We are now less than a month away from the NFL draft, one of the most exciting times of the football season. This draft hasn’t been regarded as one of the most talented in recent history, but there are some deep positions such as both the offensive and defensive line, as well as the secondary. It is easy for players to fall to later rounds due to testing, character issues, or being labeled a project. But some of these late sleepers will have the opportunity to prove their selection wrong and earn a sufficient role. Here are some players worth watching going into the NFL draft that might slip to later rounds.
Deebo Samuel, WR, South Carolina
Deebo Samuel was on pace to have one of the best statistical wide receiver seasons in recent college football history in 2017 before suffering a leg injury. With six touchdowns through three games, including two kick return touchdowns, Samuel showed his versatility and flew up mock drafts. He decided to return for his senior season to prove he could still fill up the stat sheet, and he finished with a career-high 11 touchdowns and 882 yards on 62 receptions. While Samuel won’t burn secondaries with speed he possesses great explosion off the line and is one of the more polished route runners in this draft. While he may not get the attention that D.K. Metcalf and A.J. Brown have received during the pre-draft process, whoever decides to draft Samuel will be able to play him on the outside immediately.
Tyree Jackson, QB, Buffalo
Upon watching highlights of this quarterback class, Tyree Jackson is one of the most exciting of this class. The biggest knock on Jackson is he comes from a week conference playing at Buffalo and his accuracy has been underwhelming only completing 56% of his passes in his three years as a starter. Jackson has been labeled a project by some scouts, but his intangibles are going to be intriguing for most front offices. Coming in at 6’7″ 245lbs. Jackson possesses great size for the quarterback position and his downfield ability with pressure is far ahead of his peers.
Drafting Jackson in the third round and developing him behind a veteran would be a good move for a franchise focused on the future. After winning an MVP award at the senior bowl this past January all eyes should be on Jackson.
Jimmy Moreland, CB, James Madison
Teams have put a big emphasis on building secondaries lately as offenses have leaned more on passing the ball. Just look at the money handed out to cornerbacks and safeties this offseason for reference. If you can cause turnovers you’ll have a spot on any defense and Jimmy Moreland has the resume to back it up with 18 career interceptions at James Madison and converted six of them to touchdowns. Moreland also had 63 passes defended, and six fumble recoveries during his career. The big knock on the corner is his size at 5’10” and 179 pounds with many teams using taller corners to defend players like Julio Jones and AJ Green. However, if Moreland’s ball-hawking ability can translate to the NFL teams will overlook his size. Don’t be surprised to see Moreland’s name among the league’s interception leaders if given the chance.
Benny Snell Jr., RB, Kentucky
It’s no secret that the value of the running back has decreased over the past few years causing a number of great backs to drop in the draft. But teams have been able to find great value for the position in later rounds like James Conner. Benny Snell Jr. became the all-time leading rusher at Kentucky in three seasons with 4,089 yards. Snell can get downhill quick and is great between the tackles. His biggest asset is his strength as he is able to run through initial contact and fight for extra yards. At 5’10” and 224 pounds, Snell possesses good size for a running back in today’s league. however, Snell only ran a 4.66 40-yard dash which isn’t ideal to most teams, and his role in the passing game has been limited which may keep him off the field in third-down situations. Paired alongside another faster running back, Snell will have the opportunity to be a good feature back for an offense.
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