Ranking the 25 Best Late-Round NFL Draft Steals of All Time

In my years as Minnesota Vikings general manager and Tennessee Titans president, I had a standard speech I would make to our player personnel/scouting staff and coaches as we entered Day 3 of the NFL draft.

I'd say the draft is an inexact science and emphasize that there are great, Hall of Fame-caliber players in every round. We needed to identify and select such players in Rounds 4-7.

Some of those players will develop into future starters, depth players and special teams standouts who will have an outsized impact on their teams and the league at large. A select few might even join the list of the best late-round draft steals in NFL history.

To determine which players merit that distinction right now, we considered their career longevity, number of Super Bowls and postseason success, overall career production, career accolades/honors, and position impact. Elite quarterbacks, pass-rushers, wide receivers, offensive tackles and shutdown corners will generally rank higher, which coincides with their salaries usually being the highest position-wise.

Draft round was also a key factor. A star seventh-round pick is a bigger steal than a fourth-round pick if both have similar stats/accolades/impact.

With that in mind, we've ranked the 25 best late-round NFL draft steals of the modern era (since the NFL/AFL merger in 1970).

Honorable Mentions

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Vikings WR Cris Carter

WR Cris Carter (1987)

The Philadelphia Eagles selected Carter in the fourth round of the 1987 supplemental draft, which is the only reason why he didn't make the top 25 here.

The Hall of Famer was one of the top wide receivers of all time. He had great hands, ran precise routes and was tremendous on tough sideline and end-zone catches.

He was released from the Eagles in 1990 due to off-field issues and joined the Vikings, where he was a three-time All-Pro and an eight-time Pro Bowler. He ranks sixth all-time in career receptions (1,101), fourth in touchdown receptions (130) and 13th in receiving yards (13,899).  

Carter had eight straight 1,000-plus yard seasons from 1993 through 2000, and he led the league in touchdown receptions three times between 1995 and 1999. He also had eight touchdown catches in the playoffs.

WR Stefon Diggs (2015)

The Minnesota Vikings selected Diggs with a fifth-round pick in 2015. He had five productive seasons with them before they traded him to the Buffalo Bills, including the 2017 campaign when he hauled in the "Minneapolis Miracle" in the final seconds to beat New Orleans in the divisional round of the playoffs.

Diggs had his most productive years with the Bills, topping 1,000 receiving yards and eight touchdowns in four straight seasons. He was named to the Pro Bowl in each of those seasons and was All-Pro twice in that span. Diggs led the NFL with 127 catches and 1,535 receiving yards in 2020.

He has spent the last two seasons in Houston and New England, where he had 85 catches for 1,013 yards and four touchdowns while helping to guide the Patriots to the Super Bowl. He has 942 regular-season catches for 11,504 yards and 74 touchdowns across his career, making him one of 21 players all-time to top all three of those marks.

FB Kyle Juszczyk (2013)

The Baltimore Ravens originally selected Juszczyk in the fourth round of the 2013 draft out of Harvard, and he made the Pro Bowl for the first time in his final season with the Ravens. He signed the largest contract for a fullback in NFL history with the 49ers in 2017 and has been a key contributor as a run-blocker, pass protector and receiver out of the backfield ever since.

He's made the Pro Bowl every year in San Francisco and has been selected All-Pro in each of the last three years.

Juszczyk has 305 career receptions for 2,877 yards and 20 touchdowns along with six rushing touchdowns in his 13-year career. He has played on five 49ers playoff teams, two of which lost in the Super Bowl.

WR Andre Reed (1988)

The Buffalo Bills took Reed with a fourth-round pick in 1988 from Kutztown. The seven-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro was a key member of four Bills Super Bowl teams. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2014.

Reed ranks 19th all-time with 13,198 receiving yards and 22nd with 951 catches over 16 seasons (15 in Buffalo and a final season in Washington). He has the fourth-most career Super Bowl receptions (27).

A career highlight came in the 1992 postseason, when he had three touchdown catches in the second half of the Bills' playoff-record comeback from a 3- point deficit to beat Houston.

25. K Morten Andersen (1982)

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Morten Andersen was born in Denmark and was a standout soccer player before kicking for one season in high school in Indianapolis and then moving on to Michigan State. The New Orleans Saints selected him in the fourth round of the 1982 draft.

Andersen is one of three kickers in the Pro Football Hall of Fame (along with Jan Stenerud and Adam Vinatieri) following his 25-year NFL career. He holds the NFL record for most regular-season games played with 382.

The six-time All-Pro and seven-time Pro Bowler ranks second in career field goals (565) and points scored (2,544). He is the Saints' all-time leading scorer from his 13 seasons in New Orleans.

Andersen went on to kick for four other teams, including the Atlanta Falcons. He made the game-winning 38-yard field goal in overtime to beat the 16-1 Minnesota Vikings in the 1998 NFC Championship Game, sending the Falcons to their first Super Bowl.

24. WR Amon-Ra St. Brown (2021)

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The competition was fierce for late-round stars at wide receiver. Amon-Ra St. Brown has earned his spot with a terrific start to his career.

Since the Detroit Lions selected him in the fourth round of the 2021 draft, he has 547 receptions for 6,252 yards and 44 touchdowns over his first five seasons. He has another 30 catches for 411 yards and one touchdown in four playoff games.

St. Brown has the seventh-most receiving yards among anyone over the first five years of their career in NFL history. No player has ever racked up more receptions over the first five years of their career than him.

St. Brown is on a streak of four straight seasons with 100-plus catches and over 1,100 receiving yards. He's made the Pro Bowl in each of those four seasons and has been selected first-team All-Pro twice and second-team All-Pro once.

He's a big part of a Detroit offense that has ranked in the top five each of the last four years, and he was a key contributor for the Lions when they won the NFC North in 2023 and 2024.  

23. TE George Kittle (2017)

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George Kittle was a fifth-round bargain from Iowa in 2017. He's been a starter every season in his nine-year career, and his elite athleticism has been on display as an excellent receiving and blocking tight end.

Kittle has made seven Pro Bowls, including each of the past five, and has been named to five All-Pro teams. He's even overtaken Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce as the first-team All-Pro tight end twice.

For his career, Kittle now has 595 catches for 8,008 yards and 52 touchdowns in the regular season and 34 catches for 461 yards and two touchdowns in 13 playoff games. He's played in two Super Bowls.

During a 2018 win over the Denver Broncos, Kittle set a franchise record for receiving yards by a tight end in a game with 210 on seven receptions, all of which came in the first half. That was the third-highest single-game total all-time for a tight end, trailing only Shannon Sharpe and Jackie Smith.

Kittle has the second-most receiving yards in a season for a tight end in NFL history with 1,377 in 2018, which ranks behind Kelce's 1,416 yards in 2020. Kittle's 2025 extension for $19.1 million per year made him the highest-paid tight end in NFL history.    

22. OG Jahri Evans (2006)

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Like many late-round steals, Evans played at a small college—Division II Bloomsburg in Pennsylvania—before the New Orleans Saints drafted him in the fourth round in 2006. He earned a starting job as a rookie and remained a starter his entire career.

Evans was an outstanding run-blocker and pass protector and was a durable player as well. He missed only nine games in his 12-year career (11 years with the Saints and a final season in Green Bay in 2017).

Evans is a six-time Pro Bowler, four-time first-team All-Pro, one-time second-team All-Pro and was named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame's 2010s All-Decade Team. He's been a repeated finalist for the Hall of Fame. 

Evans won the Super Bowl with the Saints in 2009. He is currently an assistant offensive line coach for the Steelers. 

21. S Jake Scott (1970)

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It's surprising that Jake Scott is not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame given his career resume.

He had 49 career interceptions, two first-team All-Pro nods, three-time second-team All-Pro selections, five Pro Bowls, two Super Bowl wins and a Super Bowl MVP in 1972 (when he had two interceptions in Miami's win over Washington to complete the team's undefeated season).

Scott was a versatile player who also had 1,494 yards as a punt and kickoff returner.

The Miami Dolphins took Scott with a seventh-round pick in 1970 after a College Football Hall of Fame career at Georgia and a one-year stint in the CFL. He snagged 35 interceptions during his six seasons with the Dolphins before being traded to Washington in 1976 due to a strained relationship with head coach Don Shula.

He played the last three years of his career in Washington, where he added 14 interceptions.

20. QB Brock Purdy (2022)

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How can we keep a Mr. Irrelevant who turns into a Pro Bowl and Super Bowl quarterback off this list of late-round steals?

Drafted with the 262nd and final pick in 2022 out of Iowa State, Brock Purdy made the San Francisco 49ers roster as the third-string quarterback. He took over the starting spot late in his rookie season after injuries to No. 3 overall pick Trey Lance (traded two years later to Dallas) and Jimmy Garoppolo.

Purdy went on to win his first five regular-season starts and became the lowest-drafted QB to start and win a playoff game (against Seattle in the 2022 Wild Card Round). He also was victorious over Dallas in the divisional round to win his seventh straight game before an elbow injury derailed him in the NFC Championship Game at Philadelphia.

In his second season, Purdy set a team record with 4,280 passing yards, led the league in passer rating (113.0), threw 31 touchdown passes and went 12-4 as the starter as he led the 49ers to the NFC's top seed. He won two playoff games before throwing for 255 yards and one touchdown with no turnovers in an overtime loss to the Chiefs in Super Bowl LVIII.

Purdy is the lowest-drafted quarterback ever to start in a Super Bowl. He was also selected as the NFC's starting quarterback for the Pro Bowl.

The 49ers signed Purdy to a five-year, $265 million extension in 2025. He overcame injuries last season to go 7-2 as the starter and beat the defending champion Philadelphia Eagles on the road in the Wild Card Round before the 49ers fell at Seattle in the divisional round.

Due to his 30-15 regular season record and 5-3 playoff mark along with a 104.0 career passer rating (highest in NFL history), Purdy made the cut here over Dak Prescott (fourth-round pick by Dallas in 2016) and Kirk Cousins (fourth-round pick by Washington in 2012). Both have been longtime starters and big producers in the regular season, but they each have losing playoff records (2-5 for Prescott and 1-3 for Cousins).     

19. C Jason Kelce (2011)

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The Philadelphia Eagles selected Jason Kelce with a sixth-round pick in 2011 out of Cincinnati. He fell in the draft because he was considered undersized for a center.

Kelce then used his athleticism, quickness/mobility, football IQ and leadership skills to become one of the best centers in NFL history.

He was the first rookie in Eagles history to start all 16 regular-season games at center, and spent his entire 13-year career as the starting center in Philadelphia.

Kelce is a six-time first-team All-Pro and seven-time Pro Bowler. He only got better with age, too. All six of his All-Pro selections came in his 30s.

Kelce won the Super Bowl in 2017 when the Eagles topped the New England Patriots, and he also played in Super Bowl LVII, where the Eagles lost to the Kansas City Chiefs. Kelce started 12 postseason games for the Eagles.

Jason and Travis Kelce are a lock to eventually join Shannon and Sterling Sharpe as the only other pair of brothers in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

18. C Mike Webster (1974)

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The Pittsburgh Steelers' 1974 draft class is likely the greatest of all time.

Four players from that draft are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame: fifth-round center Mike Webster, first-round wide receiver Lynn Swann, second-round linebacker Jack Lambert and fourth-round wide receiver John Stallworth. A fifth Hall of Famer—safety Donnie Shell—was an undrafted free agent whom the Steelers signed that year.

Webster came to the Steelers from Wisconsin. The Hall of Famer played on four Steelers' Super Bowl championship teams and was the starting center for the title-winning teams in the 1978 and 1979 seasons.

Renowned for his strength, durability and leadership—he was an offensive captain for nine years—Webster became the Steelers' starting center in 1976 and anchored the Pittsburgh O-line for 150 consecutive games. He played for the Kansas City Chiefs to close out his NFL career in 1989-1990.

Webster's career spanned 17 seasons, 245 regular-season games and 19 playoff games. He was a five-time first-team All-Pro, a one-time second-team All-Pro and made nine Pro Bowl teams.  

17. LB Zach Thomas (1996)

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Many scouts thought Zach Thomas was too small and not fast enough to play linebacker in the NFL. Hall of Fame coach Jimmy Johnson thought otherwise, and the Miami Dolphins picked him in the fifth round of the 1996 draft.

Thomas became an immediate starter and kept the job for 12 years in Miami and a final season in Dallas in 2008. He played on five Dolphins playoff teams.

Thomas twice led the league in tackles (2002 and 2006) and had over 100 tackles in 10 seasons. He was an every-down linebacker who had 17 career interceptions, and he was an effective blitzer with 20.5 career sacks. He also forced 17 fumbles and returned four interceptions for touchdowns.

Thomas led a Miami defense that finished top 10 in total defense for seven straight seasons (1998-2004).

He was selected to seven Pro Bowls and was first-team All-Pro five times and second-team All-Pro twice. Thomas made the Pro Football Hall of Fame's All-Decade Team for the 2000s and was a Hall of Fame inductee in 2023.

16. LB Harry Carson (1976)

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Harry Carson played defensive end at South Carolina State, but he immediately moved to linebacker after the New York Giants selected him with a fourth-round pick in 1976. The result was a Hall of Fame career.

Carson was a starter throughout his 13-year career (all with Big Blue) and led the team in tackles five times. He was a 10-year captain for an often-elite defensive team that included Hall of Fame linebacker Lawrence Taylor, who played alongside him for many years.

Carson was an elite run-stopper with 856 career tackles and a playmaker with 19 sacks, 12 interceptions, 21 forced fumbles and 14 fumble recoveries over 190 career games, including 17 in the postseason.

Carson was selected to nine Pro Bowls and earned All-Pro honors six times. He was a Super Bowl champion in the 1986 season and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2006 after too long a wait.

15. RB Terrell Davis (1995)

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It's rare for a late-round running back to have a Hall of Fame career, but that was the case with Terrell Davis.

The Denver Broncos selected Davis with a sixth-round pick in 1995. He entered training camp as a long shot to make the team, but he impressed head coach Mike Shanahan during training camp and the preseason. He wound up starting right away and had his first of four straight 1,000-yard rushing seasons as a rookie.

Knee injuries limited Davis to only a seven-year NFL career, but he finished with with regular-season totals of 7,607 career rushing yards and 60 rushing touchdowns along with 169 career catches for 1,280 yards and five touchdowns. He added 1,140 rushing yards (142.5 yards per game), 12 rushing touchdowns and 131 receiving yards in eight postseason games.

Davis' three-year run from 1996-1998 was particularly outstanding. He talied 1,538 rushing yards, 1,750 yards and a league-leading 2,008 yards during the regular season those years, and he had 21 touchdowns in 1998 when he earned NFL MVP honors. He also led the league with 15 rushing touchdowns in 1997.

Davis was a two-time Super Bowl champion in the 1997 and 1998 seasons and was MVP of Super Bowl XXXII when he rushed for 157 yards and three touchdowns (tied with Jalen Hurts for the Super Bowl record) in the win over Green Bay. He had 102 rushing yards and 50 receiving yards in the Super Bowl XXXIII victory over Atlanta.

Davis was selected first-team All-Pro three times and also made three Pro Bowl teams. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2017.

14. OT David Bakhtiari (2013)

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The Packers made an astute pick when they selected Colorado tackle David Bakhtiari in the fourth round of the 2013 draft. He was the starting left tackle protecting Aaron Rodgers' blind side for 118 regular-season games and nine playoff games over his first eight seasons, with only 10 games missed due to injury.

He was initially inserted into the starting offensive line in 2013 training camp due to an ACL injury to Brian Bulaga. Bakhtiari played so well in his rookie season that the Packers moved Bulaga to right tackle the next season.

Bakhtiari developed into an elite left tackle with excellent technique, strength, movement skills and great consistency. He was selected to an All-Pro team five times and to the Pro Bowl three times. He became the highest-paid offensive lineman in NFL history when he signed a four-year extension worth up to $105.5 million in 2020.

However, Bakhtiari tore his ACL in practice late in the 2020 season, which was the beginning of the end for him. He played in only 13 games over the next three seasons before the Packers released him in 2024 due to his recurring knee issues and high salary-cap hit.

13. DE/DT Joe Klecko (1977)

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The New York Jets selected Klecko with a sixth-round pick in 1977 out of Temple. He became one of the greatest defensive players in Jets history, and he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2023.

Klecko played for the Jets for 11 seasons and spent his final season in 1988 in Indianapolis. He was a three-time All-Pro and four-time Pro Bowler.

As a member of the Jets' famed "New York Sack Exchange," he led the NFL with 20.5 sacks as a defensive end in 1981. He also finished second in the Defensive Player of the Year race that season and helped lead the Jets to their first playoff appearance since 1969.

Klecko moved from defensive end to defensive tackle in 1983 and was selected to the Pro Bowl at his new position in 1983 and 1984. He then moved to nose tackle in 1985 when the Jets switched to a 3-4 defense, yet he still produced 96 tackles, 7.5 sacks and five forced fumbles that season.

He's the only player in NFL history to be selected to the Pro Bowl at all three positions across the defensive line.

Klecko played in 155 regular-season games plus five playoff games. He had 78 career sacks and 13 forced fumbles.  

12. DE Jared Allen (2004)

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The Kansas City Chiefs selected Jared Allen in the fourth round of the 2004 draft after he played his college ball at Division I-AA Idaho State. Some scouts had rated him as a better long snapper than a defensive end as he entered the NFL.

He made a quick impact with nine sacks in his rookie season and 11 sacks, seven forced fumbles and five passes defensed in his second season. By his fourth year with the Chiefs in 2007, he was a first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowler who led the league with 15.5 sacks.

The Chiefs placed the franchise tag on Allen in 2008 but traded him to the Vikings for a first-round pick and two third-rounders. He had double-digit sacks in each of his six seasons in Minnesota, including an NFL-high 22 in 2011.

Allen sacked Aaron Rodgers 4.5 times (including a safety) in the Vikings' Monday night win over the Green Bay Packers in 2009. He spent his final two seasons in Chicago and Carolina and played in Super Bowl 50 with the Panthers.

Over his 12-year career as an elite pass-rusher and run stopper, Allen had 136 sacks, 171 tackles for loss, 31 forced fumbles and 648 tackles. He added four sacks and three forced fumbles in seven postseason games.

Allen was a four-time first-team All-Pro and was selected to five Pro Bowls. In 2025, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

11. OLB/DE Charles Haley (1986)

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During his 13-year NFL career, Haley won five Super Bowls, second-most to Tom Brady's seven titles. His earned his first two Super Bowl rings with the San Francisco 49ers, who drafted him in the fourth round in 1986 out of James Madison.

Haley spent his first six seasons in San Francisco, where he had 63.5 sacks and led the team in sacks every season. He had 12 sacks as a 3-4 outside linebacker in his rookie season. His best season was in 1990, when he had 16 sacks with five forced fumbles and earned his first of two first-team All-Pro honors.  

Haley was traded to Dallas in 1992 for second- and third-round picks. He was moved to defensive end in the Cowboys' 4-3 defense and had 34 sacks across his five seasons in Dallas.

Haley was named a first-team All-Pro in 1994 when he posted 12.5 sacks and 52 quarterback pressures. He was a key defensive player on three Super Bowl-winning teams in his five years in Dallas.

Haley returned to San Francisco for his final two seasons. He retired after the 1998 season with 100.5 career sacks and 25 forced fumbles in the regular season and another 11 sacks in 21 postseason games.

He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2015.

10. QB Rich Gannon (1987)

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Rich Gannon had a bumpy start to his 18-year NFL career. The New England Patriots drafted him in the fourth round in 1987 out of Delaware, but they traded him to the Minnesota Vikings six days later because they wanted to convert him to running back but he insisted on playing quarterback.

Gannon was a backup quarterback in his first three years before starting 35 games for the Vikings from 1990-1992. He led the Vikings to a division title in 1992 before moving on as mostly a backup in Washington and Kansas City over the next five years.

Gannon achieved his greatest success with the Oakland Raiders from 1999 to 2002. He made the Pro Bowl four straight seasons, had two first-team All-Pro selections, was named NFL MVP in 2002 (during his age-37 season) and led the Raiders to three consecutive playoff appearances. That included a run to the Super Bowl in 2002, where the Raiders fell to Tampa Bay and his former coach in Oakland, Jon Gruden.

Gannon was a smart and accurate quarterback with a great work ethic. He threw for 28,743 yards and 180 touchdowns in the regular season and 1,691 yards and 11 touchdowns in 10 postseason games. He also ran for 2,449 yards and 21 touchdowns in the regular season and 114 yards and one score in the playoffs.

9. WR John Stallworth (1974)

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John Stallworth was part of the Steelers' tremendous 1974 draft class as a fourth-round pick. He came from a smaller school—Alabama A&M—and played in four Super Bowls (winning them all) and six AFC Championship Games over his 14-year NFL career, all of which he spent in Pittsburgh.

Stallworth became a starter in his second season and held that spot for the rest of his career. He totaled 537 receptions for 8,723 receiving yards and 63 touchdowns in the regular season plus 57 catches for 1,054 yards and 12 touchdowns in the playoffs.

In the Steelers' championship seasons of 1978 and 1979, Stallworth had a total of seven touchdown catches in the playoffs. A career highlight was his fourth-quarter 73-yard touchdown reception from Terry Bradshaw that was the winning score in the 31-19 win over the Rams in Super Bowl XIV.

Stallworth holds the Super Bowl record for career average yards per catch (24.4).

He was the Steelers' MVP twice among all those great players. He also is a two-time All-Pro, three-time Pro Bowler and was a Hall of Fame inductee in 2002.

8. WR Steve Largent (1976)

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The Houston Oilers took Steve Largent out of Tulsa with a fourth-round pick in 1976. He wound up having a stellar 14-year career that landed him in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1995.

The Oilers planned to cut Largent after the preseason of his rookie year, but the Seattle Seahawks (in their first season as an expansion team) traded a 1977 eighth-round pick to acquire him. He developed into a star wide receiver who ran great routes and had elite hands.

Largent was a three-time first-team All-Pro, four-time second-team All-Pro and was selected to seven Pro Bowls (the first Seahawk to make the Pro Bowl). He led the NFL in receiving yards in 1979 (1,237 yards) and 1985 (1,287 yards).

Largent finished his NFL career with 819 receptions for 13,089 yards and 100 touchdowns in 200 regular-season games. He added 23 catches for 434 yards and four touchdowns in seven playoff games.

Largent had eight seasons with more than 1,000 receiving yards. He averaged 16 yards per catch in the regular season and 18.9 yards per catch in playoff games.

7. LB/DE Kevin Greene (1985)

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The Los Angeles Rams selected Kevin Greene in the fifth round of the 1985 draft after he played only two years of college football at Auburn due to his military service. His 15-year NFL career included eight years with the Rams, three seasons in Pittsburgh, three seasons in Carolina and a single season in San Francisco.

Greene shifted from defensive end to outside linebacker depending on each team's scheme, but he played extremely well at both positions and was highly productive with all of his teams. He amassed 160 regular-season sacks, which ranks third all-time behind fellow Hall of Famers Bruce Smith and Reggie White.

Greene also had 8.5 sacks in 17 playoff games and forced 31 fumbles total across the regular season and the playoffs. He twice led the league in sacks (14 in 1994 for the Steelers and 14.5 in 1996 for the Panthers). Greene was a solid run-stopper with 752 career tackles and was an effective linebacker in coverage.

He played in the Steelers' Super Bowl XXX loss to the Cowboys and in two other conference championship games with the Rams in 1989 and the Panthers in 1996. He was a Super Bowl champion as an outside linebackers coach for the Packers in the 2010 season.

Greene was a three-time first-team All-Pro and was selected to five Pro Bowls. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2016.  

6. DE Richard Dent (1983)

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The 1985 Chicago Bears' defense is considered one of the best of all time. The MVP of the Bears' dominating 46-10 Super Bowl victory was Richard Dent, who had 1.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and one pass defensed in the game. He added three tackles as part of the run defense that held the Patriots to seven yards.

The Bears selected Dent with an eighth-round pick in 1983. He played 12 years for the Bears before bouncing between the San Francisco 49ers, Indianapolis Colts and Philadelphia Eagles late in his career.

Dent had eight seasons with double-digit sacks, and he led the NFL with 17 sacks in 1985. His career regular-season total of 137.5 sacks ranks 11th all-time on the official list.

He added 10.5 sacks in 12 postseason games, along with 37 forced fumbles in the regular season and seven in the playoffs. He further demonstrated his athleticism with eight career interceptions and 13 fumble recoveries.

Dent was a four-time All-Pro and was selected to four Pro Bowls. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2011.

5. WR Antonio Brown (2010)

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The Pittsburgh Steelers took Antonio Brown out of Central Michigan in the sixth round of the 2010 draft. He made the team as its fifth wide receiver and a kick returner.

Brown returned a kickoff for a touchdown in his first career game. As the season progressed, his playing time increased. He made several big catches as the Steelers advanced to Super Bowl XLV, where they fell to the Packers.

In his second season, he was the Steelers' third wide receiver and starting returner. He became the first player in NFL history to have more than 1,000 yards receiving and returning in the same year, and he was selected as a Pro Bowl punt returner.

In 2013, Brown began a streak of six straight seasons with 100-plus catches and over 1,200 receiving yards. He had 67 touchdown receptions over those six seasons, and he was selected to the Pro Bowl each year.

Brown led the league with 129 receptions in 2014 and 136 in 2015. He was also a two-time NFL leader in receiving yards (1,698 in 2014 and 1,533 in 2017) and led with 15 touchdown receptions in 2018.

Brown's terrific run in Pittsburgh ended with off-the-field conflict. He was traded to the Raiders in 2019 but released due to more off-the-field issues. He signed with the Patriots but appeared in only one game.

Brown was suspended for the first eight weeks of the 2020 season for violations of the league's personal conduct policy, but he did sign and play on a Super Bowl-winning team in Tampa Bay in 2020. He even caught a touchdown pass from Tom Brady in the Super Bowl victory. However, he was released by the Bucs late in the 2021 season after more disciplinary problems.

Brown was a five-time All-Pro who had 928 receptions for 12,291 yards and 83 TDs in the regular season and 59 catches for 918 yards and six touchdowns in the playoffs. He also had career averages of 9.4 yards per punt return and 25.0 yards per kickoff return.

4. CB Richard Sherman (2011)

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The Seattle Seahawks built a two-time Super Bowl team (2013 and 2014 seasons) primarily through the draft. One of their greatest picks was Richard Sherman, whom they selected out of Stanford in the fifth round in 2011.

The feisty and confident Sherman became a starting cornerback midway through his rookie year. He developed into a three-time first-team All-Pro, two-time second-team All-Pro and five-time Pro Bowler.

Sherman had 32 interceptions across his seven seasons in Seattle, including an NFL-high eight in 2013. The Seahawks led the NFL in scoring defense for four straight years from 2012-2015 and in pass defense in 2013 and 2014. Sherman was the shutdown corner in Seattle's "Legion of Boom."

In the NFC title game victory over the 49ers in the 2013 season, Sherman made a game-saving play by deflecting a pass that was intercepted by Malcolm Smith. Sherman and the Seahawks went on to dominate the Broncos 43-8 in Super Bowl XLVIII. He made it to his second Super Bowl the following year and played in the close loss to the Patriots.

Sherman played three seasons for the 49ers after his Seahawks years and made the Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro in 2019. He intercepted Aaron Rodgers late in the 2019 NFC title game to help seal the victory for San Francisco and then played in his third Super Bowl (losing to the Chiefs).

Sherman's regular-season career stats include 144 games played over 11 seasons, 37 interceptions, 116 passes defensed, seven fumble recoveries and 495 tackles. He also had four interceptions and 12 passes defensed in 15 postseason games.

3. WR Tyreek Hill (2016)

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Tyreek Hill was originally projected to go undrafted out of West Alabama in 2016 due to his domestic violence arrest. Instead, the Kansas City Chiefs selected him in the fifth round after doing "their due diligence" on him.

Hill was a return specialist and backup receiver early in his rookie season, but he quickly ascended the Chiefs' depth chart. He finished the year with 61 receptions for 593 yards and six touchdowns, and he added three rushing touchdowns and three scores on kickoff and punt returns.

In his second season, Hill was a starting wide receiver and was already one of the most dangerous deep threats in the league. He began a string of six 1,000-plus-receiving-yard seasons in seven years and was selected to the Pro Bowl in each of his six seasons in Kansas City.

Hill played in two Super Bowls as Patrick Mahomes' top receiver with the Chiefs. He caught nine passes for 105 yards in the Super Bowl LIV win over the 49ers and had seven catches for 73 yards in the Super Bowl LV loss to Tampa Bay.  

In 2022, Kansas City traded him to Miami in exchange for five draft picks, including first- and second-round picks in 2022. He signed a four-year, $120 million extension that made him the league's highest-paid wide receiver.

Hill's first three seasons with the Dolphins were very productive, including a league-best 1,799 receiving yards and 13 receiving touchdowns in 2023. He was selected to the Pro Bowl in 2022 and 2023, bringing his total to eight.

Heading into the 2026 season, Hill already has 819 career receptions for 11,363 yards and 83 touchdowns in the regular season plus 96 catches, 1,212 receiving yards and six scores in 15 postseason games. He also has rushed for 915 yards and eight touchdowns between the regular season and the playoffs. He also has five return touchdowns in his career.

Hill has been named first-team All-Pro five times and second-team All-Pro once.

2. TE Shannon Sharpe (1990)

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Shannon Sharpe's older brother, Sterling Sharpe, was a first-round pick by the Packers in 1988 and a future Hall of Famer. Shannon fell to the seventh round in the 1990 draft before being picked by the Broncos.

His draft stock was low because he played at Division II Savannah State and was considered a tweener at 6'2" and 230 pounds (too big for a wide receiver and too small for a tight end at that time).

After two seasons of meager production, he emerged as a solid blocker and excellent route-running tight end in 1992 with 53 catches for 640 yards and two touchdowns. That was the first of his seven straight Pro Bowl nods with the Broncos.

Sharpe played 10 seasons in Denver and won two Super Bowls (back-to-back in 1997 and 1998). He had three seasons with 1,000-plus receiving yards and had 10 touchdown catches in both 1996 and 1998.

Sharpe played for the Baltimore in 2000 and 2001, winning his third Super Bowl with the Ravens in the 2000 season. He closed out his outstanding career by returning to Denver for two seasons, and he topped 60 catches each year.

Sharpe set an NFL record for receiving yards in a game by a tight end with 214 against the Kansas City Chiefs in 2002. He also holds the league record for longest touchdown reception in a postseason game with his 96-yard score in the 2000 AFC Championship Game for the Ravens against the Raiders.

Sharpe finished his career with 815 receptions for 10,060 yards and 62 touchdowns in the regular season and 62 catches for 814 yards and four touchdowns in the postseason. He was a four-time first-team All-Pro, a one-time second-team All-Pro and was selected to the Pro Bowl eight times.

Sharpe was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2011 to join Sterling as the first brother duo in the Hall of Fame.

1. QB Tom Brady (2000)

AP Photo

There's no doubt as to who should be considered the best late-round NFL draft steal of the modern era or of all-time. It's the GOAT, Tom Brady, who amazingly lasted until the sixth round in 2000 before the New England Patriots drafted him out of Michigan.

Brady won seven Super Bowls and five Super Bowl MVPs, played in 10 Super Bowls, won 35 postseason games and was a 15-time Pro Bowler, all of which are NFL records. He holds the all-time NFL regular season records for passing yards (89,214), touchdown passes (649), completions (7,753), fourth-quarter comebacks (46) and victories by any player (251).

Brady added 13,400 passing yards and 88 touchdowns in his 48 postseason games. He also led the Patriots to the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history with 31 unanswered points in their rally from a 28-3 third-quarter deficit to beat Atlanta in Super Bowl LI.

Brady became the Patriots' starting quarterback in his second season when he relieved the injured Drew Bledsoe. He led that 2001 Patriots team to their first Super Bowl win with a late drive to a field goal that beat the heavily favored Rams.

He led the Patriots to 17 division titles (including 11 straight from 2009-2019), 13 AFC Championship Games (including eight consecutive from 2011-2018), nine Super Bowls and six Super Bowl victories.

One of his Super Bowl defeats came in an MVP season for Brady in 2007. He led the Patriots to a perfect 16-0 regular season and two playoff wins before being upset 17-14 by the Giants in Super Bowl XLII. He led NFL in passing yards (4,806) and touchdown passes (50) that season.

After 20 seasons in New England, Brady signed with Tampa Bay in 2020. He led the Bucs to their first playoff appearance since 2007, engineered a road win over Aaron Rodgers and the Packers in the NFC title game and then threw for 201 yards and three touchdowns in the' Bucs 31-9 win over the Chiefs for his seventh Super Bowl win. He got Super Bowl MVP for the fifth time.

The following season in 2021 at the age of 44, Brady threw for 5,316 yards and 43 touchdowns—leading the league in both categories—and earned his 15th Pro Bowl selection.

Among his other accolades, Brady was a three-time NFL MVP, a two-time NFL Offensive Player of the Year, a three-time first-team All-Pro and a three-time second-team All-Pro. He led the league in passing yards four times and passer rating twice.

Brady is clearly the best late-round draft pick ever and will soon be a first-ballot Hall of Famer.