The first round of the NFL Draft brought us tons of excitement. We saw six skill position players taken in the first six picks and had multiple intriguing trades. While the first round is the headline, Super Bowls are won during day two and day three. There is a long history of future All-Pro’s getting their names called on day three from Kam Chancellor, Antonio Brown and Tom Brady. So we will break down a handful of the diamond in the rough prospects who could turn out to be difference makers on their new teams.
1.Marco Wilson Cornerback Florida 6’0″ 190 Round Projection 5th:
Wilson has the potential to be a long term NFL starter at cornerback. The physical traits are all there for Wilson. The Florida corner has electrifying 4.37 speed. Wilson is smooth in his backpedal, has quick hips and can change directions. Wilson was a three contributor at Florida, playing both in the slot or outside. Wilson is a great tackler for his size and excels as a blitzer. His best attribute is that he technically sound and has great balance in his backpedal. Wilson did show signs of inconstancies and struggled with unnecessary penalties. He made a game costly penalty in his final home game against LSU where he threw a players shoe after a 4th down stop. Wilson also gets lost in zone coverage schemes and he can’t afford to make those mental mistakes at the pro level. If Wilson can eliminate those mental mistakes and start to mature he has a chance to become something special.
2. Sage Surratt WR Wake Forest 6-2 215: Draft projection Rounds 4-6
The last time we saw Surratt he caught 65 balls for 1,006 yards and 11 touchdowns in nine games in 2019, but a shoulder injury forced him to miss the final four games of the season, and then he opted out of the 2020 season. Surratt’s draft stock has plummeted since then. Surratt was projected to be a late second-round pick if he would have come out after the 2019 season. Wake Forest’s successful offensive projection this year combined with the emergence of other wideouts have to lead to Surratt’s fall. Sage plays like a power forward using his big frame to make contested catches. He has a great understanding of finding open zones and putting himself in a position to make back-shoulder catches. His lack of top-end speed and quickness may give him problems separating. But Surratt is an old school football player who can win his physicality. The Wake Forest receiver translates to a big-bodied jump-ball specialist who can make plays in the red zone.
3. Talanoa Hufanga, Strong Safety USC (6-0, 199 pounds) round projection 3-4
Hufanga draws comparisons to a young Mark Barron. Hufanga is a box safety that excels at doing dirty work. Earned Pac-12 Pat Tillman Defensive Player of the Year honors a two-time first-team all-conference selection who was tied for second in the FBS with 0.67 interceptions per game (four total) and tied for sixth with 6.7 solo tackles per game (40 total, 62 total tackles, 5.5 for loss) while also forcing two fumbles in six starts during 2020. Hufanga was an All American. Hufanga has good enough size to be an extra linebacker and can play the Deione Buchanan role in a 46 front. Hufanga is an elite tackler and is great at anticipating plays. Good enough to cover tight ends but lacks top-end athleticism to cover slot receivers at the NFL level. High level tackling ability and range will put him in a position to make a lot of plays.
4. Walker Little, Offensive Tackle Stanford 6’7 309: Round Projection 3-4
Little was the number one overall high school prospect in the 2017 recruiting class per 247 sports. Little started 13 games as a sophomore and earned the first-team Pac-12 honors. Little suffered a season-ending injury in 2019 and then opted out in 2020. So teams haven’t seen Little play in three years, and there are legitimate injury concerns with his knee. When Little is healthy, he can be a viable starter in the NFL. Little is an elite pass blocker with an effortless kick step and possesses lateral quickness to keep up with athletic edge rushers to go along with his technique. He needs to get stronger so so he can need to be able to improve his ability to move people in the run and pass game. Little’s draft status really depends on how his medical checks out. If a team falls in love with the Stanford star in the meeting room, you can certainly justify taking him on day two.
5. Paddy Fisher Middle Linebacker Northwestern 6’3 239 pounds- round projection 7th
Big Ten fans know who Paddy Fisher is. Fisher lead the Big Ten in tackles during his first two seasons wearing purple and black. Fisher is a solid middle linebacker who is great in the run-stopping game. However, there is a major concern with Fisher’s ability to cover the pass in the NFL. Fisher can prove to be a solid two-down middle linebacker in a 3-4 scheme. He has a lot of room to get better. He will be a day one contributor in some capacity when he makes it onto an NFL roster.
6. Jaelon Darden Slot Receiver North Texas 5-9 174 pounds- Round Projection 4-6.
Every team in the NFL is looking for a guy who has game-breaking speed. Darden has that and then some. The casual college football fan did not get to see much of Darden when he played at North Texas. Darden put up monster numbers in Denton last year securing 74 receptions for 1189 yards and scored a school-record 19 touchdowns last season. Darden possesses a great combination of speed and quickness. He gets in and out of his breaks quickly. He excels at making the first guy miss and can be a major weapon in the quick passing or screen game. Darden also has experience as a punt returner, so he can contribute immediately on special teams. His frame limits him to a slot receiver role. But don’t be surprised if we see Darden making major game-breaking plays this season.
7. Shaka Toney Edge Rusher Penn State 6’2 243 pounds- Round Projection-6-7
Toney is the definition of a hit or miss player. The Penn State pass rusher presents plenty of upside as a pass rusher. Toney was a four-year contributor at Penn State and was a team captain last season. However, Toney’s production always came in spurts, showing up with inconsistencies. Toney also had the benefit of having an elite pass rusher on the other side, whether it was Yetur Gross-Matos or Jayson Oweh. Teams like Toney, because of his elite first step and his athleticism, gives him a floor of becoming a valuable third-down pass rusher. If Toney can develop a more skill base pass rush to complement his athleticism while improving his ability to defend the run game- Toney has the potential to make himself into a high-end NFL starter.
8. Kyle Trask Quarterback Florida 6’5 236: Round projection: 2-4
Doubt Kyle Trask again, I dare you. The former Florida walk-on is looking to prove critics wrong again. Trask is coming off a stellar season where he threw 43 touchdowns to only eight interceptions and 10.9 adjusted yards per attempt. He ranked second among FBS quarterbacks in passer rating on deep throws (139.6), ninth in passer rating from a clean pocket (132.4). Trask leads the second-best offensive in college football. He lacks mobility, but he is good at manoeuvring in the pocket and can throw under pressure. Trask has NFL arm strength and elite ball placement. He can make every throw, and he has gotten better with every college start. Trask is a great guy to have in the quarterback room, and he is a great insurance policy to have on the bench. Trask has a chance to be the hidden gem of this extremely talented Quarterback class.
