Every year, most of the draft coverage revolves around the prospects expected to go in the first round. Most mock drafts only cover that first night and all the hot takes are about big risers into that group or fallers from it.

So for this article (and the companion piece for the defensive side of the ball coming tomorrow), I wanted to focus on the more unheralded draft prospects that deserve some love. Every year, players taken on Day 3 become productive contributors to winning football teams. I’ve done my best to highlight some guys who fit that description that I have my eye on.

To qualify as a draft “sleeper,” a prospect must rank outside my top 100. My final Big Board update (now with 200 players!) will be dropping soon, so stay tuned for that! My full position rankings series is now complete, as well, for a more in-depth look at how each position shakes out.

• Final Position Rankings: Quarterbacks
• Final Position Rankings: Running Backs
• Final Position Rankings: Wide Receivers
• Final Position Rankings: Tight Ends
• Final Position Rankings: Offensive Tackles
• Final Position Rankings: Interior Offensive Linemen
• Final Position Rankings: Edge Rushers
• Final Position Rankings: Defensive Tackles
• Final Position Rankings: Linebackers
• Final Position Rankings: Cornerbacks
• Final Position Rankings: Safeties

Logan Jones — C, Iowa

Big Board Rank: 104

The track record for centers with Jones’ athletic profile is extremely good. He ran a 4.90-second 40-yard dash with a 1.75-second 10-yard split, a 4.55-second short shuttle (at his pro day), a 7.46-second three-cone drill, and jumped 32 inches in the vertical and nine feet two inches in the broad. That’s a rare combination of athletic gifts, ones Jones needs to survive in the league at 299 pounds.

A converted defensive lineman, Jones is an elite pass protector — not a surprise, with those movement skills. The question for him will be functional strength in the run game and his ability to survive against bull rushes from defensive tackles who outweigh him by 20 or more pounds. If he can, Jones can be a starter in this league for a long time.

Eli Raridon — TE, Notre Dame

Big Board Rank: 105

Raridon is a tough player to evaluate for a couple reasons. An ACL tear during his senior year of high school, then another one during his freshman year of college, really disrupted what was a promising growth trajectory for an ascending player. Even when he managed to lock down a consistent role in Notre Dame’s offense, he wasn’t used much in the passing game.

But turn on the tape, and he shows some real flashes. The speed with the ball in his hands is impressive and he can go up and get it with the best of them. He has real size at 6-6 with the length and speed to be a problem. I like what he can do over the middle of the field, and he’s a rare case where I can see a path to more production in the NFL than he had in college.

Drew Allar — QB, Penn State

Big Board Rank: 108

Allar is the prospect I just can’t quit. Even after a really rough six-game stretch to open 2025 followed by a season-ending injury, he has all the tools to succeed. The velocity and touch he puts on his passes is top-notch, and he can deliver tough passes in traffic, take hits in the pocket and make throws few others can.

Though Allar’s decision-making under pressure and lack of consistent mechanics hurt him, there’s a chance he can put it all together. I wouldn’t bet on that happening — it’s why I have him ranked outside the top 100 — but in the fourth round, I’d take a flier on him for sure.

Ar’maj Reed-Adams — G, Texas A&M

Big Board Rank: 112

Solid is the word I’d use to describe Reed-Adams. He’s not the greatest athlete and he is an older prospect, so those two factors combined put a pretty strong cap on his draft ceiling. But he’s a mauler in the run game with enough lateral quickness to get by in pass protection.

If I’m a team that needs a starting-caliber guard late in the third round into the fourth, Reed-Adams would be an easy pick. He’ll come in, do everything you ask and bring his wealth of college experience to bear. Reed-Adams truly has seen it all, and he’s improved every single year he’s played.

Oscar Delp — TE, Georgia

Big Board Rank: 117

Delp flashed serious upside in a limited role in 2023. With Brock Bowers off to the league, we were all eager to see what Delp could do with more opportunity. But then, that opportunity just…never came. Or rather, the role didn’t. He never had a season with over 300 receiving yards at Georgia.

But Delp is still one of the best blocking tight ends in this class and his reported pro day workout was pretty insane. He ran a sub-4.50-second 40-yard dash, jumped 38 and a half inches in the vertical and jumped 10 feet in the broad. If there is untapped receiving potential in there, Delp can be more than just a capable starter down the line.

Keagan Trost — OT, Missouri

Big Board Rank: 125

Trost might be a guard in the NFL, we’ll see. Wherever he ends up playing, I think he’ll make a positive impact. A quick, powerful run blocker, he knows how to get under the pads of his opponents and drive them off the ball in short-yardage situations. He’s a scary sight to see coming at you in the open field, too.

Trost started at Indiana State before going to Wake Forest in 2024 and finally Missouri. Each time he transferred, he handled the jump in competition well, and he has some of the best hands in the class. I don’t know if he has the speed to be above average as a pass blocker, but he can hold his own there.

Joe Royer — TE, Cincinnati

Big Board Rank: 128

Honestly, this whole list could be tight ends, and Royer is no exception. One of the better receiving tight ends in college football over the past few years, he shreds defenses over the middle of the field and in the red zone. He can high-point a football in the air as well as anyone and catches everything thrown his way.

The caveat with Royer is that he is a net negative as a blocker. He more than makes up for it with his receiving prowess, though, and NFL offenses are getting better at utilizing those kinds of weapons.

Cyrus Allen — WR, Cincinnati

Big Board Rank: 135

There really isn’t anything Allen does poorly on a football field, at least in terms of what he’s asked to do. He might be limited to the slot, but he’s a plus route runner with good short-area burst, which he uses to get open off his breaks. Reliable and productive are great traits to have when projecting to the next level.

I just see Allen as a quality slot receiver for years to come. He might never be a star, but if you need a WR3 in the middle rounds, he’s your guy. When push comes to shove, he’ll deliver in the biggest moments, just like he did for the Bearcats.

Nate Boerkircher — TE, Texas A&M

Big Board Rank: 144

Outside of Sam Roush, Boerkircher is the best blocking tight end in this class. He’s not quite as good a prospect as Jackson Hawes was last year, but that’s the archetype with Boerkircher. The Aggies didn’t ask him to do a lot in the passing game, but he’s a plus blocker and someone you can put on the end of the line of scrimmage and ask him to block defensive linemen. That’s inherently valuable.

I don’t expect Boerkircher to come in and have 500 receiving yards as a rookie or anything like that. But he can be a key piece of an offense’s game plan, offering versatility that other prospects just can’t match.

Tyren Montgomery — WR, John Carroll

Big Board Rank: 152

The wild card of all wild cards, Montgomery is a Division III star who showed up to the Senior Bowl back in January and owned the event. He was the best receiver in attendance and looked like he belonged in the NFL, consistently beating out some of the best cornerback prospects in the class for 50/50 balls — if not outright losing them on his routes.

It’s hard to say if Montgomery’s Division III production will translate to the NFL at all. But if his performance at the Senior Bowl is any indication, he absolutely can make an impact.