2015 NFL Rookies Who Already Look Like Draft-Day Steals

Even though the start of NFL training camps is still nearly a month away, numerous picks from the later rounds of the 2015 NFL draft already appear to be well on their way to outperforming their draft positions this upcoming season.

It will take time to assess the true steals of the 2015 draft, as it may be two or three years before some of the best hidden gems of the class emerge. But it’s never too early to start taking a look at which players are in line to give their teams strong returns on their investments.

While all of the following players were among the 256 prospects chosen in this year’s NFL draft, none of them were selected within the top 100 picks. Even so, each of them has already generated buzz for his performance in offseason workouts, and each is already building a strong case to get on the field regularly in his inaugural season.

If all of the following players continue to progress along the fast tracks they've started out on, they could have their teams looking very smart for drafting them by the end of 2015.

Justin Hardy, WR, Atlanta Falcons

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Having started his collegiate career at East Carolina as a walk-on and gone on to break the Football Bowl Subdivision’s all-time receptions record, Justin Hardy knows a thing or two about defying expectations on the football field.

So far, the Atlanta Falcons' fourth-round pick (No. 107 overall) appears to be putting himself in position to do the same in the NFL.

According to ESPN.com’s Vaughn McClure, Hardy “has impressed with his hands from the moment he joined the team.” The rookie has already received public praise from the man he most needs to impress this summer, that being Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan.

"Justin Hardy's done a great job," Ryan said, per McClure. "He's really picked up things. And you can see him kind of every practice he goes out there, he gets a little more comfortable and he becomes a little more confident. That's going to bode well for us. His production for us this season is going to be important."

According to McClure, Hardy “got some extended reps with the first-team offense” during the team’s mandatory minicamp. That might not have happened without Roddy White and Devin Hester being absent from practice, but nonetheless, it’s evident the Falcons are already gearing up for Hardy to play a role in the offense in 2015.

A 5’10”, 192-pound player who ran a 4.56-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine, Hardy fell in the draft because of his measurables. But while his subpar size and speed might limit his long-term upside, his consistent catching and route-running ability are what could ultimately make him a highly productive player as early as his rookie season.

Hardy will compete with Hester and Leonard Hankerson to be the Falcons’ No. 3 wide receiver in the wake of Harry Douglas’ departure to the Tennessee Titans this offseason. Considering his strong start, it should come as no surprise if he wins that battle right off the bat.

Michael Bennett, DT, Jacksonville Jaguars

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No player had a more unexpected fall in this year’s draft than former Ohio State defensive tackle Michael Bennett, who was widely projected to be a first- or second-round pick but stayed on the board until the Jacksonville Jaguars selected him in Round 6 with selection No. 180.

Given that, it’s no surprise that Bennett is already making a positive impression with his new team.

According to Jaguars reporter Mike Kaye of First Coast News, “Bennett has stood out to everyone, including the most important guy in the locker room, head coach Gus Bradley.”

“Nearly every defensive lineman has offered praise for their new teammate in the short time that he has been allowed on the field,” Kaye wrote in early June.

Jaguars defensive line coach Todd Wash, per Kaye, said that Bennett has been “flashing,” meaning that there have already been moments on the practice field in which the rookie has stolen the spotlight.

So long as Bennett can stay healthy—a groin injury played a big part in his draft slide—and continue his rapid development, it shouldn’t come as a surprise if the sixth-round pick continues to flash when the real games begin in September.

One of the star players on Ohio State’s national championship team last year, Bennett recorded 25.5 tackles for loss between his final two collegiate seasons. At his best as a one-gap penetrator, Bennett is unlikely to receive any starts in his rookie year, but he could play a valuable role off the bench as a situational interior pass-rusher.

Quandre Diggs, CB, Detroit Lions

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Quandre Diggs lacks the measurables one expects to see in an NFL cornerback, and he slid all the way to the No. 200 overall pick in this year’s draft as a result. Even so, the Texas product is standing out early, enough so that he could potentially end up starting in nickel packages as a rookie for the Detroit Lions.

During OTAs in May, Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com wrote that Diggs is a “serious contender” to win the Lions’ slot cornerback job this offseason.

The rookie reportedly continued to impress throughout organized team activities and minicamp, working with the first-team defense at nickelback almost every day, according to ESPN.com’s Michael Rothstein, who named Diggs as the Lions player who helped himself most over the course of spring workouts.

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Rookies typically don’t work with the first unit during organized team activities, yet from the beginning, the sixth-round pick lined up in nickel situations right alongside Rashean Mathis, Darius Slay, James Ihedigbo and Glover Quin in Detroit’s defensive backfield. He had more good days than bad days from the ones the media saw in the past month and he impressed defensive coordinator Teryl Austin early in organized workouts. He might not win the starting nickel job at the beginning of the season – veteran Josh Wilson might hold the edge – but he’s going to be in the middle of that competition throughout training camp.

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Diggs is the third slot cornerback prospect drafted by the Lions in the past four years, but he appears to already be ahead of where the others have been. 2012 third-round pick Bill Bentley was cut by the Lions earlier this month after three injury-plagued seasons, and 2014 fourth-round pick Nevin Lawson is still working his way back from a foot injury that limited him to two games in his rookie season.

A four-year starter at Texas, Diggs is smart, instinctive and physical. Those traits are enabling Diggs to get out to a fast start, despite the fact that he is small (5’9”, 196 lbs) and not fast (4.56-second 40-yard dash) by pro standards.

“He doesn’t have the length, he doesn’t have the height, but what he does have is a good understanding of football,” Austin told Twentyman. “He makes quick reactions, he has good eyes, good hands, good feet. That’s what you need as a defensive back.”

Darryl Roberts, CB, New England Patriots

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The New England Patriots struck gold in undrafted free agency last year when they signed Malcolm Butler, a cornerback from West Alabama who went on to steal a Super Bowl championship away from the Seattle Seahawks. This year, with a seventh-round pick this time, the Patriots might have unearthed a gem at the cornerback position again.

No. 247 overall selection Darryl Roberts came out of Marshall with terrific workout numbers, including a 4.38-second 40-yard dash, according to NFLDraftScout.com, but was considered to be a raw product on the field.

The latter might prove to be true in his rookie season, but even so, Roberts is reportedly making a push for immediate playing time. According to Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald, Roberts “got some work with the starters” during Patriots minicamp.

“Roberts keeps making a play a day and is a dark horse to steal a cornerback job,” Howe wrote.

Doug Kyed of NESN.com listed Roberts as one of the Patriots’ top five standouts from the team’s offseason. “The seventh-round draft pick must have impressed Patriots coaches early, because he immediately came in and earned significant snaps in the secondary during OTAs and minicamp,” Kyed wrote.

Even though it will likely take time for Roberts to hone his technique before he can be a consistent cover corner in the NFL, it’s not unreasonable to think he could end up playing a significant role as a rookie. He appears to be making a charge on a Patriots cornerback depth chart that is essentially wide open following the departures of Darrelle Revis, Brandon Browner and Kyle Arrington this offseason.

If Roberts can do anything to help the Patriots assuage their concerns at that position, while likely also playing a key role on special teams, he will provide great value for a player who was one of the last 10 picks of the draft.

Clayton Geathers, SS, Indianapolis Colts

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With a need to upgrade at the position, the Indianapolis Colts could have selected a safety with one of their first three picks in this year’s draft. It’s possible, though, that the player they drafted with the No. 109 overall pick could end up being as impactful as any safety they could have selected before him.

A 6’2”, 218-pound strong safety who was a four-year starter at Central Florida, Clayton Geathers brings great size and physicality, along with relatively good coverage ability, to the position.

According to ESPN.com’s Mike Wells, Geathers received “a lot of snaps in practice, even some with the first unit, during the team's OTAs.” Per Wells, Colts coach Chuck Pagano said that Geathers has “kind of exceeded [the team’s] expectations to this point.”

That doesn’t mean Geathers will start at strong safety as a rookie, but it appears he will at least get a shot to compete with free-agent addition Dwight Lowery for the spot next to Mike Adams in the lineup.

Even if Geathers does not win the starting job, he could see regular playing time. Given his measurables and ability to play the run, Geathers could play both safety and linebacker in subpackages.

“He’s been really impressive as far as picking things up,” Pagano said. “He’s an athletic guy. Like I said, he’s going to be one of those guys that in today’s football you can play inside as a dime backer and get faster, get more speed on the field and match up with the tight ends that we’ve got to cover now, the backs out of the backfield and things like that.”

If Geathers can fulfill a significant role on defense and special teams in his rookie year, and eventually graduate into full-time duty as a starting safety, then he could end up being one of the 2015 draft’s best values.

Jamil Douglas, LG, Miami Dolphins

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Despite having the NFL’s worst offensive line in 2014, according to Pro Football Focus, the Miami Dolphins did not make any rippling moves to upgrade the unit this offseason—or so it seemed. As it turns out, their only offensive line selection from the 2015 draft—fourth-round pick Jamil Douglas—could yield a ready-to-start rookie.

A 6’4”, 304-pound lineman with above-average athleticism for a big man, Douglas played left tackle for Arizona State as a senior but has moved back to left guard, the position he played in 2012 and 2013, for Miami. So far, he has reportedly performed well—well enough that he might be on the verge of ousting Dallas Thomas from the starting lineup, according to ESPN.com’s James Walker.

“I like what I've seen from Douglas so far,” Walker wrote following offseason workouts. “The most important aspect of his game is he's been solid holding the point of attack in pass protection, which is an area in which Thomas struggles.”

Dolphins coach Joe Philbin, the man who will ultimately make the decision on who starts at left guard, has also been impressed by the No. 114 overall selection.

“I like the fact that when he’s been in there he doesn’t make a lot of mental mistakes,” Philbin said, per Andrew Abramson of the Palm Beach Post. “I think he’s grasped the system relatively well. I think his play speed’s been pretty good. He doesn’t seem to hesitate a lot and that’s a good sign for a young guy.”

Douglas is not an outstandingly powerful blocker, but his experience, foot skills and technique give him the potential to emerge as a reliable player on the Dolphins interior offensive line.

If he can do so as early as 2015 and help make a bad unit better, the Dolphins will be getting excellent return value on their fourth-round draft choice.

All measurables courtesy of NFL.com unless otherwise noted.

Dan Hope is an NFL/NFL Draft Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report.

Follow @Dan_Hope