The greatest player in the history of the NFL was taken in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft. Since Tom Brady was taken by the New England Patriots, teams have been hoping that they can find a Hall of Famer in the late rounds of the draft. Even if teams don’t get a GOAT on Day 3, any stars coming in the late rounds of the draft are fantastic.
Last year, three rookies made the Pro Bowl: Tyler Warren, Chimere Dike, and Shedeur Sanders. Two of those three players was drafted on Day 3. Puka Nacua came on Day 3 in 2023. Daron Bland was a fifth-round pick and now owns the NFL record for most interceptions for touchdown in a season. There are stars in this draft in all rounds, the impact could be immediate.
Which players could be those late-round gems this year? We have a few options.
1. Jermod McCoy, CB
Fourth Round, Pick 101
Las Vegas Raiders
Every year, there’s a player who is in the first round of every mock draft, but they fall down boards for one reason or another. The main reason a player like this will fall is because of overarching injury concerns. That’s the situation with cornerback Jermod McCoy. The narrative was that he’d be one of the top defensive players in the draft if he didn’t tear his ACL. But he did tear his ACL, and there were concerns that it had been more than a year after it happened, and it still seems to be impacting his training.
Prior to the draft, we predicted that McCoy would fall, but we still felt a team would make him a late first-round pick. We also said he was going to get someone fired. We think that’s no longer the case. No GM in the history of the league has ever been fired for a fourth-round pick.
Now, we’re changing our tune. McCoy is now one of our favorite picks of the draft. The upside is insane, even with the knee injury. He could sit out all of 2026 and still have the biggest upside of everyone else picked post-100th overall. He has superstar potential. The knee thing scares us, but it’s fine to be scared with a fourth-round pick. The Raiders had a chance to sit on the decision from Friday to the start of Saturday, and we think it was a great pick.
2. Kaleb Proctor, DT
Fourth Round, Pick 104
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals had a bizarre draft. They took Jeremiyah Love before anyone expected him to go. They took Carson Beck at the top of the third round to pair with veterans Jacoby Brissett and Gardner Minshew. In the fourth round, they went after defensive tackle Kaleb Proctor.
There are differing claims about Proctor’s upside, but there’s a lot we really like about the defensive tackle. This was a run of DTs, with Proctor, Darrell Jackson Jr., and Gracen Halton going within three picks. The rankings will vary based on who you ask, but we like Proctor best.
He lacks a little bit of size, which is probably why he fell to the fourth round. That and the fact that he went to Southeast Louisiana University. The reason we love Proctor so much is that he can get off blocks so easily. He can get through gaps with ease and get off blocks that have engaged. That’s exactly what you want from a defensive tackle. He can put an offensive guard on his heels. We don’t think he’s bull rushing anyone or playing nose tackle, but as a three technique, he can be really effective.
3. Cade Klubnik
Fourth Round, Pick 110
New York Jets
This one is going to be insanely controversial, but we think Cade Klubnik has everything most coaches want in a superstar quarterback. His only flaw is his decision-making with his throws. Sounds bad, right? Well, the reason quarterbacks fail is often an inability to keep up with the speed of the game, which overcomes their mental capacity. Most would see that and think Klubnik is most likely to be in over his head.
Add to the fact that Klubnik was drafted by the New York Jets, who are still employing Aaron Glenn as their head coach, and the hope is fleeting, at best. However, fleeting hope is better than what Jets fans are used to, which is no hope. Most are expecting the Jets to play for the 2027 NFL Draft, which is expected to have Dante Moore (who was originally going to be the Jets’ number-two overall pick), Arch Manning, and Brendan Sorsby on the draft board.
Instead, we think Klubnik is going to get a chance to replace Geno Smith, and there will be some flashes of greatness. This was one of the best talents in college football. He had a humbling experience at Clemson. His decision-making leaves something to be desired, but that will come with NFL coaching. He’ll learn to slow down and trust his line while he goes through his progression.
4. Skyler Bell, WR
Fourth Round, Pick 125
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills once again are trying out a rookie wide receiver. They’ve done this over and over again, and it’s worked with varied results. After the owner essentially came out and insulted Keon Coleman, we expect some opportunity to come for the team’s wide receiver room. Skyler Bell didn’t come into the draft with a ton of hype, but he’s a consensus All-American. He was great at UConn, and his lack of size can easily be overcome by tenacious play style and an upgraded understanding of the playbook.
His stopping ability is amazing. We don’t talk about that enough when evaluating wide receivers, as straight-line speed takes over in terms of talking points, but Bell’s ability to stop on a dime is an NFL-level trait. He can get open by simply tricking a cornerback and safety into thinking he’s going long.
He also has great quickness inside, which adds to his ability to separate from defenders. What more could Josh Allen want than a guy who can get open? He’s connecting with the best quarterback in football without a clear number one on the roster and Super Bowl aspirations. Bell should fit in just fine with Buffalo.
5. Jeremiah Wright, OG
Fourth Round, Pick 140
New Orleans Saints
There are zero guards who are stars in the NFL right now, so this one will be a stretch if we’re being stringent to the name of the title, but we’d be really happy if we were the New Orleans Saints, right now. The offensive line has needed help in the Big Easy for a while, and they are getting reinforcements. Jeremiah Wright is going to help their case, and we think he’s going to start sooner than fans might think a lineman in the fourth round should.
Wright’s biggest issue is penalties. He commits holding penalties way too much. Is that something that the Saints can fix? If they can, he has everything else a team could want in a player. He can handle blows from bigger defensive tackles and ends. A bull rush isn’t going to phase him. He’ll pancake even the bigger defensive linemen if he gets his hands in the right position.
If the Saints can get Wright to fix his issues, he’ll be great on the line. At the very least, we expect him to be a quality lineman for a long time. His anchor ability is huge for an offensive guard, and the fact that he’s been facing SEC pass rushers for years will help his transition to the NFL.
6. LT Overton, DE
Round 4, Pick 137
Dallas Cowboys
Going back to Alabama, but checking on the other side of the line, LT Overton has been an interesting prospect for a long time. His stats are not impressive, which is why he fell so far in the draft. Many “too early” mock drafts that came out before the 2025 college football season predicted Overton as a first-round pick. He was about 100 slots in the draft order off from that.
That tells us one thing: the talent is there. He transferred to Alabama from Texas A&M and played incredibly well. He’s getting a ton of pressures, but he only has seven sacks in four seasons. He’s a half a second off, which is a lifetime in the NFL, but that can be adjusted in the right system. He can do a ton of great things on the defensive line, and that’s why teams would be so high on him.
Overton can play end or tackle on the defensive line, which will intrigue the Cowboys. They will love the pedigree, the past contributions, and the name on the front of the jersey (Alabama). The Crimson Tide doesn’t take bad linemen on this roster. They get the best and most talented. Overton played a role in his most recent season with the Tide, and that can hurt his numbers. With the Cowboys, he can focus on his strengths.
7. Colbie Young, WR
Round 4, Pick 140
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals don’t need a wide receiver. They have Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins signed long term. Both players are two of the top wide receivers in the league. Most conventional knowledge would say that the Bengals have few targets to go around, but this is the NFL. Things happen, and opportunities arise, and Colbie Young needs to be ready.
And if that call comes? Young seems as good as any to play in that position. He has typical NFL size and incredible hands. He’s not fast, which is probably why he almost fell to the fifth round. He has to rely on route running and beating defenders at the catch point.
Honestly, this might be why he gets an opportunity in Cincinnati. He brings something the Bengals don’t really have. Chase can do everything, but when he’s covered, Joe Burrow doesn’t have a great option to just throw it up and pray. Now, Young can go up and catch a ball in the endzone. His large catch radius will help the Bengals' offense thrive. Cincy’s management spent a lot of assets on defense this offseason, but Young is a good bet on the offensive side.
8. Justin Joly, TE
Round 5, Pick 152
Denver Broncos
When teams are looking at tight ends, they want players who can creat mismatches. That’s what we learned from the likes of Rob Gronkowski and Travis Kelce. When a tight end is built like a linebacker but moves like a wide receiver, they can act like the best player on the field. Justin Joly has the build and the talent to be one of those players, but he’s lacking in blocking, which could make it hard to play him on every down. Teams won’t want to show their hand if they only play him on passing downs.
So, all Joly needs to do is learn how to block NFL pass rushers to be successful. Okay, that sounds like a huge task, but teams will put all their assets on a guy who they think has the upside that Joly has offensively. He beats guys to the ball and is really hard to tackle. Those guys usually translate to the next level. Breaking tackles is an art that Joly can handle.
Back to the blocking, Joly really puts the effort into that part of the game. And that’s why we think he’ll be a star in the NFL. That effort can usually get you enough to stay on the field and stop a defender from blowing up a play.
9. Emmett Johnson, RB
Round 6, Pick 161
Kansas City Chiefs
Running back is intriguing in this draft class. The top player at the position played at Notre Dame. The second player on draft boards at that position plays for Notre Dame. The rest of the position was all over the place. Every year, multiple running backs break out, both rookies and veterans. The position is one that opens itself up to progression.
We’re intrigued by Emmett Johnson. The explosive back was fifth on many boards, but he fell to the Kansas City Chiefs in the fifth round. Of course, the Chiefs just gave big money to reigning Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker. Johnson won’t have the opportunity to start right away, but that won’t take away his opportunity to prove himself.
Johnson has a level of explosiveness that will make him important in the Chiefs' offense eventually. Will he make an impact as a rookie? He could, even with the money dedicated to Walker. The Chiefs don’t care about salary or what you’ve done before. They became a dynasty by making sure they played the best player. Johnson adds a receiving ability that could make him a favorite of Patrick Mahomes.
10. Running back is intriguing in this draft class. The top player at the position played at Notre Dame. The second player on draft boards at that position plays for Notre Dame. The rest of the position was all over the place. Every year, multiple running backs break out, both rookies and veterans. The position is one that opens itself up to progression.
We’re intrigued by Emmett Johnson. The explosive back was fifth on many boards, but he fell to the Kansas City Chiefs in the fifth round. Of course, the Chiefs just gave big money to reigning Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker. Johnson won’t have the opportunity to start right away, but that won’t take away his opportunity to prove himself.
Johnson has a level of explosiveness that will make him important in the Chiefs offense eventually. Will he make an impact as a rookie? He could, even with the money dedicated to Walker. The Chiefs don’t care about salary or what you’ve done before. They became a dynasty by making sure they play the best player. Johnson adds a receiving ability that could make him a favorite of Patrick Mahomes.
10. Harold Perkins Jr., LB
Round 6, Pick 215
Atlanta Falcons
Coming into college, Harold Perkins was expected to be a superstar. That’s how he ended up at LSU, and he showed that he was going towards that trajectory. He had big moments in big games, including putting seven pressures on Alabama in 2022. That led to an upset victory for the Tigers. Then, in 2024, he tore his ACL. He returned and played 12 games with the Tigers this past season.
At the NFL Combine, with a little more than a year removed from his ACL surgery, he ran a 4.4 40-yard dash. That kind of speed is important to show that the knee injury doesn’t have long-term impacts to his play. He has to add a little strength, but that will come with a typical NFL health program.
Perkins has the mindset and ability to be a superstat at the next level. The Falcons got themselves a really good piece for their defense. They have so many question marks on that defense. If they get a long-term starter in the sixth round, then that will really help them. The Falcons could use great linebackers, whether Perkins turns into a pass rusher or a middle linebacker type.
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