And the best value picks on Day Three of the 2018 NFL Draft are … ?
Top 30 Day Three Best NFL Draft Values
Statistically and historically, everything after the third round of an NFL Draft is a total waste.
No, really. It is.
We’ve done the painstaking research on this – you have less than a 10% chance of getting a decent starter who’ll play for you for five years after the first 100 picks, much less land a star. As smart as teams think they might be, it’s total and complete luck to land a real player who matters.
But here are 30 prospects who didn’t go in the first three rounds who just might stick.
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2018 NFL Draft
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | OGs | OTs
DTs | DEs | LBs | Safs | CBs
Three Greatest Draft Picks For Each Team
ACC | Big Ten | Big 12 | Pac-12 | SEC
– 2018 1st Round Pick Breakdown & Thoughts
30. CB D.J. Reed, Kansas State
An amazing return man along with a feisty corner, he’ll get tough, make a whole lot of tackles, and the quickness is unquestioned. He can also play on the ball, too, with 25 broken up passes in two years. However, the 5-9, 188-pound size knocked him out of the top 100.
Selected: San Francisco 49ers, Round 4, 142nd overall
Original Projection: Fourth Round
29. DE Duke Ejiofor, Wake Forest
Unbelievable at getting behind the line, he’s got the 6-4, 270-pound size to go along with the production to find a way to make a team. However, he doesn’t have the pure NFL tools and quickness. He might not be perfect, but he can play.
Selected: Houston Texans, Round 6, 177th overall
Original Projection: Fourth Round
28. LB Josey Jewell, Iowa
There’s a whole lot not to like – he doesn’t have the size or the speed, or a pure NFL position. But he’s a tackler’s tackler who gets in on everything. It’ll depend on the scheme and who’s around him, but don’t be stunned if he ends up leading a team in tackles.
Selected: Denver Broncos, Round 4, 106th overall
Original Projection: Fourth Round
27. CB Anthony Averett, Alabama
With 4.36 40 speed, he’s one of the top blazers in the draft, and he can tackle a little bit. Smooth, speedy, and good enough to be a key to a Crimson Tide secondary, he’s got just about everything. So what’s the problem? One career interception. The tools are there, but the big plays on the ball weren’t.
Selected: Baltimore Ravens, Round 4, 118th overall
Original Projection: Third Round
26. DE/LB Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, Oklahoma
The opinions were all over the place on him. While he’s a fantastic pass rusher, where does he play? He’s not a real defensive end, but he showed off the quickness and speed to be an outside linebacker in the right system. He’s not smooth, but he produces.
Selected: Los Angeles Rams, Round 5, 160th overall
Original Projection: Third Round
25. OT Desmond Harrison, West Georgia
He’s not big, but the 6-6, 288-pounder is very quick, can move as a pass protector, and after a few years in a weight room has left tackle upside. It’ll take patience or work, but the value will be there to wait for him to get there.
Selected: Undrafted
Original Projection: Fifth Round
24. QB Riley Ferguson, Memphis
Tall, too thin, and without a massive arm, he might not be the ideal big power passer, but he can crank up the deep ball, he knows how to move an offense, and he’s an ideal backup option to develop to see if there’s something more.
Selected: Undrafted
Projection: Fifth Round
23. WR Marcell Ateman, Oklahoma State
A fascinating late prospect, he’s 6-4, 220, and he can get deep. He’s not a blazer, but with his size and ability on 50/50 balls, he can go and get it. Best of all, he grabs everything that comes his way – and he’s got a huge catching radius.
Selected: Oakland Raiders, Round 7, 228th overall
Original Projection: Fourth Round
22. TE/FB Jaylen Samuels, NC State
No, he doesn’t have a real role. He’s not built like a tight end, and he’s not a real fullback, but he’s a jack-of-all trades who’s amazing around the goal line and will do whatever your offense needs. Fast, he’s got 4.54 speed, but at 5-11 and 223 pounds, he’s a true tweener in every way.
Selected: Pittsburgh Steelers, Round 5, 165th overall
Original Projection: Fifth Round
21. CB Parry Nickerson, Tulane
Speed, speed, speed. He’s not all that big, but there’s a place in the NFL for defensive backs who can run a 4.32. He made a whole lot of tackles, and he was unbelievable in coverage, but it’s simply a concern that he’s not going to be physical enough.
Selected: New York Jets, Round 4, 179th overall
Original Projection: Fourth Round
20. S Godwin Iguwebuike, Northwestern
Not all that big at 6-0 and 205 pounds, he makes up for it by being really, really fast and really, really good at coming up with the open field stop. Undervalued because he’s not seen as a playmaker against the pass, it’s okay – he’ll produce no matter what safety spot he’s playing.
Selected: Undrafted
Projection: Fourth Round
19. RB John Kelly, Tennessee
A small, compact back who managed to produce behind a miserable Volunteer line. He’s more of a tough, between-the-tackles back than it might appear, and given the chance, he can catch, too.
Selected: Los Angeles Rams, Round 6, 176th overall
Original Projection: Fourth Round
18. TE Ian Thomas, Indiana
He looks and plays like an NFL tight end. It’s all there – including the personality and character. He can block, he’s a receiver, and he’s got everything in place to be a terrific No. 2 tight end who fills a variety of roles.
Selected: Carolina Panthers, Round 4, 101st overall
Original Projection: Third Round
17. RB Kallen Ballage, Arizona State
Power, power, power – and speed. He’s a tough back with 4.46 speed and 227-pound size. So what’s the problem? Consistency, but someone will fall in love with the idea of possibly hitting the jackpot with his value on the third day.
Selected: Miami Dolphins, Round 4, 131st overall
Original Projection: Fourth Round
16. TE Troy Fumagalli, Wisconsin
He’s not fast enough, and he’s missing a finger, and he’s not all that big. However, he’s as reliable a route running tight end as there is in the draft, and he’ll catch everything. Throw in his willing blocking ability, and he’s a good chance to take.
Selected: Denver Broncos, Round 5, 156th overall
Original Projection: Fifth Round
15. CB Holton Hill, Texas
It’s all about the character with him. He’s got the length and size for a corner, and he’s got the NFL wheels, and he can hit and get physical. So what’s the problem? He was suspended for violating team rules, but all the talent is there to be fantastic. The skills are too strong to ignore.
Selected: Undrafted
Original Projection: Fourth Round
14. S Marcus Allen, Penn State
More like an extra linebacker than a top ball-hawker in pass coverage, he’ll hit everything and he’ll be the tone-setting safety everyone is supposedly looking for. But he dropped since he’s not a killer when the ball is in the air. That’ll be okay once he starts hitting.
Selected: Pittsburgh Steelers, Round 5, 148th overall
Original Projection: Third Round
13. RB Mark Walton, Miami
He might not have the bulk or the speed, but he’s a good, productive back with more power than it appears. Yeah, he’s a running back – no more, no less – but he’ll make a roster as a No. 3 option with third down back upside.
Selected: Cincinnati Bengals, Round 4, 112th overall
Original Projection: Fourth Round
12. QB Luke Falk, Washington State
While he might be a system passer, he’s got the size, arm, and decision-making ability to be a nearly perfect backup who can step in and produce. While he might not be a lock to start, he can make a whole lot of money being around the league for a long time.
Selected: New England Patriots, Round 6, 199th overall
Original Projection: Fourth Round
11. LB Micah Kiser, Virginia
There’s a massive disparity here between what the NFL scouting types think compared to what the college people believe. No, he’s not a great runner and he might not quite look the part in terms of how he moves, but he’s a peerless tackler who can sit inside a linebacking corps and put up massive numbers.
Selected: Los Angeles Rams, Round 5, 147th overall
Original Projection: Third Round
