The Biggest Steal in Each of the Last 10 NFL Drafts
While the likelihood of finding a late-round phenom in the NFL draft is low, it's always impressive to unearth a Day 3 diamond.
Over the last decade, we've seen several of these undervalued talents become All-Pro or Pro Bowl performers. Some of the biggest names include David Bakhtiari, Dak Prescott, Stefon Diggs and George Kittle.
That quartet highlights the best of the list, which is focused on high-performing players who were selected no earlier than the fourth round of their respective NFL drafts.
Statistical production, individual awards and team impact are all considered to determine the pick from each cycle.
2013: David Bakhtiari
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Aaron Rodgers is a singularly historic talent, but it sure didn't hurt to have David Bakhtiari blocking the blind side.
Back in 2013, the Green Bay Packers used a fourth-round pick on the lineman from Colorado. He immediately slotted in as Green Bay's starting left tackle, a role he hasn't relinquished but for injury.
Bakhtiari has earned AP All-Pro recognition five times, including first-team honors in 2018 and 2020. When healthy at his peak—although that has unfortunately been a real asterisk over the last few years—he staked a reasonable claim to being the best left tackle in the game.
Perhaps the most impressive part of the 2013 draft is the Packers also added offensive lineman JC Tretter and two-time second-team All-Pro safety Micah Hyde on Day 3.
2014: Corey Linsley
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Sticking with the Packers, they uncovered yet another Day 3 gem in 2014 with Corey Linsley.
Like his former teammate Bakhtiari, Linsley commanded a first-string job immediately. The fifth-round pick ended up starting 99 games for Green Bay over seven seasons, landing a first-team AP All-Pro honor in 2020.
Following that campaign, the Ohio State product signed a five-year, $62.5 million deal with the Los Angeles Chargers. Linsley added a second-team All-Pro selection to his resume in 2021.
Linsley, a projected starter for the Chargers in 2023, remains a high-quality blocker as his age-32 season approaches.
2015: Stefon Diggs
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Although the Minnesota Vikings didn't unlock the best version of Stefon Diggs, they enjoyed far more production from him than most fifth-round selections ever provide.
Diggs waited to hear his name called until the 146th pick in 2015 but wasted no time making an impact. He notched 700-plus yards in each of his first three seasons, then surpassed 1,000 yards in 2018 and 2019.
Before the 2020 campaign, Diggs requested a trade. The decision certainly paid off, considering he's averaged 112.7 catches for 1,396.3 yards and 9.7 touchdowns in three seasons with Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills. He paced the NFL in both receptions and yards in 2020.
Diggs is a two-time AP All-Pro, and it's reasonable to believe he's not quite finished adding to that number.
2016: Dak Prescott
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With a shoutout to fifth-round edge-rusher Matt Judon, the choice is Dak Prescott because of his positional value.
Look, if you find a franchise quarterback in the fourth round, it's a major victory. Prescott stormed onto the NFL scene in 2016, winning AP Rookie of the Year and ultimately sending Tony Romo into retirement.
Prescott has guided the Dallas Cowboys to the playoffs in four of his seven seasons and secured three NFC East titles along the way. Given that he missed 11 games in 2020 because of a gruesome ankle injury, that season could be excluded, too.
Sure, he's short of the "elite" stratosphere, but he's a locked-in starting NFL quarterback, and that has immense value.
2017: George Kittle
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The third day of the 2017 draft featured a strong group of late-round talent. Among a few other notable players, the group includes Chicago Bears safety Eddie Jackson, Buffalo Bills linebacker Matt Milano and Green Bay Packers running back Aaron Jones.
But we're leaning with George Kittle here.
From the tight end factory that is Iowa, he joined the San Francisco 49ers as the No. 146 pick—the same as Diggs, incidentally. Kittle put up 515 yards as a rookie but exploded in his second year and beyond.
Kittle posted a career-high 1,377 yards in 2018, eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark again in 2019 and caught a career-best 11 touchdowns in 2022. He garnered AP All-Pro honors in each of those seasons.
2018: Foyesade Oluokun
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Tackling machine in the sixth round? Sign me up.
Foyesade Oluokun, a linebacker from Yale, headed to the Atlanta Falcons as the 200th pick in the 2018 draft. He spent four seasons in Atlanta and racked up a league-high 192 tackles in 2021.
After signing a three-year, $45 million contract to join the Jacksonville Jaguars, he led the NFL again with 184 total tackles.
Philadelphia Eagles fourth-rounder Josh Sweat has a reasonable chance to take the title in the near future, especially because of his value as a pass-rusher. Through five years, though, Oluokun has provided a whole lot of production with 646 tackles in 81 games.
2019: Maxx Crosby
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Maxx Crosby is a classic underdog story who's taken full advantage of every opportunity on the field.
In high school, he garnered a 2-star billing, per 247Sports Composite ranking. Crosby went to Eastern Michigan, which had trudged to a third straight 2-10 season before his arrival. In the 2019 draft, the Oakland Raiders chose him in the fourth round.
And he's merely been an absolute force since then.
Crosby tallied 10 sacks as a rookie, finishing as the runner-up in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting. He received second-team All-Pro recognition in 2021 and collected 12.5 sacks and an NFL-high 22 tackles for loss in 2022, placing sixth in the Defensive Player of the Year race.
Most notably, perhaps, Crosby parlayed his immediate impact into a four-year, $94 million extension in 2022.
2020: Kamren Curl
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As the sample size shrinks, the decisions get tougher. Would you prefer Bills wideout Gabe Davis or Cowboys center Tyler Biadasz? How about Bears wideout Darnell Mooney?
Each one has a decent case, but Washington Commanders safety Kamren Curl lands the spotlight.
The first seventh-rounder on our list has defied expectations after replacing injured starter Landon Collins. In nine starts to end the 2020 season, Curl amassed 71 tackles with two sacks and three interceptions.
Curl's performance earned him a full-time position, and he responded with 99 tackles in 2021. He posted 83 in an injury-shortened 2022, as well.
Not bad for the 216th overall pick.
2021: Amon-Ra St. Brown
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Kansas City Chiefs offensive lineman Trey Smith, a sixth-round selection, deserves a nod. He's a two-year starter at right guard and helped the Chiefs win the Super Bowl last season.
But we can't not choose Amon-Ra St. Brown.
On a bad Detroit Lions team in 2021, he still gathered 973 yards from scrimmage and totaled six touchdowns. Last year, the USC product stood out as Detroit's only reliable receiver and pulled in 106 passes for 1,161 yards and six more scores.
Several factors aided the Lions' rise to respectability and a near-playoff bid in 2022, but St. Brown's impact was inarguable.
2022: Tariq Woolen
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The easy option is San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy. Considering how he performed last season, Mr. Irrelevant—the final pick of the 2022 draft—has a strong case, too.
Tariq Woolen, however, set an extremely high bar.
A fifth-round pick of the Seattle Seahawks, he snagged six interceptions as a rookie, tied for the league lead. Woolen also recovered three fumbles, accounting for nine takeaways while registering 63 total tackles and 16 passes defended.
In just one season, Woolen established himself as a core long-term piece of the Seattle defense.
All contract info courtesy of Spotrac.
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