Since the NFL created a third day of Draft picks (2010), there have been 12 drafts that yielded more than 1000 players selected on the third day. Most of the time, when these players manage to stay on an NFL roster, they are reserve players or members of the special teams group. Finding those who make important contributions is rare; finding stars, then, is even more difficult.
But every rule has its exception, and in such a wide range of players, it is possible to find those who arrived discredited but made history in the NFL. Players like Tom Brady, for example, cannot enter this list even coming from the sixth round; as recent as day three is, it’s possible to list some late draft picks who have already become important characters in league lore.
1 – Richard Sherman (fifth round, 2011)
In less than three years, Sherman went from a fifth-round pick to the lead and main face of one of the most iconic defenses of the past decade. The Seattle Seahawks hit also came with an extra dose of motivation, as he wanted to prove to Jim Harbaugh, coach of the rival San Francisco 49ers – and his former coach at Stanford – the mistake he made by not betting on the cornerback. Lucky, of course, for those who took the chance.
Perhaps only Darrelle Revis and Patrick Peterson were as good cornerbacks as Sherman at the beginning of the last decade. Leading the Legion of Boom, he amassed four All-Pro nominations, led the league in interceptions in 2013, won a Super Bowl with Seattle (and played in two more in his career), and made yet another All-Pro trip when he just moved. for the San Francisco 49ers, already with Kyle Shanahan. The impact in the locker room was also huge during his time with the Seahawks, which is why he tops this list.
2 – Antonio Brown (sixth round, 2010)
The whole career full of problems and headaches – and a lot of talent, we admit – started there in the sixth round of the 2010 Draft, when the Steelers decided to use another pick from that draft on a receiver after also picking up Emmanuel Sanders. Brown not only became the team’s top wide receiver, he was long touted as the best wide receiver in the entire NFL, especially towards the middle of the last decade.
But the list of off-field controversies tarnished – and ultimately destroyed – a brilliant career within him. The trade to the Las Vegas Raiders ended without him playing a single game for the team; the stint with the New England Patriots lasted just one game; and despite being a champion with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the historic tantrum when he took off his jersey and left the field was the last time he was in an NFL game.
3 – Jason Kelce (sixth round, 2011)
If Kelce was a late draft pick in 2011 due to his physical size, considered low for the center position, he made up for it brilliantly throughout his career through his athleticism and intelligence. The result was a decade of dominance inside the Philadelphia Eagles’ offensive line, which invested in the player in 2011 and resulted in a leader who was responsible for the most remarkable speech in franchise history.
Public recognition has arrived in recent years, with Kelce amassing five first-team All-Pro nominations over the past six seasons; its dominance goes back even further, when it regained ownership in 2013 and never relinquished it. He is the great leader of the Eagles teams that have played in two Super Bowls in the last five seasons and the best draft pick in franchise history.
4 – Kam Chancellor (fifth round, 2010)
Not just one: two players from the Seattle Seahawks’ Legion of Boom were draft picks in the final rounds and inhabit this roster. Although Chancellor didn’t start for the team until his sophomore year, his impact was felt from the moment he began to play a bigger role in defending Gus Bradley, acting as closer safety in the pit and doing a fantastic job of scoring. presence with heavy tackles.
Four Pro Bowl nominations and two All-Pro nominations don’t do justice to the quality Chancellor has displayed over the past decade in a career that ended prematurely with a serious neck injury. The Legion of Boom was fearsome to behold and the defender was the perfect personification of the group: physical, dominant, intelligent and of the highest quality.
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5 – Tyreek Hill (fifth round, 2016)
Who closes our list is one of the current NFL superstars and the only player who was not drafted in 2010 or 2011 – consequently the only one who is living the peak of his career. Hill fell in the Draft due to off-field problems from his time at Oklahoma State (2014), where he assaulted his then-girlfriend who was pregnant. After a season at West Alabama and an outstanding Pro Day performance, the Kansas City Chiefs spent a late pick on Hill.
In seven seasons in the league, the receiver accumulates seven Pro Bowl appearances, in addition to five All-Pro nominations and, of course, the Super Bowl title with the Chiefs in 2019. Hill today is part of the discussion of best receivers in the NFL and his performance at the Miami Dolphins improved even further. Still 29 years old, everything indicates that he will continue to accumulate records and awards in his career.
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