By Cooper Girolamo
There is always the most hype surrounding round one of the NFL draft, and rightfully so, but days two and three (covering rounds 2-7) always produce some hidden gems. In recent years guys like Puka Nacua, Brock Purdy, Ladd McConkey, and many others, have become great NFL players who were overlooked and drafted later on in the draft.
This year’s draft is no different. It will have quite a few players who will make immediate impacts on their teams and become Pro Bowlers in the coming years. Here are a few I think can be this year’s diamonds in the rough.
RB Cam Skattebo, Arizona State
Skattebo, the former Arizona State running back, was one of the most memorable players from this past college football season. Mostly because of how he put the entire Sun Devil team on his back and almost single-handedly led them to a College Football Playoff win against the Texas Longhorns.
In that game, he had 143 yards and two touchdowns on the ground, eight catches for 100 yards receiving and completed a critical fourth down trick play pass. Literally, doing it all for his team. He even threw up on the sideline and then proceeded to get back in the game a few moments later and score a touchdown.
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The hard-nosed running back who is impossible to tackle will do it all for whomever drafts him, making him poised to be a steal in the later rounds. In a running back-heavy draft class he is slated as the fifth or sixth RB taken, projected by many experts to go in the late third or early fourth round. I think he has the upside to be the second-best back in the class, and while he is on the shorter and slower end, his toughness, will to win, and how much of a team player he is makes him the perfect locker room guy, and a player every coach should want on their team.
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WR Tez Johnson, Oregon
Johnson, the lightning quick receiver out of Oregon, will be the perfect gadget guy for any NFL team. He flew under the radar this past season, but at the senior bowl balled out, breaking down this year’s top cornerbacks and looking like a fantastic receiver.
At 5-foot-10, 165 pounds, many scouts believe he is just too small and scrawny for his game to translate to the NFL level. I completely disagree. The past two seasons with the Ducks, he put up more than 80 receptions, 900 yards and 10 touchdowns against some of the best competition in all of college football.
He has a great feel for the game. I think he could turn out to be what Jameson Williams is for the Detroit Lions. Johnson is slated to go in round five or six which I think would be a steal for any team, especially if he were to go to Denver and reunite with his college quarterback, Bo Nix. He lived with the Nix family throughout high school after not having the best home life and Nix and Johnson have a bond like brothers, which would translate to the field very well. Head coach Sean Payton also has a knack for using players in unique ways. Johnson is the type of player he would love.
WR Jack Bech, TCU
Bech could be this year’s Nacua. He is a name not many people have heard of but is an absolute beast of a receiver out of TCU. Bech had an awful start to the year with his brother, Tiger, passing away in the New Year’s Eve terror attack. Since then he has been putting on a tear in honor of his late brother, winning senior bowl MVP (six receptions for 70 yards and the game-tying touchdown), which exploded him up draft boards.
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The Horned Frog receiver boasted just over 1,000 yards on 62 catches and nine touchdowns this past season. He is a highball, go-up-and-get-it receiver with great hands, playing very similar to old Miami Dolphins’ receiver, DeVante Parker. Viewed as a late day two, early day three pick, he can be a great steal at the position as a great outside threat for any team.
Will he make an immediate impact? Probably not as he will most likely have to work his way up the depth chart, but I think whoever grabs him this week will reap the benefits for many games to come.
EDGE Jared Ivey, Ole Miss
Ivey, an EDGE rusher from Ole Miss, is flying heavily under the radar in this year’s draft. As a senior this past season he registered 42 tackles, seven sacks, three passes defended and two forced fumbles. He did a little bit of everything for the Rebels. He has great moves off the edge, but he didn’t have a great combine and is known for coming off the edge a little slower than what’s needed in the NFL. If put in the right system he can flourish.
In particular, the Philadelphia Eagles would be a great landing spot because they have a history of building up and creating great edge rushers from the draft. I think if he were to land in Philadelphia or another good system, in a year or two Ivey could be looked at as the steal of the entire draft.
