Eric Edholm provides analysis for every player drafted . ended up attending the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, where he played multiple sports. We want that Cinderella story of the small guy defeating his huge, mean nemesis. In the end, Smith bypassed the local school and picked Alabama. 2017 position ranking: No. But several players have navigated that route and are hoping to hear their name called during the 2022 NFL draft on April 28-30 on ESPN and ABC. At such a small height, many critics doubted he could defend the average height of 6'2" for receivers in the NFL. He ended his career as one of the most celebrated players ever for a celebrated small-school program. . Overall, we saw 11 five-star prospects get drafted in the first round. Rice uses pure toughness and speed to overcome his small size. When healthy, Sanders has been one of the fastest and toughest defenders on the football field with an amazing field presence. -- Harry Lyles Jr. He was even qualified for the 2007 World Championship Athletics competition for sprinting, but he decided not to go. Darrell Green went to college at what was known, at the time, as Texas A&I University, which kinda/sorta sounds like an online school that would email you a degree when you were finished taking classes. In 2020, he was voted a second-team all-SEC selection by the league's coaches. As far as what kind of a player an NFL team would get if it drafted him, Miller describes himself as "old school" with his leadership, aggression and leading by example. 1 overall prospects, who were drafted back-to-back. Power Five schools like Cal, Iowa, Minnesota, Oregon State and Syracuse all offered Wilson, but none prioritized him like BYU did at that point in the process. He was drafted in the second round of the 2004 NFL Draft by the Indianapolis Colts. A historic 2023 NFL Draft is in the books for the Jacksonville area, and with it, a host of college football players from here are set for some new addresses . "That really shows a lot about his character, his resolve, his grit.". Watch more top videos, highlights, and B/R original content, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. By 2001, he was in a starting role. His upside is immense, as are his effort levels, with ESPN's Jordan Reid projecting him to be picked near the top of the second round in his latest mock draft and Todd McShay having him going toward the end of the first round. 1 offensive tackle. Top 10 NFL Series Journeymen Under 6-feet tall Versatile Never scored TD Overpaid Ringless vets Born outside U.S. Small-school Undrafted Marketable While most NFL stars were four- or five-star . I'll be able to make plays that other receivers can't.". Born in Menomonie and a graduate of Mondovi High School, Krumrie was a three-time All-Big Ten selection at Wisconsin and a 12-year pro. "No one is going to outgrind Tucker Kraft.". "I always use the saying that 'I took the stairs, I ain't take the elevator.' The Bison star tested extraordinarily well at the NFL combine, measuring 6-4, 208 pounds with a 4.36 time in the 40. "When we were recruiting Tyson," McCook said, "we felt he could be a four-year starter for us. Lauren Smith. Bagent hails from Martinsburg, a town of less than 20,000 in West Virginia's Eastern Panhandle, 10 miles from the Shepherd campus. He completed 69% of his career passes -- he's not an all-or-nothing passer. And he did. Listed at 6-foot-6 and 270 pounds, Turner proved to be a steal for the Cougars. He did acknowledge that he likely would be drafted higher had he played somewhere other than Princeton. These are the stories of players who toiled away from the bright lights, but through hard work and dedication still attracted the attention of NFL scouts and are hoping to hear their names called during the 2023 NFL draft on April 27-29 (coverage begins at 8 p.m. Fantasy women's basketball: Why to focus on guards early in your draft, Miami Heat celebrate Florida Panthers while trolling Boston Bruins and Milwaukee Bucks, Transfer Talk: Manchester United see Lautaro Martinez as a striker option, Kiper's updated Big Board for the 2022 NFL draft: Ranking the best prospects at every position, Seven-round NFL mock draft: Reid's predictions for all 262 picks, 'I see a player who deserves to be drafted': Aqeel Glass' chance to become an HBCU trendsetter, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Walter Payton #34 of the Chicago Bears celebrates on the field as the Bears win the NFC Championship. At 6-3, 195 pounds, Williams possesses a rare combination of size and agility, even by NFL standards. The Florida native narrowed his choices down to LSU, Miami, Oregon and USC. pic.twitter.com/mu1GfDyjGF, Bruh give Tyson Bagent the Harlon Hill. Being in the Reese's [Senior] Bowl kind of exposed a lot of things as far as me going against those type of guys. Though still a young player at 29, he can still make up for those missed years. In the sixth round of the 2010 Draft, the Texans drafted this speed demon as a kick/punt returner. He is now one reason that college football coaches watch basketball tape to locate wide receivers and tight ends. Williams saw his entire 2020 season wiped out due to COVID, so while he kept working out, there was ground to be made up from a technical standpoint. Even though Romo has gone on to break multiple franchise records, he receives criticism because of the fact that he has never won a championship and also because he has made costly mistakes late in seasons. Iosivas still feels like he has something to prove, despite getting to where he felt he always could. He is an experienced eleven year veteran who still has huge hits left in him. But when UGA fired Mark Richt, Smith opened up his recruitment. "When I first got into coaching 30-plus years ago, I remember recruiting a high school player, and the high school coach telling me he's a 'one in 10' -- a kid that you only get to coach one of these every 10 years," McCook said. In his final season at Princeton, Iosivas had 66 catches for 943 yards and seven touchdowns. Iosivas said he felt like the path he took was much more difficult than most, and it has formed who he is. Check out some of the best photos from the 2023 NFL Draft! Day 3 of the 2023 NFL Draft is officially underway. The discount-double-check man himself was certainly double checking his dreams of becoming an NFL quarterback after not receiving a single Division I scholarship offer out of high school. He views himself as a three-down back with great hands who can run with power or take it the distance -- a "home-run hitter," as he describes it -- comparing himself to Alvin Kamara. The 'Worst Game' in NFL History Was the Best Game Lawrence Taylor Ever Played. His dad and former position coach, Luther Elliss, described it as a "flash in the pan of a college career" that included overcoming a torn ACL and MCL in 2019. Rodgers will one day have his day at Canton and the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and he could, if he wanted to have a laugh, give a shout-out to all of the college coaches and scouts who passed on him when that night comes. Relationships, though, outweighed the brand names, and when former defensive line coach Brian Baker left Mississippi State for Alabama, Elliss chose to join his dad at Idaho. Strong said he thinks building his career up from a smaller program has helped fuel the work ethic that pushed him to this point, with the beginning of his NFL career on the horizon. "It hasn't been easy, but I always truly did believe that I'd get here. Now teams are designing game plans just to stop him. Despite not playing at a Power 5 school, Iosivas said he never worried about being discovered by pro scouts, trusting that as long as he took care of business on his end, "talent will always be found." Here's the high school breakdown that shows the breadth and depth of the No. Micah Parsons was a five-star recruit out of Harrisburg, Pa., who mainly played defensive end and running back in high school. Kiper ESPN+ recaps: Day 1 | Day 2 Lott had recruited Williams out of prep school when he was on staff at Johnson C. Smith University, but didn't get the chance to start coaching him until he was hired at Fayetteville late last spring. He first verbally committed to Tennessee in August of 2017, but he backed away after Butch Jones was fired. He did go unnoticed by NBA teams as well, as Starks was not drafted. In his final season at South Dakota State, Strong rushed for 1,686 yards and 18 touchdowns while averaging 7.0 yards per carry. Fantasy women's basketball: Why to focus on guards early in your draft, Miami Heat celebrate Florida Panthers while trolling Boston Bruins and Milwaukee Bucks, Transfer Talk: Manchester United see Lautaro Martinez as a striker option, Meet Cody Mauch, the most interesting offensive lineman in the NFL draft, NFL draft tier rankings: McShay stacks the 100 highest-graded prospects in the 2023 class, Kiper's final 2023 NFL draft rankings: Top 150 prospects and best at every position, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Elliss, who had originally committed to Mississippi State, had more than 20 scholarship offers, including from the likes of Alabama, Auburn, Ole Miss, Oklahoma and Notre Dame. As somebody who also competed as a heptathlete, Princeton wide receiver Andrei Iosivas might be one of the best overall athletes in the NFL draft. 1 player from the state of Florida, the No. But what really impressed were his perfect blend of rushing, receiving, and kick-return yards. Friday night high school football games are an American tradition. "We ate decently too. Given the way he finishes blocks and just about everything else, nobody's betting against him. In 2006, he only played 4 games. Our team of college football reporters -- Chris Low, Heather Dinich, Bill Connelly, Harry Lyles Jr. and Kyle Bonagura -- share the stories of some small school draft prospects who, through hard work, determination and resolve, are bucking the odds in taking an unconventional path to the draft. Sidney Crosby was seen as hockey royalty and The Next One years before he first held up a jersey of the Pittsburgh Penguins. "If you can play, they'll find you," said Luther Elliss, who spent nine seasons with the Detroit Lions and five seasons as an assistant coach at Idaho. "I just want to show everyone -- I mean, even when I was at the combine, the Senior Bowl, I'm like, 'These dudes aren't better than me, and they're still getting talked about over me,' and all this kind of stuff. But, you know, I always feel like I always have something to prove, even if I am a lot better than a lot of these dudes in front of me." He measured 6-6 and 315 pounds, and despite his length, he was an absolute mauler in the run game. But I never got a sniff from them, not even as a preferred walk-on.". Lead Draft Writer. Division 1 athletes are made up of . Some, such as Cole Strange, Christian Watson and Pierre Strong Jr., wowed observers at the NFL combine. "Here I was in the Tennessee weight room, and I thought it was the coolest thing in the world. He tries to hurt you," Wright said. . The school was real and so was Green's talent, and he became one of the best defensive players to ever play for the Washington Redskins and also an ageless wonder who remained a superstar late into his career. His experience has molded him into one of the top corners in the league today. Shortly after receiving an offer from the Hokies, Darrisaw committed. Before they were selected in the first round of the 2021 NFL draft on Thursday night, the 32 players who heard their name . The numbers speak for him. The Kurt Warner saga is one of the most-fascinating to occur in the past 30 years of the NFL and of pro sports. The Philadelphia Phillies did not let Howard get past the club in the 2001 draft and Howard repaid the team with multiple noteworthy years, including one that saw Howard win the National League Most Valuable Player award. 30). The No. Of course, because of these physical advantages, Watson probably hasn't been tested much when it comes to things like route precision and his ability to catch contested balls. The NFL is a big man's league. Each story from each five-star recruit to guys with just one FBS offer is unique. -- Heather Dinich, Virtually any North Dakota State draft prospect, especially on offense, has to be viewed through a very specific lens. In all, he threw for 10,098 yards and 90 touchdowns as a college QB. College football reporters' NFL draft takeaways, Roger Federer, Dwyane Wade and more shine on the Met Gala's red carpet, Fantasy football rankings for 2023 season, 10 fantasy football breakout players for 2023, 'It's going to be epic': Stephen Curry and LeBron James face off -- again, Ranking the fights at UFC 288: Why Henry Cejudo's return tops the list, Truex Jr. snaps 54-race Cup Series winless streak, Liverpool, Tottenham put on a show as Klopp goes overboard, Bundesliga title twists, Haaland scores No. Michael Strahan played defensive end for Texas Southern University, in part because he did not have a long history of playing football while in high school. He thus ended up at Northern Iowa, he became a NFL castoff, he worked stocking shelves as he attempted to keep his dreams alive in the Arena Football League, and he ultimately shocked the football world by leading both the St. Louis Rams and the Arizona Cardinals to Super Bowl appearances. "[They said] here's what you need to do, and he just kind of had to do it on his own," Luther Elliss said. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. Rivals rating: 4 stars, not in Rivals 250. An immediate star, Holliday burned defenders. By his sophomore year, Leatherwood was a starter. 2017 position ranking: No. There were 19 players each from Houston (TX) and Miami (FL) high schools on Kickoff Weekend rosters, tied for the most of any city. "The eye test might not always pass here at this level," Luther Elliss said, "but the heart and the passion to play this game is just as much equal or maybe even better because they know they don't have all of those measurables." Data Provided By At UGA, Stokes became a full-time starter in 2019. "I think there was a lot of good that came out of the Senior Bowl in his mind and my mind," Lott said. Poor Tony Romo has not been able to land respect since even his high school days. One of the best small forwards in the history of the NBA was barely an afterthought following his high school days. He would not go unnoticed for long while there and the Detroit Pistons selected Rodman in the second round of the 1986 NBA Draft. 6 wide receiver. Even though he is shorter than almost every other player on the field, he still capitalizes on every opportunity he gets. For such a small body, he has become one of the top hard-hitting defenders in the league today. He played 188 NFL games, all with the Cincinnati Bengals, and made two Pro Bowls (1987, 1988) and two All-Pro teams (1987, 1988). He is now one of the most-feared defensive players in the league and a man who makes the Pro Bowl squad pretty much every year that he plays. Strange is no longer flying under the radar as he prepares for the NFL draft on the heels of an impressive showing at the Senior Bowl and a remarkable display of athleticism during workouts at the combine. "I knew when I first saw him that if there was anything he wanted to do, he could. This past season, Miller had 40 solo tackles, two sacks and four forced fumbles en route to being named SWAC Defensive Player of the Year. Jimmy Graham is a unique instance of an elite athlete not being noticed in high school because nobody could have guessed, at the time, that he would develop into the best tight end in the NFL. 1 outside linebacker. Each school had at least one former player selected in the NFL Draft: North Clayton South Gwinnett Peachtree Ridge (2) Ola Brookwood Grayson (2) Hapeville Charter Brunswick Calhoun Archer (2) Watson quickly became both too big and too fast for anyone trying to guard him at the FCS level, and his stats bear this out: Over parts of four seasons in Fargo, he caught 105 passes for 2,140 yards and 14 touchdowns and rushed a Deebo Samuel-esque 49 times for 392 yards and two more scores. He nevertheless went undrafted and Girardi had to play his way up through an affiliate of the New York Rangers before he received a shot in the National Hockey League. Now he is off to Jacksonville as the No. He also did 31 reps on the bench press, vaulting his overall workout numbers to the very top of this year's class of interior offensive linemen. "I was really surprised that [West Virginia] didn't offer him," McCook continued. The loss ended a 7-3 campaign for McCook's Rams, who missed the Division II playoffs for the first time in four years. (formerly Lee) High School. Ryan Howard showed signs during his high school playing days that he had the goods to be a slugger in the Big Leagues. But those who know Kraft, and especially Kraft himself, will tell you that he does his best work where there is work that must be done. 1063 player of his class. Good thing for Nelson that somebody saw what he could become, as Nelson has been a stud for a quarterback who will be mentioned later in this list. The names George Kittle and Tristan Wirfs are well-known, as are many others. "Once he heard about me, he reached out to me so that's just how it happened," Strong said. Most people like cheering for the underdog. Owens would make plenty of scouts and coaches look rather silly, as he went on to be one of the greatest wide receivers in the history of pro football; even if he was a pain in the neck for coaching staffs and teammates. One of those schools was Alabama. Sewell became Oregon's starting left tackle as a freshman and never vacated that role. NFL footage NFL Productions LLC. JaMarr Chases recruitment went all the way to national signing day in 2018. She has covered high school sports for TNT and The . In 2005 he led every receiver in the league in every major receiving category. By the time he was a sophomore, Pitts progressed into one of the top offensive weapons in the SEC. And he can stuff backs at the line. If you're not a 6'5", muscle-strapped male fast enough to blow past offensive linemen while . "He came from Romania, so he came from a communist country and made it out of the mud and worked really hard to be where he was when he got to the U.S. "[Insert player] was only a two-star prospect. He recorded 76 tackles, 5 deflected passes, 2.5 sacks, and a couple of turnovers. He surprised everyone with his ridiculous speed and the inability of other players to tackle him. He was listed as the third string running back. He jokes now that even as a lifelong Tennessee Volunteers fan who never missed a home game as a kid, the only way he could get on campus as a recruit was to tag along with a high school teammate. He's got the physical tools an NFL passer is supposed to have, and he wasn't some wild "5-foot-8 in high school and enjoyed a late growth spurt" story. Tryon stuck with his WSU commitment after the offers from Oregon and Utah, but he ended up flipping to Washington in January 2017. 1, Panthers' Bryce Young is all 'business now'. Wilson showed flashes of brilliance in his first two seasons on campus, but really flourished in 2020 as a junior when he threw for 3,692 yards and 33 touchdowns. He took some snaps at QB early in his UF career, before settling in as an offensive weapon and later on as a receiver. He led the league in receptions in 2007 and 2009. He went ignored by every NFL team in the draft, and the New York Giants gave him an opportunity to shine during a preseason game against the New York Jets. 9 strongside defensive end. Even when other schools entered the picture later that year (including Alabama), Toney stuck with the Gators and enrolled early. Matthews would not be denied and he made the USC football squad as a walk on. 2 weakside defensive end. They maul FCS defensive fronts and run the ball at will, and that colors the impression we get when a draft prospect bubbles to the surface. Florida Times-Union. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. 2018 position ranking: No. XFL semifinals: Defenders roll Sea Dragons, set up title showdown with Renegades. Cole Strange's introduction to playing on the offensive line was a No. But most people forget to imagine how small this receiver really is. Read more on the 2023 draft . And how did he stay there for four seasons, 17,034 yards, 159 touchdowns and 44 wins? Unfortunately for Howard at the time, nobody seemed to care all that much about his talents. Jaguars 2023 NFL Draft concludes with 13 players chosen, . "I think the experience [of] being a student athlete at Princeton is something that you can't really get anywhere else, or even other Ivy League schools," he said. -- Harry Lyles Jr. Aubrey Miller Jr. saw every side of college football there was to see. A loss. Davis committed to Kentucky in March of 2016 but did not waver with his commitment after receiving a host of other Power Five offers later that year. 4 overall. He obtained 328 all-purpose yards, the third most in NFL postseason history. The player on my list with the most experience in the NFL is Vikings Cornerback Antoine Winfield. The steady stream of scouts who came through campus marveled at Williams' fluidity and size. It's just a chip on my back mentality." Kadarius Toney was a quarterback at Blount High School in Alabama, but colleges recruited him as an athlete. They will outrun, jump over, and maybe even beat down the larger opponents. Lance became the starter as a redshirt freshman and had a remarkable season: 2,786 passing yards, 1,100 rushing yards and 42 total touchdowns. Virginia Tech was the second school to offer him a scholarship, doing so just a day after Wake Forest. But when he took up football, college coaches began swarming. Either of those QBs could, at one point or another after high school, have given up on the game of football because they were not viewed to be elite players. "It was a game that I was just thinking like, 'Yeah, this is that game that put me on,'" he said. ", Miller said the biggest thing he got out of Jackson State and Sanders was "playing for a coach who's a pro. 5 offensive tackle. Chase put up modest numbers as a true freshman before emerging as a star in 2019 with 84 catches for 1,780 yards and 20 TDs to help LSU win a national title. During his time in uniform with the Trojans, Vera-Tucker showed his versatility by starting games at both guard and tackle. He is an all-around great player, and his only flaw is being undersized. It is highly recommended that you use the latest versions of a supported browser in order to receive an optimal viewing experience. In 2019, Bateman became a star with 60 catches for 1,219 yards and 11 TDs as Minnesota emerged as one of the surprise teams in the country. His physical traits are thrilling, and he has NFL in his blood: His father, Tim, spent five seasons in the league, while brother Tre had a cup of coffee with the Miami Dolphins. Anything. That's a mindset formed from being the youngest of three boys, where every ball in the yard and biscuit on the table represented a battle of brothers. The Bison are an FCS dynasty, winners of nine of the past 11 national titles and purveyors of a unique brand of precise and physical play. Finally in 2008, he got his chance. Bagent was invited to the NFL combine and projects as a late-round pick, somewhere between the No. Just being able to play football was the only thing that mattered to me.". After having a couple above-average seasons as only the second string running back in Jacksonville, Jones-Drew was made the starter for 2009. After sorting through dozens of offers, Sewell whittled his choices down to four: Alabama, Oregon, USC and Utah. In 2009, he was named the sole starter for the Ravens as the every down back. Gregory Rousseau played all over the field during his high school career and was listed as an athlete by Rivals. It is a good thing his coaches obliged because Gardner became a star of the team. Tracking fifth-year options for 2020 first-rounders: Which were picked up, and which were declined? I believe this young running back has a huge future ahead of him in the NFL. Despite some of the medical concerns, the Dolphins grabbed Phillips in the first round. Scottie Pippen was undersized and downright scrawny when he walked onto the Central Arkansas University basketball team. Recording great stats, he eventually moved up to become the team's top receiver. After that, he was picked up by the Dolphins, playing as their third receiver. The league's top prospects stepped into the NFL Photo studio for Draft portraits. Pro-Football-Reference.com Blog and Articles; We're Social.for Statheads. Cruz was an anonymous figure to the majority of college football fans after his high school days and he remained unknown through his career at the University of Massachusetts.
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