Dylan Sampson, Later-Round NFL Draft Picks Who Could Outplay New Teammates

Oftentimes, an NFL general manager will see a general roster weakness and attack it aggressively. They can do so during the draft by selecting more than one prospect at the same position and benefiting by either filling the need.

The plan of attack may not have been intentional at first but comes to fruition anyhow.

Famously, the Washington franchise chose Robert Griffin III with the second overall pick in the 2012 class. Three rounds later, the organization chose Kirk Cousins, who eventually became the team's starter. The latter continues to play in the NFL, while Griffin hasn't for five years.

This year, something similar may be playing out between the Cleveland Browns' Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders, though neither currently has the inside track to becoming the team's starting quarterback, at least to start the 2025 campaign. However, another position group in Cleveland could get the Dawg Pound excited based on its two incoming rookies.

Higher draft picks will always receive ample opportunities to stake their starting claims. However, they're not guaranteed anything, and those drafted later can outplay them along the way.

Eight scenarios will be fascinating to watch to see if a later-drafted option outperforms their more highly regarded positional counterpart.

Arizona Cardinals: CB Denzel Burke Over Will Johnson

AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki

If this conversation began based on pure talent as a cover corner, Will Johnson could be one of the steals of the draft because of an elite skill set. However, injuries caused him to plummet into the second round.

The Arizona Cardinals made sure to double-down on the cornerback selection by also choosing Denzel Burke in the fifth round.

Here's the thing about Burke: He was viewed as a potential first-round prospect based on his 2023 tape. He wasn't as consistent in 2024 and semi-reverted to the player with concerns from two years earlier.

"His size, athleticism and versatility make him a valuable piece for teams that utilize both man and zone coverage schemes," B/R scout Cory Giddings wrote. "With further consistency in his coverage technique and better discipline when playing the ball, Burke has the tools to become a reliable starting cornerback in the NFL."

A return to form for Burke, plus proper deployment in the Cardinals' scheme, makes this a very intriguing setup.

"First, the character," head coach Jonathan Gannon said when asked about Burke, per ESPN's Josh Weinfuss. "Really good guy, really smart. He's played at the highest level. He's played a lot of ball. We liked his skill set, thought he was a scheme fit, thought he was a Cardinal and kind of felt really good about adding him where we added him."

Depending on the long-term status of Johnson's knee, Burke could easily emerge as the bookend cornerback from this year's draft class.

Atlanta Falcons: Edge James Pearce Jr. Over Jalon Walker

AP

This setup is a tricky one. The Atlanta Falcons selected both Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr. in this year's first round, with the twosome landing 15th and 26th overall, respectively. The caveat centers on the team announcing both as defensive ends to boost its previously pathetic pass rush.

Technically, Walker is a linebacker with edge capabilities. In fact, he's the reigning Butkus Award winner as college football's best linebacker. However, the Falcons' intentions are clear as day.

"[Head coach] Raheem Morris says he was tired of getting grilled for the lack of a pass rush for the Falcons, and they were intentional about fixing that this offseason," Will McFadden of the team's official site tweeted. "'That's got to change, and the only way to change that is to change that.'"

Of the two, Walker is the more explosive and physical option. But he's far less polished as a pure edge-rusher. Whereas James Pearce Jr. presented No. 1 overall-level capabilities entering his final season on campus but fell in the first round due to attitude concerns.

“In the end, after sitting down with Pearce and a slew of people from his past, the team saw a guy who loves football, is hyper-competitive and has smarts, and the Falcons were willing to bet on Morris’s program to help him grow up," Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer reported.

A fully committed Pearce is quick and smooth as silk turning the edge. Both should dramatically help what's been a nearly non-existent edge rush for nearly a decade. Pearce had the highest pressure rate this past season of any of the top prospects in this year's draft class, and Walker had the fifth-highest.

Carolina Panthers: Edge Princely Umanmielen Over Nic Scourton

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The Carolina Panthers reworked their group of pass-rushers and decided Jadeveon Clowney won't be a part of the solution. Instead, a strong rookie presence will join DJ Wonnum, Pat Jones II and DJ Johnson.

"So, at the end of the day, there's opportunity for everyone in that room," defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero told reporters. "There's competition for everyone in that room. There's competition all the way across our defense and we're excited about that."

New general manager Dan Morgan selected Nic Scourton and Princley Umanmielen in this year's second and third rounds. The Panthers even traded up to select the latter of the two, which indicates how highly they think of Umanmielen.

"He bends about as good as any rusher that I've watched this year, so to get him, you know, the speed that he brings off the edge, his ability to bend, he's got a wicked spin move, he's got a long arm, he can do a lot of cool things, so, you know, I think he's just going to get better and better," Morgan said, per Kassidy Hill of the Panthers official site.

To Morgan's comments, Umanmielen has the more traditional build and approach as a pass-rusher compared to Scourton. The Texas A&M product has a stockier build and uses power with a spin counter that can really throw an offensive tackle off-balance. In contrast, the Ole Miss draft pick is long and lean with the flexibility to get under the pads of an opposing blocker and turn the edge.

Both approaches can work. Umanmielen has more upside overall, though.

Cleveland Browns: RB Dylan Sampson Over Quinshon Judkins

AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki

All eyes may be on the quarterback position in Cleveland, but the Browns are now a run-first team, with rookies Quinshon Judkins and Dylan Sampson leading the way.

Whoever starts behind center will need to lean heavily on the ground game and the play-action passing attack. Cleveland's front office understood the assignment knowing they had a shaky quarterback setup and decided to use second- and fourth-round picks to select Judkins and Sampson, respectively. Clearly, general manager Andrew Berry likes proven backs from the SEC, though Judkins finished his collegiate career at Ohio State.

"Judkins has proven to be productive in that area, and then with Dylan it's the same thing," Browns director of player personnel Dan Saganey told reporters. "He has speed and touchdown production. We're always looking for guys who can score touchdowns at any offensive position, and both these guys have proven that against the highest level of competition."

Judkins likely takes over as Cleveland's lead back at some point during his rookie season, even though veteran Jerome Ford remains on the roster. However, Sampson is someone to watch in this backfield.

Judkins has a bigger build and a little more explosiveness as an overall athlete. Sampson is a tad faster, a year younger and has far less wear on the tires. Judkins carried the ball 739 times between his stints with the Ole Miss Rebels and Buckeyes. Sampson increased his workload every year yet finished with 420, all culminating into being named the 2024 SEC Offensive Player of the Year.

Surprisingly, the smaller Sampson created more after contact when comparing the two last season and finished the campaign with 70 missed tackle forced, per Pro Football Focus, which says a lot about his vision as a runner, wiggle and lower-body strength.

Judkins could easily become the Browns' designated workhorse, while Sampson settles in as the more efficient but lightly used backup.

Cincinnati Bengals: OG Jalen Rivers Over Dylan Fairchild

AP Photo/Michael Laughlin

The Cincinnati Bengals drafted a pair of offensive linemen on the opposite sides of the same coin.

Dylan Fairchild and Jalen Rivers heard their names called in the third and fifth rounds, respectively.

Fairchild is bursting with potential to be a physically dominant interior protector after one season as a full-time starter. Whereas Rivers has started at guard and left tackle and is a far more mature prospect ready for the professional game.

"He's a buttoned-up, polished kid," Bengals director of college scouting Mike Potts said, per Geoff Hobson of the team's official site. "The coaches and staff at Miami could not speak higher of him. The favorite of many there."  

Offensive line coach Scott Peters added: "There's not much you need to tell him about being a pro. ... He already has that kind of conduct as he walked into the building."

A rookie stepping up and into a starting guard spot would be a tremendous boost for the Bengals offensive line. Maybe the occurrence happens next year since Cordell Volson isn't signed beyond this season.

Either way, Rivers is primed to help immediately, while Fairchild presents higher upside. At worst, Rivers becomes Cincinnati's utility lineman thanks to his ability to play multiple spots along the front five.

"Overall, Rivers is a hulking, imposing presence with good play strength, solid athletic ability and refined use of hands to weaponize his considerable wingspan," B/R scout Brandon Thorn wrote. "If his injury history checks out he will be able to compete for a starting role right away at guard in a downhill run scheme with the ability to play tackle in a pinch."

Houston Texans: WR Jaylin Noel Over Jayden Higgins

AP Photo/Ashley Landis

It's not much of a stretch to assume that Houston Texans wide receiver Jaylin Noel could outproduce fellow rookie Jayden Higgins since the two played together at Iowa State.

A year ago, Noel eked out the top spot on the Cyclones' stat sheet with 1,194 yards (11 more than Higgins). A season prior, Noel had fewer yards but more catches.

The Texans picked Higgins near the top of the second round, though, while Noel had to wait 45 more picks until he got the call.

"The pick was in, my name got called and immediately I thought about Jayden," Noel said, per ESPN's DJ Bien-Aime. "That is my guy; we have been playing together for the last two years. He called me, and we were just excited to be able to work with each other again and get to it."

The 6'4", 214-pound Higgins has much greater physical upside, especially lining up as the bookend to the 6'4" Nico Collins. Noel, meanwhile, is under 6'0" and weighs less than 200 pounds. However, he has the vertical speed to truly threaten a defense deep, which he can do from the slot or working outside the numbers.

"I think they benefit from having each other," head coach DeMeco Ryans said. "By having their brother from college to be with you throughout this process, it's only going to help both of those guys and speed up their transition to the NFL."

The pressure often felt by fellow draftees may be lessened since there should be less of a competitive nature because the two worked together in the same college offense.

Noel may not garner as many targets initially, but he has a penchant for creating separation that can make up for any lost ground found in usage rate.

Miami Dolphins: DT Jordan Phillips Over Kenneth Grant

AP Photo/Lynne Sladky

The Miami Dolphins had a clear and obvious agenda entering the 2025 NFL draft: get bigger and more physical in the trenches, particularly along the defensive interior. They did so with gusto by drafting Kenneth Grant, Jonah Savaiinaea, Jordan Phillips and Zeek Biggers with four of their eight draft picks.

Grant is the crown jewel of the class as this year's 13th overall pick. However, the 6'4", 331-pound uber-athlete has never quite pieced together everything from a physical and technique standpoint to be a dominant nose tackle. He's still a work-in-prospect with massive upside.

Phillips, whom Miami chose in the fifth round, is also an excellent athlete, though he plays more like a traditional nose tackle. His former collegiate coach, Mike Locksley, explained during an interview on Dolphins Drive Time:

“Because of wrestling, he understood body-under-body, pad-under-pad, and that’s how you eat up double-teams, that’s how you maintain the line of scrimmage—the low man typically wins. He did his job in our system, and I know coming into this draft some of the knock on him was the lack of production, because what we asked him to do was eat up double-teams powerfully and knock the line back, and it affected the run game quite a bit.

"They don’t get a credit for that production because it doesn't have a tackle, doesn't say TFL [tackle for loss], but when other people are making TFLs because he's pushed the 'A-gap' three yards deep, people that know football understand what that brings to the table."

Neither Grant nor Phillips will ever get the amount of credit they deserve for doing the dirty work along a defensive front. Right now, Phillips may be better prepared to do so while the Dolphins' first-round investment refines his technique.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: WR Tez Johnson Over Emeka Egbuka

AP Photo/Chris O'Meara

The idea of a seventh-round draft pick outplaying a first-round selection falls under the bold prediction category. Then again, Tez Johnson isn't a typical seventh-round pick.

Johnson was one of college football's most dynamic playmakers over the last two seasons, with a total of 169 catches for 2,080 yards and 20 touchdown grabs.

Johnson will have to make a positive impression on special teams before cracking a deep wide receiver rotation.

"The feeling here is that Johnson makes the team as the fifth receiver on the depth chart behind Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Emeka Egbuka and Jalen McMillan largely because I think he’ll win the punt return duties," Pewter Report's Scott Reynolds wrote. "Not only will Johnson have to battle Trey Palmer, who is coming off a disappointing season as a receiver and a punt returner last year, due to his 8.8-yard average, but also Kam Johnson as well."

How can Johnson even consider the possibility of outplaying Egbuka, who the team selected with this year's 19th overall pick?

The Ohio State product was the most polished route-runner in this year's class. But he's not viewed as an overly explosive receiving threat.

Johnson may not have tested particularly well, but he's lighting in a bottle when it comes to creating separation and shaking defenders in short areas. He can make plays all over the field, which should garner him more and more opportunities as the season progresses. A slight frame (5'10", 154 lbs) and somewhat disappointing 40-yard dash aren't enough to say the electricity seen at the college level can't translate to the pros.