NFL Draft 2023: Day 3 Prospects Who Could Become Major Steals
The NFL draft spotlight is often focused on the first 32 selections, but it's the third day of the draft that features the most picks.
Day 3 players might not be as well known as their Day 1 and 2 counterparts, yet there are always hidden gems to be mined on the Saturday of the draft. Tyreek Hill, Matt Milano and Talanoa Hufanga are coming off of All-Pro selections as former Day 3 picks.
Whether it's poor athletic testing, questionable scheme fit in college or a player just being a late bloomer, some prospects are just bound for better days as they transition to the pros.
With the exception of one player who may fall over draft weekend because of injuries, each of these players is ranked below No. 103 on the latest Bleacher Report big board. Day 3 will kick off with pick No. 104.
Here are some names who could bring back serious value as Day 3 picks based on their future fit in the league.
RB Israel Abanikanda, Pitt
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B/R Big Board Rank: No. 181
Isiah Pacheco is just the latest example of a Day 3 running back making a big impact. The former Rutgers back didn't hear his name called until the last round, but he was the leading rusher on the Super Bowl-winning Kansas City Chiefs this season.
If there's a Pacheco in this year's draft class, it's Israel Abanikanda.
Much like Pacheco, Abanikanda boasts blazing speed. Pacheco ran a 4.37 40-yard dash and earned an 8.85 relative athletic score from Kent Lee Platte of Pro Football Network.
Abanikanda suffered a minor hamstring injury before the combine, so he didn't get a chance to show off his wheels in Indianapolis. But he made up for it with a reported 4.34 in the 40-yard dash at his pro day, and he had explosive jumps of 41" in the vertical and 10'8" broad.
He boasts an even better RAS at 9.88. It's easy to see the athleticism on film, too. He routinely pulled away from ACC defenses.
Abanikanda is a bit of a perfect storm as an underrated prospect. He declared early for the draft, so there wasn't a ton of coverage for him coming out of college, then he got hurt before the combine, which would have likely boosted his visibility.
NFL defenses will see that he's legit soon enough.
WR Bryce Ford-Wheaton, West Virginia
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B/R Big Board Rank: No. 108
There are worse gambles on Day 3 than taking a wide receiver who is an athletic doppelganger to D.K. Metcalf.
Bryce Ford-Wheaton is one of the best combinations of size and speed in the draft class. At 6'4", 221 pounds with a 4.38 40-yard dash and 41" vertical, he has a nearly identical athleticism score from Next Gen Stats to the Seahawks receiver.
Much like Metcalf, Ford-Wheaton's production raises questions about his projection to the next level. Metcalf never had more than 646 yards in a season at Ole Miss. Ford-Wheaton had his best season in 2022 with the Mountaineers with 675 yards on 62 receptions and seven touchdowns.
Ford-Wheaton had a limited route tree in Neal Brown's offenses. Coming from his version of the air raid, he primarily lined up on the left side of the formation.
While those could be looked at as drawbacks to him as a prospect, it's also a sign there's some untapped potential there.
In a different offense, Ford-Wheaton might be given the opportunity to expand his route-running skills. It would also help to play with a good quarterback. Playing with JT Daniels didn't do him any favors other than giving him an opportunity to show off his magnetic hands in contested catch situations.
At worst, he's a deep threat who will carve out a role in the league for years to come.
OT Blake Freeland, BYU
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B/R Big Board Rank: No. 190
As a premium position, it isn't often that a team is able to find strong starting tackles on the third day of the draft. All six of the tackles who made the Pro Bowl this season were drafted in the first two days. Orlando Brown Jr. and Terron Armstead were third-round picks, the other four were picked in the top half of the first round.
So if a team can find a good starting tackle on the third day of the draft, they will create a massive edge. That's exactly what the Eagles did when they drafted Jordan Mailata in the seventh round of the 2018 draft.
Blake Freeland probably won't last that long, but he has some tools that could make him a huge steal nonetheless.
Freeland is a little slight at 6'8", 302 pounds, but he's an elite athlete with a relative athletic score of 9.83, per Kent Lee Platte of Pro Football Network. That athletic profile includes a 37" vertical and a 1.68 10-yard split from his 4.98 40-yard dash.
The BYU product lacks the pure power to routinely displace defenders in the run game, but he only gave up one sack in three seasons at BYU.
The fact that he has experience at both right and left tackle is also a major benefit. Freeland has some technical things he can clean up. But the athleticism and tools are there for him to be an elite pass protector.
That's a lot of potential value for someone who could be a fifth-round pick.
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CB Tre'Vius Hodges-Tomlinson, TCU
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B/R Big Board Rank: No. 161
The knock on Tre'Vius Hodges-Tomlinson is obvious. At 5'8", 178 pounds, he's an outlier in terms of size. His arms being 29" doesn't really make up for the lack of height, either.
But just watch him play and you'll see that he's fierce in coverage and doesn't play like a small corner. That's evident in his ball production. He had 35 passes defended and five interceptions over his final three years at TCU.
The nephew of Hall of Fame running back LaDainian Tomlinson, he has NFL bloodlines but plays like someone who has had to prove himself every step of the way.
He's a fiery competitor who is going to help the culture of any defensive-back room he goes to.
There's going to be an immediate urge to put him in as a slot corner, but he shouldn't be discounted in a system that would allow him to play outside. That's where he lined up at TU, and he only allowed a 42.5 passer rating last season, per PFF.
Even if he does get moved inside, he's still the kind of rugged and fearless defender who could thrive there as well.
A physical outlier has to play with an uncommon style. It's safe to say Hodges-Tomlinson has shown that with his ability to make plays on the ball throughout a sizable sample in college.
Edge Isaiah McGuire, Missouri
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B/R Big Board Rank: No. 122
Many Day 3 edge prospects are small outside linebacker types with extraordinary athletic testing or high-production defensive ends with subpar athleticism.
Missouri's Isaiah McGuire defies those categories.
At 6'4", 268 pounds, McGuire has more than enough size to line up as an NFL defensive end. He shows good strength against the running game and should be able to set a firm edge against outside runs.
McGuire doesn't have elite speed. He ran a 4.76 40-yard dash, but the most important thing is the 10-yard split. McGuire's was 1.59, earning him a 9.53 score from Kent Lee Platte's RAS formula.
Overall, McGuire posted a 9.51 score, which is still considered elite.
The 21-year-old demonstrates good use of his hands and was a productive player for Missouri. He totaled 14.5 sacks and 28 tackles for loss across his final 25 games as a Tiger.
Essentially, McGuire is a Power 5 prospect with solid production, great athletic testing and is still just 21. From that perspective, it's hard to understand how he isn't getting more hype.
A team could wind up with a good player at a premium position in the fourth round or later.
LB Ivan Pace Jr., Cincinnati
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B/R Big Board Rank: No. 139
Ivan Pace Jr. does not possess prototypical size for a linebacker in the NFL. At 5'10 1/2", 231 pounds, he's much more short and stout than the taller, longer linebackers in today's league.
That didn't stop him from being an absolute wrecking ball in the middle of the Cincinnati Bearcats defense last season. Transferring in from Miami (OH), Pace made his presence known in one year with Cincy.
He led the team in tackles (136), tackles for loss (20.5) and sacks (9) while also batting down four passes and forcing two fumbles.
Pace's athletic testing was nothing special, but he did run a 4.62 40-yard dash at his pro day, which is good enough long speed to hang with tight ends and running backs in coverage.
He's obviously a skilled blitzer, given his high sack total despite the lack of traditional pass-rusher length.
It's going to take the right defensive mind to get the most out of Pace. Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores has had success with blitzing linebackers like Jerome Baker before, and that might be a situation he could flourish in.
Either way, his block destruction and play speed should earn him a spot on a defense. There's a good chance he outperforms his draft stock wherever he goes.
CB Darius Rush, South Carolina
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B/R Big Board Rank: No. 128
Tariq Woolen made an immediate impact at cornerback for the Seattle Seahawks despite being a fifth-round pick. His size, length and athleticism earned some buzz in the draft process, but he was thought of as a project.
Turns out, he was ready to contribute right away and tied for the league lead in interceptions in his first season.
Darius Rush might not have that kind of rookie season, but he's the leader in the clubhouse to be this year's Woolen.
Rush (6'2", 198 pounds) originally came to Columbia as a wide receiver, but he was converted to corner and only started two years. However, he was an asset in coverage and allowed a passer rating allowed of 87.7.
He wasn't targeted often at South Carolina—he only saw 31 targets, per PFF—but he had seven passes defended and two interceptions, so he got a hand on about one-third of the passes thrown his way.
Rush has great straight-line speed. He ran a 4.36 40-yard dash at the combine to go with a 35" vertical.
Rush's best fit is as a zone corner in a system that's going to allow him to run with vertical routes and pass off in-breaking routes. With DeMeco Ryans taking over the Houston Texans, he makes sense as a potential running mate with Derek Stingley.
He's not the kind of corner you want playing a ton of man coverage, but he's going to be a disruptor if he's put in the right system.
RB Tyjae Spears, Tulane
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B/R Big Board Rank: No. 78
The reasons that Tyjae Spears could fall to Day 3 of the draft have little to do with his on-field ability. The Tulane back has the goods to be a contributor right away.
But there are injury concerns. At 5'10", 201 pounds, Spears is on the small side and already suffered a season-ending ACL injury in 2020. Those two factors are going to be important to NFL evaluators.
That's what makes him a potential steal, though. If he can stay healthy, he has the skill set to be a key contributor early and a lead back in due time.
Dane Brugler of The Athletic named Spears his top-performing running back at the Senior Bowl. He noted Spears' ability to catch the ball with the biggest hands of all the running backs in Mobile as well as his vision as a runner.
Those are things that show up on his Tulane tape. Spears was electric and finished off his career with 205 yards on 17 carries and four touchdowns against USC.
The B/R Scouting Department has Spears graded as a third-round prospect, but Spears' injury history puts him on this list as a potential Day 3 pick.
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