10 Late-Round Picks Who Could Get Early Playing Time

When NFL teams select draft picks in the first three rounds, they expect them to contribute. Players drafted on Day 1 and Day 2 should be key backups at worst, preferably rotational players and ideally starters.

The expectations just aren’t the same for Day 3 picks. Many won’t even make the 53-man roster, and a large percentage of them will be backups.

A select few late-round rookies will get early playing time. A couple will start right away, a few more will take over by midseason and several will be important situational players.

Here’s an early look at the rookies who could get early playing time in 2015.

DE Max Valles—Oakland Raiders

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There are going to be more opportunities for a late-round draft pick to carve out a role on a team like the Oakland Raiders than the average team. Even though the Raiders filled most of their biggest weaknesses in free agency, they didn’t find an edge pass-rusher.

The Raiders finished last season 30th in sacks and sack percentage, so they could have used some help getting to the opposing quarterback. The Raiders have an abundance of players who can play on first and second down or third down inside like veteran defensive end Justin Tuck, but not on third down off the edge.

Finding a player to come off the edge opposite second-year linebacker Khalil Mack on third downs is going to be a challenge for the Raiders, and they know it. There aren’t even that many contenders for the job.

Sixth-round pick Max Valles need only beat out Benson Mayowa to earn significant playing time as a rookie. Valles could very well be a nickel rusher, which means he’ll play about half the defensive snaps.

Head coach Jack Del Rio both acknowledged recently on SiriusXM NFL radio that his team had a need for a pass-rusher and that Valles is one of the two players the team is currently hoping can fill that void, (via Raiders.com):

"

We have Khalil Mack. We know he’s an impactful guy, and then we have to develop the other guys. We have Benson [Mayowa] on one side. We have some opportunities. We took a guy late, Max Valles, that had nine sacks last year in college. We’ll give these guys an opportunity to compete and to give us that element coming off the other edge.

"

Mayowa, who was claimed off waivers from the Seattle Seahawks at the end of training camp, had one sack last year as the Raiders’ situational rusher. Mayowa was 50th out of 56 qualified 4-3 defensive ends in Pro Football Focus’ pass-rush productivity.

It shouldn’t be too hard for Valles to earn playing time as a rookie.

DT Grady Jarrett—Atlanta Falcons

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The Atlanta Falcons were even worse than the Raiders at getting after the quarterback last season. They registered the same number of sacks, 22, but defended against more passes. First-round pick Vic Beasley should be a quick fix off the edge, but on the inside, they still need help.

Outside of veteran Jonathan Babineaux, the Falcons have mostly space-eaters on the defensive front. Babineaux will be 34 this year, so the Falcons should also start a transition away from him. Fifth-round pick Grady Jarrett fits in well as a space-eating defensive lineman, but he also adds a little more in the way of a pass rush than the rest of the depth chart.

For that reason, Jarrett is going to find his way onto the field as a rookie. Ra’Shede Hageman, Tyson Jackson and Paul Soliai simply aren’t the types that are going to push the pocket consistently.

Per Michael Mountford, Jarrett finished second in Pro Football Focus’ run-stop percentage against Power Five opponents in 2014, so the Falcons may not sacrifice much in terms of run defense with him. More impressively, Jarrett finished fifth in pass-rushing productivity against Power Five opponents.

Corey Peters' departure to the Arizona Cardinals clears a big chunk of the defensive snaps for a defensive tackle that can get after the quarterback a little bit as Jarrett can. New head coach Dan Quinn will also have a more attacking style than the Falcons played with last year, so there may be even more snaps for a one-gap player like Jarrett.

Jarrett has great odds to work into the Falcons’ defensive line rotation despite being a late-round pick. Down the line, Jarrett might even start.

G Jon Feliciano—Oakland Raiders

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The other position the Raiders failed to address this offseason was right guard. Austin Howard is moving back to right tackle and will compete with Menelik Watson, and for the first time veteran Khalif Barnes will get to stay inside at guard.

Barnes has never consistently played inside where he should be better, but it’s no cure-all to his issues. The reality of the situation is that Barnes is best when he’s a sixth offensive lineman and not starting.

“(Right guard is) likely to be a very competitive situation in camp,” Del Rio said at the owner’s meeting in March, per Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com. “I like Khalif more as a guy that has the ability to be a utility guy, but if he ends up being the fifth-best option, then so be it. If he earns it, then we’re certainly not going to stand in his way. We’re going to have the best people on the field.”

That was before the Raiders selected Jon Feliciano in the fourth round for new offensive line coach Mike Tice to mold. Tice helped turn around Atlanta’s offensive line last season, despite losing five players to season-ending injuries.

Feliciano has already overcome a lot in his life. He was born with a foot deformity, and the doctor told his mother he’d never play sports. Feliciano was homeless in high school before landing a scholarship at Miami. Overcoming his status as a late-round draft pick to start seems minor by comparison.

“Right guard and right tackle is an open competition,” Tice said after the draft (via Bair). “We’re pretty set on the left and in the middle, and hopefully those guys can maintain their growth. We pointed out some things they can get better at, but the right side is where the competition is.”

With Barnes as the sixth offensive lineman being the coaching staff’s preference, Feliciano is going to have every opportunity to earn a starting job as a rookie. Barnes will push him in training camp, but if all goes well, Feliciano will start Week 1.

OLB Kyle Emanuel—San Diego Chargers

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Yet another team that struggled to get after the quarterback in 2014 was the San Diego Chargers. They were so bad they ranked 29th in the league in both sacks and sack percentage, just ahead of the Raiders.

The Chargers didn’t retain veteran pass-rusher Dwight Freeney, leaving last year’s second-round pick Jeremiah Attaochu and Melvin Ingram as the team’s two top edge-rushers. Attaochu should improve in 2015, but even his development and a good season from Ingram would barely make up for the loss of Freeney.

Fifth-round pick Kyle Emanuel is the player the Chargers are hoping develops as a rookie to add to the team’s lackluster pass rush. Emanuel was a defensive end at North Dakota State, but he is transitioning to outside linebacker.

"He has good size," Telesco said about Emanuel after the draft, per Eric D. Williams of ESPN. "He's tough, instinctive and obviously was highly productive. He has really good first-step quickness—which pass rushers need at this level—and a good feel for it.”

Considering the depth at linebacker in San Diego, Emanuel should be able to earn some snaps much like Attaochu did in 2014. If he develops as a linebacker quickly, the Chargers may give him an even bigger role, especially if there are any injuries at the position.

RB Jay Ajayi – Miami Dolphins

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Running back Jay Ajayi fell all the way to the fifth round before the Miami Dolphins picked him to compete with Lamar Miller. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN (via ESPN's James Walker), the talented back reportedly has "major cartilage issues in his right knee," resulting in "bone-on-bone," and the fear that his career wouldn’t last long pushed him down draft boards.

The career of running backs is already short, and Ajayi hasn’t had a problem with the knee since tearing his ACL as a true freshman. In fact, he just got better in college as his knee got more and more wear, including 347 carries and 50 receptions in 2014.

Last season, he had 1,823 rushing yards and 535 receiving. Obviously, 2,358 yards from scrimmage and 32 touchdowns is incredible production for any college player, so at some point the injury had to be overlooked.  

“It’s a player that we highly rated on our board,” said assistant general manager Eric Stokes (via James Walker of ESPN). “Obviously from a medical standpoint, we’ve done a lot of work. Our doctors, they all do an excellent job. We were very comfortable from that standpoint. It was not an issue as much. This kind of talent, to be there where he was, it was a perfect fit.”

Miller has been in the league for three years and surpassed 1,000 yards for the first time in 2014, but he’s also entering the last year of his rookie contract. The Dolphins were reluctant to give Miller the starting job until last year, as prior to that he split carries with Daniel Thomas.

If the talented Ajayi’s knee really is a ticking time bomb, the Dolphins should make an effort to use him early and often. Expect Ajayi to be a change-of-pace back at worse for Miller and to potentially split carries.

In regard to the knee, Ajayi has maintained that it hasn’t been a problem. When asked after rookie camp, he was emphatic with his reponse.

"Absolutely not," he declared (via Chris Perkins of the Sun Sentinel). "I'm healthy, I feel great and I'm just focused on doing whatever I can out here to help this team win a championship."

WR Stefon Diggs—Minnesota Vikings

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The Minnesota Vikings brought in Mike Wallace from the Miami Dolphins, but otherwise have unknown or uninspiring commodities at wide receiver. Jarius Wright, Charles Johnson and Cordarrelle Patterson combined for 1,447 yards last season, so a little under 500 yards each.

Stefon Diggs is a wide receiver the Vikings selected in the fifth round who could see action as a rookie. In many ways, Diggs will replicate what Patterson was supposed to be in the slot to free up Wallace and Johnson outside and give quarterback Teddy Bridgewater an adequate safety valve.

Diggs isn’t the fastest player, but he runs a good route and has big hands, which makes him very different from Patterson. Wright is probably the only thing standing in Diggs’ way of a substantial slot role for the Vikings, which isn’t much.

Another option for Diggs is kick returner, which is another area where he could overtake Patterson. The team appears to be moving away from the former No. 1 pick, which should give Diggs more opportunities.

G/T T.J. Clemmings—Minnesota Vikings

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Another player who fell in the draft due to an injury was offensive lineman T.J. Clemmings. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Mike Huguenin of NFL.com), a stress fracture showed up during the NFL Scouting Combine medical checks, but like Ajayi, the injury hasn’t slowed him down.

Clemmings ultimately went in the fourth round to the Minnesota Vikings, but he has a chance to be a key contributor as a rookie.

In fact, the Vikings moved Brandon Fusco from right guard to left guard at their first open organized team activity and played Clemmings at right guard, per Ben Goesslin of ESPN. Head coach Mike Zimmer reportedly said the move was to benefit Clemmings by keeping him on the same side as he was in college.

That’s a great sign that the team thinks a player is going to start as a rookie. The Vikings wouldn’t shuffle the offensive line as they have if they didn’t think that Clemmings could hold it down at right guard. They can always put Fusco back at right guard, but in general, that’s not what they want to do.

"We know that Fusco can always move back if we plug somebody else in at left guard,” Zimmer said (via Goesslin).

At this point, Zimmer hasn’t even considered the possibility enough to throw out the name of a left guard who could fill in. Barring injury, Clemmings is very likely to start for the Vikings at right guard.

WR Justin Hardy—Atlanta Falcons

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The Falcons join the Raiders and Vikings with two late-round picks who could get early playing time as rookies. Fourth-round pick Justin Hardy will immediately step into a role as the team’s slot receiver to replace the departed Harry Douglas.

Since tight end Tony Gonzalez's retirement, the Falcons have missed a safety valve for quarterback Matt Ryan. Hardy can serve that purpose in new offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan’s West Coast offense.

Hardy has big 10” hands and ran the second-fastest three cone at the combine at 6.63 seconds. It was the fastest time for a wide receiver, which means it was faster than first-round picks Phillip Dorsett and Amari Cooper. Hardy is also bigger than Dorsett, which makes it even more impressive.

Although Hardy may struggle to create separation on his own as a rookie, the presence of wide receivers Julio Jones and Roddy White should unsure favorable matchups. Hardy displays soft hands to make the open catches and the shiftiness in the open field to gain yards after the catch.

As a rookie, Hardy came into a great situation and should have a defined role as a rookie as a slot receiver despite his draft status. Maybe Hardy can fulfill the promise that Douglas never did.

C/G Max Garcia—Denver Broncos

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New Denver Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak is revamping the offensive line so he can run his zone-blocking scheme. Second-round pick Ty Sombrailo has a good chance at starting at right tackle, but left guard and center are open for competition.

The Broncos brought in a few veterans, but fourth-round pick Max Garcia could figure into the rotation at either spot early in the season. The Broncos traded away center Manny Ramirez and lost left guard Orlando Franklin in free agency, so there are positions open on that offensive line.

General manager John Elway has already said both Sambrailo and Garcia could "come in and compete for jobs right away" and Kubiak called them “a quick study,” per Jeff Legwold of ESPN.

"We think we have two guys that are way ahead of the curve mentally as far as scheme, our calls and what we’re going to ask them to do," Kubiak said, per Legwold. “So, we think that puts them in a competitive situation, a competitive environment and a chance to help us quicker than maybe some other players could."

It’s worth noting that the Broncos lumped Garcia with their second-round pick Sombrailo as they were under no obligation to do so. Clearly the Broncos are high on both linemen, but Garcia due to the nature of getting selected on Day 3 of the draft, isn’t getting nearly as much buzz.

It’s rare that a Day 3 pick has a chance to start for a good team, but the changes in Denver have made it possible in 2015. Don’t rule out Garcia beating out the veterans for the starting job as the Broncos try to establish a consistent group that can develop together throughout the season.

RB David Cobb—Tennessee Titans

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Bishop Sankey rushed for just 569 yards for the Tennessee Titans in 2014 and averaged a meager 3.7 yards per carry. Shonn Greene was slightly better at 392 yards and 4.2 yards per carry, but it wouldn’t be accurate to call either good starters at this point.

At 2-14, the Titans had other pressing needs in free agency and the draft, but they did manage to get running back David Cobb in the fifth round. The 230-pounder out of Minnesota isn’t much of a receiver, but he’s big, powerful and deceptively quick for his size.

The Titans will be trying to protect their rookie quarterback, Marcus Mariota, so running the ball will be important. If Sankey doesn’t improve drastically, inserting Cobb into the lineup is a good alternative.

It’s worth noting that the Titans want Sankey to gain weight, per Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean. Essentially the Titans want Sankey to weigh closer to what Cobb weighs now, so he can gain more yards between the tackles.  

"We'd like him in the 215 to 220 range,'' Whisenhunt said, per Wyatt. "I just feel like as far as having some thump in the A-gap when he has protection or being able to get extra yards on a carry, I think that can help him."

Cobb still has to learn how to be a pro, but once he settles in, he’s an ideal two-down running back who can stay in to block on third or sub out for a better receiver. He should share carries with Sankey right away and has the potential to gain a larger share if he outperforms him early in the season.