NFL Draft Day 3 Sleepers: 10 Potential Starters

Every year, most of the players who get significant media coverage and become immediate contributors from the draft go off the board Thursday and Friday nights. Still, every year we also get surprise breakouts, players who were selected sometime on Saturday in Rounds 4-7 who stand out in training camp to claim a starting spot come week 1.

To be clear, it is almost always extremely difficult for Day 3 picks to earn starting roles right away. Coaches usually defer to veterans and higher-profile draft picks, meaning a late-round pick has to truly stand out from his competition to earn the trust of his coaches. Despite the hurdles, some of these players will inevitably prove they were selected too low and have a scintillating impact in the league during their rookie years.

Who could be this year’s Puka Nacua or Kameron Curl? Here are ten players who stand out as names to watch this season:

Panthers TE Ja’Tavion Sanders

The Panthers opened Day 3 by selecting Sanders, the shifty tight end out of Texas. A projected second-round pick by most evaluators, Sanders’ slide wasn’t as shocking as it may have seemed. Despite being billed as a freaky athlete for his position, Sanders’ testing results were rather average at the Combine, and he was outdone by a number of tight end prospects with elite athletic scores.

Still, Sanders is better than where he was selected. He might not be an elite athlete, but he’s still a good one, and he has excellent hands with quickness in his routes. He’s reliable over the middle of the field with some good after-the-catch abilities. His hips are tight, allowing him to break free from coverage on underneath and comeback routes. He has the tools to be a safety blanket for QB Bryce Young from day one.

Most importantly for this exercise, Carolina is very thin at tight end. They have Tommy Tremble and Ian Thomas as the presumed starters pre-draft, but both profile best as complementary options, not an every-down starting player. Sanders is much more talented than his draft slot and he won’t face steep competition during training camp. Look for him to trot out as the Panthers’ starting tight end on the first drive of the season.

Broncos WR Troy Franklin

The second pick of the fourth round, Franklin was a shocking player to still be available on Day 3. He was projected by many as a borderline first-round pick, coming in at No. 39 on the consensus big board. Franklin is an excellent route runner with good speed who can make people miss in space. He was incredibly productive as a downfield threat last season at Oregon and should provide a variety of talents to the Broncos’ offense.

Denver only has one established starting receiver after trading away Jerry Jeudy this offseason. Courtland Sutton will man the X-receiver role, and the Broncos return Tim Patrick from injury as well, who should compete for a starting spot. 2023 third-round selection Marvin Mims Jr. will be in the mix in the slot at least, and they also signed Josh Reynolds in free agency.

While the Broncos’ receiver room is crowded with capable players, there isn’t a standout. Sutton is a solid starter, but Patrick is coming off two season-ending injuries in a row and Mims Jr. was a role player last season. There is ample opportunity for someone of Franklin’s ability to lay claim to a major role in this offense.

Vikings CB Khyree Jackson

A big, fast press-man corner out of Oregon, Jackson is a perfect fit for Vikings DC Brian Flores’s scheme. Jackson is a fluid athlete at 6-4, with a long wingspan and quick acceleration. He can mirror receivers in coverage very well, and his size makes him difficult to overpower or maneuver around.

Jackson joins a crowded yet inexperienced Vikings cornerback room. Byron Murphy Jr. was brought in to man one of the outside spots, but Jackson will be competing with Akayleb Evans, Andrew Booth Jr., and Mekhi Blackmon for the other. That competition is eminently winnable for Jackson. Flores runs press coverage almost exclusively, and Jackson is perfectly suited to thrive in that system.

Falcons DT Brandon Dorlus

Dorlus wasn’t the first interior defender the Falcons took, but he probably has a clearer path to an immediate starting spot than his second-round counterpart Ruke Orhorhoro. Dorlus played both on the edge and on the interior at Oregon, and though he’s a bit of a tweener, he has the tools to succeed at both spots in this Falcons’ defense.

With a powerful first step and strong hands, Dorlus is a challenge for any tackle to handle. When he plays on the interior, his quickness makes him a weapon, and he knows how to use his hands to shed blocks and shoot gaps. He’s perfectly suited to play the “big end” spot in new Falcons HC Raheem Morris’s 3-4 base “odd front” look, and on an inexperienced Atlanta defensive line, he can establish himself as one of their primary options.

Ravens WR Devontez Walker

Baltimore returns starting wide receivers Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman, but the other starting spot is still up for grabs. Enter Walker, a long-striding deep threat out of North Carolina. Walker was once thought of as a potential first-round talent, though a rough pre-draft process dropped him to Day 3.

Walker is primarily a vertical receiver at this stage, as his underneath route tree leaves a lot to be desired. Still, he is incredibly explosive, with soft hands and the concentration to secure tough catches in traffic and over the middle of the field. He needs to learn to add more nuance to his game, but even as it stands today, he can be a damaging vertical threat.

There’s room in the Ravens’ offense for a dynamic vertical weapon. Flowers wins vertically at times, but he’s best on screens and underneath routes, and Bateman is a possession receiver. Walker will be competing with Nelson Agholor for the primary deep-threat role in this offense right away, and he’s talented enough to win that competition outright.

Ravens CB T.J. Tampa

Another Ravens player, Tampa might simultaneously be the best player on this list and have the toughest time earning a starting role. A long, quick corner out of Iowa State, Tampa goes to a suddenly crowded Ravens cornerback depth chart, where he’ll be competing with established veterans in Marlon Humphrey, Brandon Stephens, Arthur Maulet, and first-round pick Nate Wiggins for his spot.

But if Tampa can break through, he’s skilled enough to succeed. He has elite length and change-of-direction ability, able to stick with receivers deep and over the middle of the field. His click-and-close speed is excellent, allowing him to make plays on the ball or come up in run support. He’s best from off-coverage but can play some press-man as well. Tampa is as good a player as Wiggins, just less polished, and with a good camp, could find himself winning one of the outside spots.

Bills C Sedrick Van Pran-Granger

A highly intelligent three-year starter at Georgia, Van Pran-Granger slipped to the fifth round and fell right into the Bills’ lap. Van Pran-Granger plays with a strong anchor and advanced hand usage, and he’s good at getting to the second level and locking up linebackers in the run game.

The Bills have a void at center after cutting longtime starter Mitch Morse for cap savings. They signed Connor McGovern in free agency, but Van Pran-Granger might be a better player already. He’ll be competing for the starting job, and the Bills hope he’s able to lock it down for years to come.

Giants RB Tyrone Tracy Jr.

Sixth-year college breakout players aren’t usually the safest bets to translate to the NFL, but Tracy Jr. is a special case. For his first five seasons of college football, he played wide receiver, spending the first four of those at Iowa. He transferred to Purdue for his fifth year, finally making the transition to running back before his second year in West Lafayette.

Tracy Jr. took to the new position by storm, lighting up the Big 10 with his burst and vision. He performed well despite mediocre offensive line play from the Boilermakers and a tough schedule of opposing defenses. He plays with great patience and has the breakaway speed to punish defenses for giving him a crease. He plays through contact well and will put his foot in the ground and get upfield as soon as he finds a rushing lane. And, as a converted receiver, he has legitimate route-running ability and soft hands.

Because he’s such a late addition to the running back position, Tracy Jr. avoids most of the downsides that typically come with drafting older backs. After Saquon Barkley departed in free agency, the Giants signed Devin Singletary, and return 2023 fifth-round pick Eric Gray. Singletary is reliable and Gray was used mostly as a return specialist. Tracy Jr. has a chance to seize the starting role as the most dynamic back on the roster.

Rams WR Jordan Whittington

Injuries derailed a promising college career for Whittington. He managed to stay healthy the last two seasons and was quite productive for the Texas offense, primarily manning the slot and providing QB Quinn Ewers with a reliable target over the middle of the field. Whittington wins with precise route running, creating leverage and opening throwing windows. He’s also excellent after the catch, using his speed to burst up the field once the ball is in his hands.

The Rams have two stars at wide receiver in Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua, but their third receiver spot is up for grabs. Whittington could make himself an appealing option for HC Sean McVay, with the potential to beat out Tutu Atwell and Demarcus Robinson for the role.

Raiders S Trey Taylor

The cousin of Hall of Fame safety Ed Reed, Taylor was a seventh-round pick out of Air Force. He won the Jim Thorpe award in 2023 and has generally been one of the better safeties in college football during his career. He has the versatility to play in single-high or two-high schemes and can come down into the box as a blitzer or run defender.

The Raiders are thin at safety. Tre’von Moehrig is fairly entrenched as the starting free safety, so Taylor is likely competing with free agent signee Marcus Epps for the starting strong safety role. At the very least, Taylor is in line for the third safety role on the team, with a real chance to compete for a starting spot.