NFL Draft 2017: All-Sleeper Team by Position

We all know who Myles Garrett, Deshaun Watson and Leonard Fournette are. Each will hear his name called early in Round 1 of the 2017 NFL draft and has a strong foundation to have a long, successful NFL career. But what about the other guys? You know, the ones who get drafted in Round 2 or Round 5 and go on to have great careers? 

It happens in every draft class. The New England Patriots' Super Bowl-winning offense had one first-rounder (Nate Solder) on the field—nobody else was a top-60 pick—which goes to show just how important the sleepers are in each draft. First-rounders make the headlines, but getting the picks right on Days 2 and 3 is how you build a championship team.

Before the scouting combine gets here in early March, let's take a look at a few of those sleepers—players projected to go outside of Round 1 who could have great careers.  

Quarterback: Chad Kelly, Ole Miss

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Chad Kelly has his skeletons—kicked out of Clemson, arrested outside a bar in Buffalo, ran onto the field during a brawl at his brother's high school football game, torn ACL and meniscus, and a Snapchat picture post-surgery apparently of him with some grass that's only legal in eight states and the District of Columbia. But he's still an intriguing quarterback prospect in a bad overall class.

Kelly has all the required tools on the field—arm strength, athleticism and no fear facing down SEC defenses. We shouldn't forget that he threw for 341 yards and three touchdowns in a win over Alabama in Tuscaloosa in 2015. The next season, in a loss, he threw for 421 yards and three scores.

NFL teams will have to sign off on Kelly's brash personality and cockiness, but as the saying goes, "If Hannibal Lecter ran a 4.3, we'd probably diagnose it as an eating disorder."

Running Back: Jeremy McNichols, Boise State

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A three-down threat with the burst to break big plays with the ball in his hands, Jeremy McNichols has been lost a little in a deep running back class. It's time to shine the light on him.

At 5'9" and 215 pounds, McNichols has the second-gear speed to pull away when he finds daylight and impresses with slippery hips and quick moves on the go. As both a runner and a receiver, he's proved to be a threat and even had success as a kick returner before taking over the role as the lead back at Boise State.

The biggest questions for McNichols are fumbles, which is why he's more of a Day 2 prospect. If he can figure out his ball-security issues, he has the tools to follow Jay Ajayi and Doug Martin as three-down Boise State alums in the NFL.

Wide Receiver: Zay Jones, East Carolina

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Zay Jones holds two records you need to know about—the single-season receptions record (158 catches) and the career receptions record (399). So why aren't more people talking about him?

Jones went down to Mobile, Alabama, and dominated the week of Senior Bowl practices. He's a legit 6'2" and 202 pounds and makes some cuts in his route running that'll leave you breathless. He's also sticky-handed and has great focus and concentration when the ball is in the air. All those man-coverage comebacks Malcolm Mitchell caught in the Super Bowl? Jones catches those and shakes tacklers for gains.

The biggest question for Jones in the next month will be how well he runs at the combine. He doesn't look like a game-changer with speed on film or in person, but if he can stay in the 4.45-to-4.55 range in the 40-yard dash, my feeling is he'll be a Round 2 pick and a future starter in the NFL.

Tight End: Adam Shaheen, Ashland

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When Adam Shaheen declared early for the 2017 NFL draft, I immediately had to do research on him. An underclassman tight end from Ashland declaring? Didn't see that one coming.

What I found is that Shaheen is a physical nightmare for defenders to cover. At 6'6" and 277 pounds, he's easily able to box out defenders on seam routes and can be a headache in the red zone because of his size and length. He's also a better mover than expected for his size and plays like the former high school basketball star that he is.

Shaheen is a work in progress, but his raw tools are exciting. He may need to lean out a little to gain pro-caliber flexibility and quickness, but there is no doubt he's an exciting prospect as a mid-round developmental player.

Offensive Tackle: Antonio Garcia, Troy

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A lean, athletic left tackle prospect coming out of Troy, Antonio Garcia flashed at the Senior Bowl and again on my film study after the week in Alabama.

The issue with Garcia is that he's very skinny and lacks great power because of that. Listed at 6'6" and 293 pounds, he'll have to add weight in his lower body to withstand the bull rushes and power moves NFL defensive ends can throw at him. Another issue for Garcia is measuring in with 32 7/8-inch arms at the Senior Bowl—ideal measurement for an offensive tackle is 34 inches. Similar players with sub-33-inch arms have been moved inside to guard in the pros, but there Garcia's lack of power really shows up.

You can't grow longer arms, but Garcia can get stronger. To compensate for his lack of length, Garcia has to rely on quickness and timing to cut off the corner in pass-rushing situations. The good news is he does that well and has shown the persistence as a blocker to work through counter moves and maintain his poise, balance and spot on the field. He's a crafty technician, which will help him make the jump from Troy to the pros.

Offensive Guard: Kyle Kalis, Michigan

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If you had to take a late-round gamble on one offensive guard prospect in this year's class, make it Michigan's Kyle Kalis.

At 6'4" and 308 pounds, Kalis isn't the prototypical power guard, but his play shows enough drive and lower-body strength to be an effective run blocker. He's a well-coached technician who comes into the league schooled in pro-style blocking schemes in Jim Harbaugh's offense and is a tough-nosed grinder on the field when latching on to defenders. 

Kalis' lack of athleticism is evident on film, and he'll have to work hard on leverage because of his lack of flexibility, but I like the tools he brings to the table as a power-scheme blocker. Given his pro-readiness and experience, Kalis offers a low-risk, high-reward skill set as a late-rounder.

Center: Jon Toth, Kentucky

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Another player worth taking a late-round flier on, Jon Toth can be a lot of fun for an NFL offensive line coach.

One of my favorite things about Toth is his toughness and experience as a four-year starter. He has the football IQ to handle blocking concepts and could easily slide into any blocking scheme without struggling to learn the assignments. With late-round picks, you're looking for one or two positive traits you can build on, and for Toth, those are experience and football IQ.

Athletically, he's lacking the twitch and burst of an elite lineman, but Toth is a good technician and has the leverage and angles to succeed as a center in the NFL if given time to work on his foot quickness before taking the field. His combine prep may include the needed work on a rope ladder that could boost his stock with strong workouts.

Defensive Linemen: Larry Ogunjobi, Charlotte

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A big week at the Senior Bowl propelled this UNC-Charlotte prospect up my board. Now he ranks as one of the more fun interior defensive line prospects in the class.

Ogunjobi was a four-year starter at Charlotte and has impressive first-step quickness on his 6'3", 304-pound frame. He also has the leverage and toughness you want to stack up blockers in the run game. Where Ogunjobi has the most value in the NFL, though, is as a gap-shooting 3-technique where his lack of size and power won't get him pushed around at the point of attack.

As a mid-rounder with nice upside, Ogunjobi brings good value to teams running a 4-3 defense. He can line up in gaps and make splash plays in the backfield—like what Grady Jarrett does for the Atlanta Falcons.

Edge-Rusher: Trey Hendrickson, FAU

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The edge-rusher class of 2017 is a very good one, so it's easy to overlook top-100 players like Ryan Anderson (Alabama) or Tyus Bowser (Houston). Those guys will get their due because of the programs they're coming from. Florida Atlantic's Trey Hendrickson is earning his time in the spotlight without the support of a top-tier team.

A 6'4", 265-pounder with excellent length and size, Hendrickson had a strong week at the Shrine Game and was impressive in his timing and jump off the line of scrimmage when locking down the edge. His hand use is also well-developed coming from a smaller program and could help Hendrickson get on the field early.

A top-100 selection isn't out of the question here with a strong combine performance. Hendrickson is currently one of the fastest risers on my board after a strong all-star circuit and further film review.

Linebacker: Anthony Walker Jr., Northwestern

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A junior entry into the 2017 NFL draft class, Anthony Walker Jr. leaves Northwestern as a highly decorated linebacker. A two-time All-Big Ten selection, Walker has excellent strength and an NFL-ready physique.

Playing for former linebacker Pat Fitzgerald, Walker has been groomed for the NFL since day one. He's an instinctive, downhill linebacker with excellent run-stuffing chops. He has the speed to step into gaps and aggressively meet running backs in the hole and once there has the power to stack them up at the line or for a loss.

Conditioning was a bit of a question for Walker this season as he looked gassed at times, but that might be related more to his oversized frame. If he gets leaner and works on better agility, he'll boost his stock at the combine. I see Walker as a great fit in a 3-4 defense as an early starter in the NFL.

Cornerback: Cordrea Tankersley, Clemson

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Cordrea Tankersley is likely to be the first player on this list drafted, but that doesn't mean he's not being slept on by teams and analysts alike right now.

A 6'1", 200-pound cornerback with excellent length and instincts, Tankersley grades out higher than former teammate Mackensie Alexander did at this time last year. With nine interceptions in the last two seasons, Tankersley also showed the ball skills Alexander never did in college. 

There are going to be questions about his willingness to tackle—you won't see him making many hits on film—but Tankersley is a great man-coverage cornerback with the size, speed and ball skills you want on an island. And while he may not be very physical playing the run, he will mix it up with wide receivers down the sideline and is aggressive at fighting for the ball in the air.

A potential top-50 pick, Tankersley could go from Round 2 to a starting lineup right away.

Safety: John Johnson, Boston College

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A former starting cornerback, safety John Johnson flashed every day at the Senior Bowl. Upon coming home to watch more film, I found it easy to see why one scout in Mobile told me he was the best defensive back in attendance.

Johnson has excellent size (6'1", 205 lbs) and is an easy, fluid mover to the ball. He can play any position in the secondary, too, which only adds value in a day and age when versatility on defense is huge. Johnson can match up against slot receivers, tight ends, cover the outside receiver or even be the single-high safety in a Cover 3. He's an eraser, basically.

The biggest downside keeping Johnson from the top of the draft is his lack of urgency in coverage. We saw this daily in Mobile and it shows up on film—he relies a lot on length and speed to get to the ball, and when his timing is off or he's late reacting, he'll get burnt. That's a mental error that can be fixed.