Draft discussions are centered around top prospects, and understandably so. Usually, top 100 players are the ones who will make the most difference, both in the short- and long-term.
However, every now and then it's possible to find really good players later on. As far as the Green Bay Packers, they have done this regularly — mostly because of how many late-round picks they have had.
So, let's try to find three hidden gems that fit the Packers profile and can be useful pieces.
DB Evan Williams, Oregon
Williams is the 213th player on the consensus big board. Primarily a safety, he can also play in the slot and special teams. A little bit because of his number, ok, but it's easy to watch his tape and get reminded of Micah Hyde. Williams is actually even more athletic, which fits well into Brian Gutekunst's preferences.
In college football, he had 1,172 snaps as a box safety, 960 as free safety, and 604 in the slot, allowing 9.7 yards per catch and with four pass breakups.
CB Elijah Jones, Boston College
There is an obvious connection here, because Elijah Jones played under Jeff Hafley at Boston College — even though he was recruited before Hafley took over as BC's head coach in 2020.
"I love coach Haf,” Jones said at the Combine. "Great football mind. The biggest thing I think he helped change with my game is how I learn about football. It's not just going out there and playing the game. It's more about understanding your opponents and how you're going to get attacked. He was just a great teacher."
Jones is the 145th prospect on the consensus board, which means he's expected to be something around a fourth-round pick.
In 2023, he had a 90.8 man coverage grade according to PFF, first among all cornerbacks in this year's draft. He also allowed the lowest completion percentage (32.5%) in the class. Jones has a solid athletic profile.
So why isn't he a higher-graded prospect? He's thin and has shown signs of trouble to change directions. The fact that he didn't make any agility drills doesn't help his cause.
G Brandon Coleman, TCU
The Packers don't have any problems taking players who had better performances two years before the draft than in their last college seasons. And that's exactly what happened to offensive lineman Brandon Coleman, the 124th prospect on the consensus big board.
Athletically, he couldn't be any more Packers-y.
His tape also shows great flashes.
Consistency has been an issue, though, and he played particularly bad over the final half of last season. His PFF grade was 57.7 in 2023 after a 79.6 season in 2022.
Another positive, though: he played snaps at four of the five offensive line positions (center is the exception). Last year, he played 465 snaps at left tackle and 255 at left guard. In the NFL, he's projected to move inside, but his 34-inch arms allow him to eventually move to tackle.
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