Day 3 NFL Draft sleepers who can make an immediate impact as rookies

MANHATTAN, KS - NOVEMBER 05: Texas Longhorns running back Roschon Johnson (2) breaks tackles on a fourth down run in the second quarter of a Big 12 college football game between the Texas Longhorns and Kansas State Wildcats on November 5, 2022 at Bill Snyder Family Stadium in Manhattan, KS. (Photo by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
By Nick Baumgardner
Jun 2, 2023

In the National Football League, hope grows in May and June, but no one can be truly sure about a young prospect’s place on the developmental chart until pads come on in training camp. Right now, in OTAs, they all look great. Every rookie’s dream is still alive. Every draft pick — from Round 1 to Round 7 — still has a shot.

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Separation will happen eventually, though, and we’ll have a better idea about which teams were able to strike gold this offseason.

At first glance, who did the best job outside the early rounds finding players who are capable of helping right now? Here’s a look at 11 sleepers we think have a shot to make noise as rookies:

Roschon Johnson, RB, Chicago Bears
(Round 4, No. 115)

Chicago entered the draft on the heels of losing lead running back David Montgomery to Detroit via free agency. The Bears’ running back situation a year ago was unique in that Montgomery’s former backfield cohort, Khalil Herbert, had a very productive first two seasons — behind a not-so-great offensive line — and looked ready for a larger workload.

So, the Bears decided they didn’t have to pay Montgomery (who’s a fine player but also landed a three-year, $18 million contract this spring). Instead, they’ll get more touches for Herbert and added Johnson, one of the most dependable backs in the 2023 draft class. Johnson can handle many of the gap-based runs in Chicago’s scheme, which will free up Herbert to be more dangerous in space. These two complement each other very well and could even be on the field together. Johnson is also a legit pass protector, a rare trait in a rookie back.

This was a great pick. And for general manager Ryan Poles, it was some nice maneuvering to keep a young, cheap and talented backfield.

Sidy Sow, OL, New England Patriots
(Round 4, No. 117)

Sow felt like one of the most underappreciated offensive linemen in this draft class. Not only did he work at offensive guard during an extremely dependable career at Eastern Michigan, but he’s also very athletic, measured in with nearly 34-inch arms and probably can play tackle in the NFL. (He was an 11-game starter at left tackle as a redshirt freshman in 2018.)

go-deeper

GO DEEPER

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The Patriots don’t need help at guard right now — Mike Onwenu and Cole Strange are rock-solid players who fit everything New England does. They could use tackle help, though, and Sow has the type of play strength and mindset necessary to kick out and make it work.

Sow, who turns 25 in June, was a very aggressive pass protector inside in college and will have to prove he can handle himself outside. But he’s got what it takes to play early. If it all clicks, the Patriots may have found a terrific value by adding a possible starting tackle or guard in Round 4.

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Darius Rush, CB, Indianapolis Colts
(Round 5, No. 138)

You cannot teach length. And though some people will argue that you can teach speed, nobody can teach long speed. That’s what Rush has. Cornerback Tariq Woolen, who turned heads in Seattle with a stellar rookie season as a fifth-round pick last year, ran a 4.26-second 40 and plays with near 34-inch arms at 6-feet-4, 205 pounds. We don’t have enough time to list all the reasons receivers hate playing against corners with traits like those.

Rush also has extreme length (33 3/8-inch arms), and he ran a 4.36 at the combine. He’s not as big or fast as Woolen, but he’s hardly small or slow, and he covered a lot of ground out of zone and press coverages at South Carolina. Rush — like many players right now on Gamecocks defensive coordinator Clayton White’s depth chart — is a steady teammate who is willing to do whatever’s necessary. He played receiver and defensive back in college and took more than 400 special teams reps.

Rush has some Woolen-like traits and should be able to help the Colts right away if they need him.

Olu Oluwatimi, C, Seattle Seahawks
(Round 5, No. 154)

There were two valid dings on 2022 Rimington winner Oluwatimi’s entering the draft process: 1) Despite his sturdy frame and play strength, he’s not that explosive of an athlete and doesn’t always drive defenders off the ball. 2) He can only play center.

Now that we have those out of the way, let’s get to a third valid point about Oluwatimi, and the one that’s arguably most important: There were not five offensive line prospects (if even that many) in the 2023 draft class who knew more about football. As a processor of information and an on-field problem-solver, the former Virginia and Michigan center was about as good as it got in college football last season. He mastered Michigan’s extremely complicated run game in one offseason and wound up as the centerpiece of its Joe Moore Award-winning line.

Seattle’s line is young, and life in the NFL for a rookie center can be hellacious, but solving problems is kind of Oluwatimi’s calling card. Great fit here.

Christopher Smith II, S, Las Vegas Raiders
(Round 5, No. 170)

If you’re only looking at testing scores, you will be disappointed. It wasn’t surprising when Smith logged a 4.62 40-yard dash at the combine, but I did wince a bit because we all know what a time like that can do to a 5-10 safety’s draft stock. However, a negative flipped to a positive for the Raiders here, as they were able to land a unanimous All-American safety — and one of the toughest guys that stellar Georgia defense had over the last two years — in Round 5.

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Smith is the definition of what we all affectionately refer to as “a football player.” His teammates at Georgia called him “Soldier.” He’s a fearless tackler who plays faster than his 40 time because of his outstanding vision and anticipation skills. Smith was critical on Georgia’s national-title squads and will be ready to help the Raiders the day pads come on.

Payne Durham, TE, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
(Round 5, No. 171)

Outside of his frame (6-5, 253, 33 3/8-inch arms), there is nothing flashy about Durham. He’s not that fast; he doesn’t have much wiggle; if he averages 10 yards per reception, you’re probably doing OK with him. But if you throw him the ball 75 times, he’ll probably catch 70 of them. Durham has powerful hands, a great frame, and he understands the finer points of football, which allows him to give QBs friendly throwing windows over and over again.

Durham is a solid blocker who can be a dependable, team-first chain-mover in the NFL. He’s a three-down prospect who likely will start as a TE2, but there is TE1 potential here. Known at Purdue as a tone-setter because of the way he worked, Durham won’t get bullied as a run blocker in training camp — a lot of rookie TEs do.

Eric Gray, RB, New York Giants
(Round 5, No. 172)

In a draft with less RB depth than 2023 had, Gray would have been no worse than a third-round pick — even with the questions about how much work his frame can handle in the NFL. If the Giants wind up moving on from Saquon Barkley, Gray’s addition would look that much better. However, in a perfect world, the Giants would keep Barkley and Gray for a while. That pairing could be a lot of fun.

Gray has the wiggle to be a big-time weapon in the pass game and on the perimeter as a runner. But I wouldn’t look at him as a potential long-term replacement for Barkley so much as a guy who can help Barkley right now. The Giants can put both backs on the field together and create matchup problems all over the place.

I love this pick, no matter what role Gray winds up playing.

Puka Nacua, WR, Los Angeles Rams
(Round 5, No. 177)

He has to stay healthy, which has been easier said than done for Nacua. He had to deal with a lot of injury-related frustration in college (foot, ankle, hamstring) and never started more than eight games at either Washington or BYU. Nacua also got injured at the Senior Bowl.

When he’s healthy, though, he’s one of the best in this class at tracking the ball. He’s a very confident athlete who isn’t afraid to compete in the air — and he has the frame (6-1, 210) to do so. Nacua runs routes with great quickness but stays under control. He also adjusts to poor throws and maintains his feet near the sideline, and he finds soft spots in zones with consistency.

He could be a QB-friendly receiver for Matthew Stafford and the Rams. Receivers like Nacua who understand how to get open and aren’t afraid to play through contact tend to do just fine in the league.

go-deeper

GO DEEPER

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Karl Brooks, DL, Green Bay Packers
(Round 6, No. 179)

In reality, it could take Brooks a minute to settle in. If Green Bay finds the right spot for him early enough, though, he has the type of traits that can cause disruption, even if it’s just situationally as a pass rusher.

Brooks is unique. He’s a 6-3, 296-pounder who played outside linebacker/edge in college, ran a 5.08 40 and has short arms (31 1/2 inches). But he also had 27 1/2 sacks (including 17 1/2 over the last two years) and was one of college football’s most prolific pass rushers during his career. Brooks has a terrific first step, plays with great bend and understands how to work his upper/lower body together in concert. He has an advanced pass-rush plan.

Finding his fit will be critical, but Green Bay could have a fun player on its hands.

A.T. Perry, WR, New Orleans Saints
(Round 6, No. 195)

Remember what we said earlier about long speed? Perry measured in at his pro day at 6-3, 202 with 33 3/14 inch arms, after running a 4.47 at the combine. He also broad jumped more than 11 feet. Perry, whose 28 career touchdown catches tied with Calvin Johnson’s for seventh most in ACC history, could use a bit more speed, but he’s fast enough and big enough to make an impact.

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In each of his final two college seasons, Perry posted at least 70 catches and broke 1,000 yards. He was a lot more than a big guy who caught jump balls (although he did some of that, too). A very agile receiver (6.81-second three-cone), Perry can be good against man or zone. And though he’s not going to blow the top off any defense, he has starting X-receiver potential.

Even if Michael Thomas is back for the Saints, Perry can help early, all while also learning from a stellar veteran receiver.

Cory Trice Jr., CB, Pittsburgh Steelers
(Round 7, No. 241)

This could go in the books as one hell of a steal. Trice, a 6-3, 206-pounder with elite burst (broad jump of 11 feet) and agility (6.70 three-cone), most likely fell in the draft due to injury concerns — his 2021 season at Purdue included an ACL tear and an ankle injury, and he later suffered a groin injury. Trice, a former safety, also still has some technical issues in coverage as well.

But why did he slide to the seventh round? I’m not coming up with a great answer there. Our draft guru, Dane Brugler, had Trice ranked No. 88 overall in the 2023 class. Trice’s traits are off the charts, and he can play anywhere on the back end. He has the goods to compete for a spot on the depth chart immediately.

Others to watch: Adetomiwa Adebawore, DT, Indianapolis Colts (Round 4, No. 110); Clark Phillips III, CB, Atlanta Falcons (Round 4, No. 113); Tyler Scott, WR, Chicago Bears (Round 4, No. 133); Kyu Blu Kelly, CB, Baltimore Ravens (Round 5, No. 157); Zach Evans, RB, Los Angeles Rams (Round 6, No. 215)

(Top photo of Roschon Johnson: Scott Winters / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

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Nick Baumgardner

Nick Baumgardner is a senior writer/NFL Draft analyst based in Michigan. He co-hosts “One of These Years," a Detroit Lions podcast with Colton Pouncy. He joined The Athletic after stops at the Detroit Free Press, MLive Media Group and other newspapers in Michigan, Indiana and Kentucky. Follow Nick on Twitter @nickbaumgardner