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GARY KAZANJIAN/Associated Press
It happens every year; sleepers, steals and underrated prospects fall through the cracks of the draft and produce in their first year in the NFL. Last April, none of the 32 teams selected running back Phillip Lindsay. Now, he’s a Pro Bowler.
Everything from size and small-school background concerns to poor combine performances and statistical production question marks cause players to go under the radar during a lengthy evaluation period.
In eight months, we’re going to look back and ask how did he fall that far in the draft? What did scouts miss on film? Why didn’t a front office pick him up earlier?
As the vetting process intensifies leading up the draft, we highlight a prospect from each position group who isn’t getting enough eyeballs or benefit of the doubt.
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Michael Conroy/Associated Press
Boise State’s Brett Rypien isn’t going to wow anyone with his arm strength or mobility, but he checks multiple boxes with his intangibles. Bleacher Report’s Derrik Klassen pinpointed a few strong positives in his evaluation of the former Bronco:
What separates Rypien from the pack of other mid- or late-round quarterbacks is how prepared he is. Not only does he have NFL pedigree through his uncle Mark Rypien, formerly of the Washington Redskins, but he played in a pro-style system at Boise State that tasked him with a lot of responsibility.
Typically, quarterback prospects who put up solid numbers in pro-style offenses earn a boost in the pre-draft rankings. Rypien hasn’t experienced the same push. As Klassen states, he’s a middle-to-late rounder, though he does have the three P’s working in his favor: preparation, pedigree and pro-system success.
Rypien threw for 13,578 yards, 90 touchdowns and 29 interceptions in four years at Boise State and finished with a 64 percent completion rate. Clubs may worry about his ability to escape pressure, but he can flourish behind a strong offensive line.
Honorable Mention: Easton Stick, North Dakota State
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Darron Cummings/Associated Press
This running back class doesn’t feature much flash, but Miami ball-carrier Travis Homer deserves more attention as a potential Day 2 prospect. He had a good showing at the combine with a 4.48-second 40-yard dash, 39.5″ vertical jump and a 10’10” broad jump. The last two results rank in the top 93rd and 97th percentile, per Travis May of RotoViz.
Homer fell just short of 1,000 rushing yards in back-to-back seasons with 966 and 985 yards for his sophomore and junior terms, respectively, on fewer than 170 carries in both campaigns. Given his tendency to fumble, with four in 2018-19 alone, ball security may scare some clubs away. But the Miami product can focus on his improvement in that area.
According to NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein, an NFC East scout took note of his spirited play. “He’s a very loyal player to the program and his competitive nature is what really stands out. I think someone has a chance to get a steal with him.”
The former Hurricane can also catch out of the backfield. He hauled in 37 receptions for 405 yards and a touchdown over the last two seasons. Wherever Homer gets drafted, he can certainly remain on the field for all three downs.
Honorable Mention: James Williams, Washington State
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Darron Cummings/Associated Press
KeeSean Johnson led Fresno State in receiving yards for each of the last three seasons and logged 16 touchdowns over his final two terms.
With those numbers, and at 6’1″, 201 pounds, one would think Johnson has been generating Day 2 buzz since January. Yet, The Athletic’s Dane Brugler didn’t list him in the Top 25 wide receiver prospects and Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller doesn’t have the former Bulldog in the first three rounds of his latest mock draft.
Perhaps Johnson’s 4.6-second 40-yard dash hurt his draft stock, but he’s shown the ability to come down with catches in traffic and win contested balls in one-on-one situations.
KeeSean may enter the league with a “possession receiver” label because of unideal foot speed, but his strong, sticky hands will quickly earn a quarterback’s trust. If he falls to Day 3, a club will have an absolute steal to plug into its three-wide receiver sets.
Honorable Mention: Jalen Hurd, Baylor
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Michael Conroy/Associated Press
It’s not a good sign when an analyst thinks a prospect isn’t ready for a jump to the pros, but NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah had that exact thought about Zach Gentry, per Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. “Jeremiah said in a conference call earlier this week that Gentry ‘should have stayed in’ school for a fifth season.”
Jeremiah may have a point. Gentry started his collegiate career as a quarterback before a transition to tight end. According to Zierlein, the former Wolverine secures receptions with his body and had intermittent issues with drops—two red flags for a pass-catcher.
At 6’8″, 265 pounds, Gentry’s size seems enticing, but his inexperience at the position and unreliable hands bring great risk. On the flip side, he flashed potential over the last two years, logging 49 catches for 817 yards and four touchdowns.
Once Gentry sharpens his pass-catching skills, he could develop into a strong big-play and red-zone target. After nearly doubling his catches in his second season at tight end, the former Wolverine is clearly committed to improving while on the job. Teams shouldn’t quickly dismiss him. Despite the drops, he averaged 16.7 yards per reception at Michigan.
Honorable Mention: Isaac Nauta, Georgia
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Michael Conroy/Associated Press
Tytus Howard spent his collegiate years at Alabama State. Typically, prospects coming out of FCS programs have to put together outstanding careers to register on the NFL radar—and sometimes it’s still not enough to spike their draft projections.
Howard took snaps on both sides of the offensive line and earned first-team All-SWAC honors last year, but he falls into the sleeper category. Draft Network’s Kyle Crabbs predicts a middle-round landing spot for the former Hornet:
6-foot-6, 310 pounds and athletic? Yeah, these are the kinds of guys that get coaches’ mouths watering throughout the draft process. Howard fits the mold of a middle round target that NFL coaches will be confident that they can milk the most out of.
Although he competed against lesser competition, Howard’s four-year run in a starting role and recognition for his senior campaign suggest he’s one of the better FCS prospects in this class. In a sink-or-swim league, the Alabama State product’s starting experience may help him float toward a spot with a team’s first unit.
Honorable Mention: Max Scharping, Northern Illinois
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Michael Conroy/Associated Press
Some NFL teams find a way to extract production from a prospect that doesn’t meet typical position measurements or traits; others simply decide to pass on those players.
At the combine, Anthony Nelson stood 6’7″ at 271 pounds, but he’s willing to bulk or shed weight based on his prospective role, per Hawk Central’s Mark Emmert. “I can lose 10 pounds and stand up, or I can gain 10 pounds and play the 4 or 5 (technique),” Nelson explained. “My ability to do it on three downs is one of those things that separate me from a lot of guys in this class.”
Although Nelson anticipates lining up over the tackle or shading the perimeter blocker, he hasn’t shown the ability to set the edge with consistency. The Athletic’s Jeff Cavanaugh took notice in a film study: “For a guy with the measurable athleticism that he has, he doesn’t win the corner against blockers with bend,” he wrote. “His 3-cone time hints that the ability is in there for it to happen, it’s not on tape often.”
In a five-technique role, Nelson will need to add strength to handle two gaps against the run, which may present some difficulty for a collegiate 4-3 defensive end. If the former Hawkeye plays within a four-man front, he’ll likely line up on the strong side and need to focus on sealing the edge.
Nelson recorded 23 sacks over his last three years at Iowa. A club desperate for a pass-rusher will find a spot for him on the defensive line, but his combination of size and traits may cause some debate in draft rooms.
Honorable Mention: Renell Wren, Arizona State
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Darron Cummings/Associated Press
Devin White and Devin Bush have separated from the rest of the linebacker prospects. For some, Mack Wilson lands on the second tier and the following group lacks a consensus.
According to Draft Network’s Joe Marino, Germaine Pratt doesn’t move like a three-down linebacker in today’s league, which demands more from second-level defenders in pass coverage. The analyst highlighted some of the North Carolina State product’s limitations:
Germaine Pratt is a difficult projection to the NFL level, given his restrictions in mobility, lateral quickness, flexibility and lack of length. Pratt, a former safety, is tight in the hips and labors in space when drawing assignments in pass coverage.
Pratt isn’t a natural coverage linebacker, but he has the foot speed to compensate for his lack of twitch. The four-year collegian flashed during Senior Bowl week, per Andrew Walker of the Indianapolis Colts‘ official website. “Pratt was clocked in at 20.4 mph during one play in particular, which was the fastest speed of any player on the North team the entire day—faster than any running back, wide receiver or defensive back,” he wrote.
Pratt also ran a 4.57-second 40-yard time at the combine and displayed good hands during a position drill. He split his collegiate years between safety and linebacker, but perhaps a move to the strong side (SAM) would mask his agility issues.
Honorable Mention: Blake Cashman, Minnesota
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Darron Cummings/Associated Press
Assuming he’s drafted in April, Jamel Dean comes into the league with a bright red flag concerning his injury history. The Auburn product suffered three knee injuries before he took his first snap with the Tigers.
Finally healthy, Dean logged 17 pass breakups and four interceptions in two terms at Auburn before clocking a 4.3-second 40-yard dash at the combine. The knee ailments and surgeries seem to be in the distant past, but front office executives may still keep him off their big boards.
Then again, Dean’s impressive 40-yard time, persistence and production should put him in Day 3 consideration. He’s played two collegiate seasons; there’s room for growth at the next level.
At 6’1″, 206 pounds, Dean has the ideal size to attract multiple teams, but coaching staffs will hold their breath every time he’s hampered by a knee ailment.
Honorable Mention: Jimmy Moreland, James Madison
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Darron Cummings/Associated Press
It’s an old adage, but size matters in the pros. Lukas Denis put his ball-tracking skills on full display during his junior term, logging seven interceptions and 10 pass breakups, but he’s a 5’11”, 190-pound safety with 31 ¼” arms. Bigger tight ends will run over him and ball-carriers with nasty stiff-arms might evade his tackles.
Denis possesses the quickness to patrol the secondary in a deep safety role, but the last line of defense must be able to chase and tackle in some situations. He struggled in that area, per Crabbs: “First and foremost his size is restrictive to playing with any level of physicality. Denis is passive at contact and can be uprooted from his landmarks in coverage by physical receivers.”
If not for his size, teams may have considered the Boston College product a top-60 prospect, but questions about his play style and stature could drop him to Day 3. In the early rounds of the draft, teams will probably look elsewhere for a safety who’s physically built to play the position on all three downs.
Honorable Mention: Amani Hooker, Iowa
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