NFL Draft: Day 3 picks with Pro Bowl potential

4. Maurice Hurst – Oakland Raiders

Heading into the draft process, NFL officials believed Hurst would hear his name called in the second round. Then the Michigan defensive tackle was sent home from the combine after registering heart irregularities on an EKG. That health issue caused most teams to remove him from their draft boards entirely.

If he can stay healthy, he should turn into the best pick of the fifth round. Hurst has the athletic talent to be an above average starter in the NFL for a long time. He isn’t the biggest defensive tackle, but his amazing quickness gives him a chance to make plays in the opposing backfield on a regular basis.

For Hurst to become a Pro Bowler he’s going to need to stay healthy and further develop his ability to sack the quarterback. He showed the ability to knife in the backfield to stop running plays at Michigan. He’ll need Jon Gruden and his staff to coach him up on the ability to translate that skill to bringing signal callers down as well.

Hurst probably will enter the NFL as the prospect most disappointed with where he was ultimately picked. If his heart allows his body to hold up, he could make quite a few franchises pay for writing him off.