Possible Late Round Steals

There are always guys that fall for whatever reason. Injury history. Small school. Limited snap opportunities. Let’s talk about some possible later round guys that could be steals in this draft.

 

Jordan Smith - EDGE - UAB



From Bleacher Report:
NFL draft sleepers are often small-school products, and while pass-rusher Jordan Smith is one, he wasn't always small-school-bound. An all-state player at Georgia, he originally joined the University of Florida program before being suspended indefinitely for his involvement in a credit card fraud scheme.
Smith made his way to the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where he put up a pair of productive seasons. Between 2019 and 2020, he amassed 14.5 sacks, 27 tackles for loss and an interception.
The reason Smith ranks at the bottom here is his lack of polish. He's a low-floor, high-ceiling prospect with legitimate boom-or-bust potential. Listed at 6'7" and 255 pounds, Smith has the long, lean frame of an NFL edge-rusher but lacks the corresponding technique.
"Currently, even an average punch can stall out his rush momentum and he has a hard time exiting the block once opponents get into his frame," NFL Media's Lance Zierlein wrote. "However, his pursuit of the play rarely comes to a full standstill and he naturally works to counter movements."
If Smith can improve his handwork and overall technique, he could become a difference-maker at the next level. While he's probably not ready to start right away, Smith could be viewed as a massive steal a couple of years from now.

 

Jaelon Darden - WR - North Texas



Shiftiest WR in the draft.

 

Walker Little - OT - Stanford

Little was once considered so highly, Bleacher Report listed him as the second overall pick in their way-too-early 2020 Mock Draft.

However, he suffered a knee injury in 2019 and sat out of the 2020 season, so he hasn’t played much at all since then.

 

Brevin Jordan - TE - Miami

Listed at 6'3" and 245 pounds, Jordan has the size of a "move" tight end and the proven production to match. Last season, he played eight games for the Hurricanes and caught 38 passes for 576 yards and seven touchdowns.

 

Cade Johnson - WR - South Dakota State

Listed at 5'10" and 180 pounds, he's certainly on the smaller side, but his skill set is both impressive and complete. He can perform as a shifty slot receiver and as a vertical perimeter threat.

Between 2018 and 2019, he amassed 139 receptions for 2,554 yards and 25 touchdowns.

Johnson opted out of the Jackrabbits' spring season to prepare for the draft, but he did take part in this year's Senior Bowl, where he was one of the most impressive pass-catchers in attendance.

"Nearly uncoverable in Senior Bowl one-on-ones—when he wasn't shaking free defenders, he was making contested grabs and/or tiptoeing the sideline," Yahoo Sports' Eric Edholm wrote. "Footwork and route running looked even crisper and sharper there than in 2019 tape."

Johnson could conceivably fall to Day 3 in this year's draft and still wind up as a quality pro pass-catcher.

 

Chris Rumph - EDGE - Duke



"Rumph is a rare cat. He plays like a tenth-degree blackbelt with his hands and has a springy, oiled-up lower half," CBS Sports' Chris Trapasso wrote. "That blend of deeply advanced skill and inherent talent leads to him being in the same unblockable edge-rusher echelon as the Bosa brothers and Chase Young among those I've scouted. Seriously."

Listed at 6'4" and 235 pounds, Rumph is a little light but does have adequate size to be a speed-rusher off the edge. He's shown the ability to get into the backfield in a hurry—he had 14.5 sacks and 26 tackles for loss over the past two seasons—and possesses a pro-ready skill set.

Yet, Rumph is still widely considered a Day 2 prospect at best.

 

Jaylen Twyman - DT - Pitt



At Pittsburgh, Twyman has played just 21 collegiate games, but that was enough to draw the attention of scouts last year. During the 2019 season, Twyman was able to record 10.5 sacks while also logging 12.5 tackles for loss, numbers that jump off the page. The catch is the sample size was small as he sat out 2020.