can play four positions.
Defensive End Xavier Thomas, Clemson
Avid college football fans will remember Thomas as a five-star recruit who came to Clemson ranked top-five in his class. Despite the high ranking he has never earned the draft acclaim people expected.
Thomas burst onto the scene earning Freshman All-American honors in 2018 and he earned two all-conference selections in 2019 and 2021.
However, after injuries derailed his 2022-23 season he returned this year and looked to have the same power and explosion he did when he first arrived on campus in 2018.
Thomas has some of the best bend/flexibility of all pass rushers in this class. He can slip underneath the arms of a tackle and get to quarterback in a flash.
His burst of the snap when attacking the quarterback is excellent as well. Thomas is on the smaller side of pass rushers and lacks the play strength to consistently attack offensive linemen with power, but his speed will certainly be a weapon in the league.
Thomas will likely never be a consistent starter in the league but he will fill in on the depth chart as a strong rotational piece for whichever team drafts him.
Linebacker Easton Gibbs, Wyoming
After taking the starting role from former Wyoming Cowboy and current Cincinnati Bengal, Logan Wilson, Gibbs has not looked back.
He has taken over the starting role for the last three seasons after coming to Wyoming as a safety out of high school. His safety traits are still evident as he has the speed and coverage skills to match up with running backs or tight ends.
Gibbs has stepped up his play over the last two seasons earning All-Mountain West honors twice.
One area where Gibbs excels is his run defense. He plays sideline-to-sideline defense and can track down runners coming through the line of scrimmage or heading out toward the sidelines.
While he is not the fastest linebacker in this class his ability to wrap up runners and finish tackles is second to none in this class. His lack of speed may hold him back in the NFL but if he goes to the correct defensive scheme he could be starting by the end of the season.
Defensive Back Ryan Watts, Texas
Watts boasts a prototypical size to play boundary corner in the NFL. Standing at 6’2”-212 he has superior length including a massive 82-inch wingspan.
He played two seasons with Ohio State before transferring to Texas in search of increased playing time and a starting role. While with the Longhorns, Watts has started in 23 games and played in 24.
Watts is not the fastest corner, but he makes up for it with tremendous ball skills. He also plays a solid physical game against big-bodied receivers.
He plays well against slower receivers, but when matched up with speed threats on the outside he does have the potential to be burned which may limit his usage in the NFL.
Tackling is an area where Watts excels. He has tremendous form whether he is sacking the quarterback or bringing down a receiver in the open field. At a minimum, he will be a solid special teams player in the NFL, but in the right spot, I think he could be a dependable starter.
Defensive Back/Safety Tykee Smith, Georgia
I may be cheating slightly by picking Smith here because he has been a dependable piece in an elite Georgia Bulldogs defense. He was also a Senior Bowl invite and many draft analysts see him as a possible third-round pick.
However, I believe that Smith is a top-10 player in this class. He began his career with West Virginia and earned All-America First Team honors in 2020 before transferring to Georgia.
Injuries held him out of most of the 2021-22 season and the effects still seemed to linger through the following season. However, this past season Smith took off again and reminded football fans of the athleticism and skill he possesses.
What captures my eye with Smith is his positional versatility. Georgia used him primarily as a slot corner, but they were not afraid to throw him in the box to blitz or put him back in two-high coverages as a deep safety. Regardless of where he ended up before the snap, he was always near the ball carrier by the end of it.
Playing corner in the slot is notoriously difficult, especially against modern offenses, but Smith makes it look easy. He plays physically off the line but uses his hips to change direction and can break up passes thrown his way.
Smith may not be drafted as a top-10 pick in the draft but the talent is there and I believe he could be a starter in week one of the season and never look back.
It is impossible to project how every single player will do in the NFL especially when so many players are dependent on their landing spot. Finding diamonds in the rough is what makes the NFL draft so special and these eight players have that potential.
