After yesterday’s piece looked at the offensive side of the ball, today’s is all about defense. To take a break from all the first-round talk, I’m examining some of my favorite sleepers in this year’s class. So many of the league’s starters begin their NFL careers as unheralded Day 3 picks, and I’m highlighting some of my favorites who I think have real chances to stand out at the next level.

To qualify as a draft “sleeper,” a prospect must rank outside my top 100. My final Big Board update (now with 200 players!) will be dropping soon, so stay tuned for that! My full position rankings series is now complete, as well, for a more in-depth look at how each position shakes out.

• Final Position Rankings: Quarterbacks
• Final Position Rankings: Running Backs
• Final Position Rankings: Wide Receivers
• Final Position Rankings: Tight Ends
• Final Position Rankings: Offensive Tackles
• Final Position Rankings: Interior Offensive Linemen
• Final Position Rankings: Edge Rushers
• Final Position Rankings: Defensive Tackles
• Final Position Rankings: Linebackers
• Final Position Rankings: Cornerbacks
• Final Position Rankings: Safeties

Albert Regis — DT, Texas A&M

Big Board Rank: 102

Regis is one big dude in the middle of the defensive line. With natural leverage and exceptional anchor strength, he just settles down and eats up space against the run, holding multiple gaps and working off blocks to make tackles. His ability to close on ball carriers is a scary sight at his size.

I don’t think he has a ton of pass rush upside, but he’s a great two-gapper who will raise the floor of a defensive line. Regis can be a starter in this league for a long time to come.

Harold Perkins Jr. — LB, LSU

Big Board Rank: 107

It’s tough to know what to do with Perkins. A rare and supreme athlete — even by NFL standards — Perkins never really found a home position in college. His best reps are as a pass rusher, but he doesn’t have the size or the length to play on the edge. His range in coverage is good, but at the moment he’s just lost out in space, flashing the necessary movement skills but lacking the experience off-ball to make a consistent impact.

Perkins runs the risk of the same thing happening in the NFL. Without a position to hang his hat on, he may struggle to find a role. Still, his athleticism really sets him apart. If a team can find a way to get him on the field, there’s a chance he just keeps racking up production.

Ephesians Prysock — CB, Washington

Big Board Rank: 121

An intriguing combination of athleticism and production makes Prysock one of the more underrated prospects in the class. He’s 6-3, 196 pounds, with long arms and really smooth hips. His ability to mirror receivers through their routes is rare for a cornerback his size. He also makes for a great run defender, playing with physicality at the line of scrimmage and working off blocks to make plays.

Prysock’s ball production never caught up to his tools, and he gets very grabby when he feels like he’s lost a step. If he can work through those issues, there’s a starting-caliber cornerback in there.

VJ Payne — S, Kansas State

Big Board Rank: 126

Payne is a weird player to evaluate. His skillset is almost more reminiscent of an outside cornerback: long and fluid, with great range and mirroring ability. He tested like a plus athlete, too, posting a 4.40-second 40-yard dash with a 10-foot-seven-inch broad jump.

Landing spot will matter a lot for Payne, I think. He needs to go to the right system to maximize his strengths and disguise his weaknesses. He gets lost on underneath action a lot and can get fooled by basic misdirection and play action. Additionally, he’s not a good run defender, despite his athletic gifts. But put him as a deep safety and let him cover one-on-one and put his range to full use, and he could be a standout middle-round pick.

Kaleb Elarms-Orr — LB, TCU

Big Board Rank: 130

I might just be too low on Elarms-Orr. He racked up 130 tackles at TCU last year and tested as a much better athlete than I expected: a 4.47-second 40-yard dash, a 40-inch vertical jump and a 10-foot-four-inch broad jump. Those are great numbers, especially when combined with his great college tape.

My concerns with Elarms-Orr are that he’s a step slow reading things in coverage and is undersized at just 234 pounds. Still, he’s trending towards being a Day 2 pick, and his combination of instincts and athleticism makes him a promising bet to take.

Jadon Canady — CB, Oregon

Big Board Rank: 134

The top slot cornerbacks in this class are typically listed as Indiana’s D’Angelo Ponds, Miami’s Keionte Scott, and Clemson’s Avieon Terrell, in some order. Perhaps Canady should be getting more love in that conversation, however. He’s so fluid in space with a twitchy build that lets him slam underneath throwing lanes shut and make plays on the ball.

Canady is both small and an average overall athlete at best, so I don’t think he has a particularly high draft ceiling. Still, he was supremely productive at Oregon last year and is a great value where he’s projected to go. It would not surprise me in the least if he secured a starting role as a rookie.

Hezekiah Masses — CB, California

Big Board Rank: 148

Small, underathletic cornerbacks don’t have a great track record in the league. Still, Masses has a chance to shine. He’s such an instinctual player with plus length and great awareness, squeezing routes off to the sideline and playing the ball in the air with success.

I don’t know that Masses has the athletic traits to be a rookie standout, but his tape is just really solid across the board. At worst, he should be in the league for a long time as a backup.

Kaleb Proctor — DT, Southeastern Louisiana

Big Board Rank: 156

Proctor is another player on this list who is likely to go a lot higher than I have him ranked. It’s a thin group of interior pass rushers in this class, and Proctor could be prioritized on Day 2 as a result. His first-step quickness is exceptional, and he can fire into the backfield to disrupt the play as it develops. Eight sacks last season for a defensive tackle catches your eye, even at the FCS level.

Still, Proctor is significantly undersized at 6-2, 291 pounds. His speed and explosiveness tested well at the Combine, but I question his ability to hold up against the run in the NFL, something he already struggled with in college. If he can stay on the field, though, his tape is really fun, and he could be an immediate fan favorite with a few big games as a rookie.

George Gumbs Jr. — ED, Florida

Big Board Rank: 158

Originally from Chicago, Gumbs was a walk-on wide receiver at Northern Illinois before eventually moving to the defensive line and transferring to Florida. He never had more than three sacks in any of his college seasons, but he’s an off-the-charts athlete who got better and better off the edge each year.

I don’t expect Gumbs to make much of an impact as a rookie. His game is still too raw. But down the line, he has the kinds of traits you just can’t teach. If he lands with the right coaching staff that will have patience and bring him along slowly, I wouldn’t be surprised if he breaks out in his second or third year in the league.

Caden Curry — ED, Ohio State

Big Board Rank: 184

Everything about Curry shouldn’t work in the NFL. He’s undersized, a poor athlete and has really short arms. He didn’t test at the Combine for obvious reasons, only adding to the skepticism, and on film he doesn’t look particularly quick or fast.

But man, he was just so unbelievably productive for the Buckeyes last year. You don’t get 11 sacks in a single season by accident. He’s an advanced pass rusher and really solid against the run, too. There’s a world where he just keeps his momentum rolling in the NFL and keeps proving people wrong.