NFL Draft: 5 off-the-radar prospects who can crash Round 1

Prospects come out of nowhere to emerge as first round picks in every NFL Draft. Here are five guys you should watch out for in this year’s class.

The best talent evaluators in the NFL trust their own scouting reports over the consensus of the scouting community. Sometimes, that results in some surprise players being selected in Round 1. Those decisions are often the biggest gamble of the draft, but they also have a ton of potential upside.

This piece will walk you through five players who could hear their names called in the first 32 selections despite failing to appear that high in many mock drafts. There might be a stray mock or two that projects one of these guys in their first rounds, but there aren’t many.

Don’t expect all five of these players to make their way into Round 1. That isn’t how long shots work. One of the group could make the transition from projected third rounder to land somewhere in the 20s. That would represent quite a leap compared to the conventional thinking.

5. Isaiah Wilson

The former Georgia tackle was a highly rated recruit before making his way to Athens. He didn’t dominate the college game quite like many prognosticators expected, but he was still an above average starting tackle for the ‘Dawgs.

His biggest weaknesses as a prospect all hing on his erratic technique. There’s nothing about his size and/or athleticism that should be in question. He’s a tackle prospect that could turn into a perennial Pro Bowler if everything breaks right.

That’s why a team that really likes his nasty streak might be willing to spend a late first-rounder on his services. Wilson will require patience to pay off, but his ceiling is very high. That might be enough to push him into the end of Round 1.