Day 3 of the 2023 NFL Draft is officially underway. All Player Colleges, High Schools. He totaled 20 pass breakups and made a highlight reel interception against Justin Fields and Ohio State in the 2020 Big Ten title game. He started in 2019 and the 2021 spring season, and took advantage of the extra year of eligibility allotted to all 2020-21 athletes by starring again as a super senior this past fall. Stokes' other offers included Florida, LSU, Ole Miss and West Virginia. Big 12 schools like Baylor and Oklahoma showed interest in Slater, but never offered him a scholarship. 2017 position ranking: No. He developed into one of the most versatile players in the league. Here's a list of those smaller guys who have very big talent in them. In the sixth round of the 2010 Draft, the Texans drafted this speed demon as a kick/punt returner. Nick Fairley is an NFL defensive tackle, most recently with the New Orleans Saints. The NFL's 'Worst Game' Was Also Lawrence Taylor Best - Sports Illustrated Rodman would experience a growth spurt and he found a college home at Southeastern Oklahoma State University. But only one town Rock Hill, South Carolina calls itself "Football City." That's because the city of 75,000 . But most people forget to imagine how small this receiver really is. 32 lingering post-draft questions: Will Lions have regrets? "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. He notably did not register a single sack in 2020, but the Ravens looked past the stats and saw the freakish athleticism. "[They said] here's what you need to do, and he just kind of had to do it on his own," Luther Elliss said. A dominant season followed, setting him up with options. "We did like an Ivy League tour. It is highly recommended that you use the latest versions of a supported browser in order to receive an optimal viewing experience. -- Chris Low. The No. And he can stuff backs at the line. Some, such as Cole Strange, Christian Watson and Pierre Strong Jr., wowed observers at the NFL combine. Rousseau opted out of the 2020 season, but put up huge numbers in 2019: 54 tackles, 19.5 tackles for loss and 15.5 sacks. 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. 360-754-5473. He generated interest from larger schools that could have provided a greater platform to test his skills, but Williams decided he didn't need that. LaDainian Tomlinson sustained an injury in a playoff game against the Indianapolis Colts. Aaron Rodgers, Pleasant Valley (Chico, Calif.) Green Bay Packers. Bateman made an immediate impact, catching 51 passes for 704 yards and six TDs as a freshman. But he is pretty short and really productive.Rice uses pure toughness and speed to overcome his small size. Fields would back away from his PSU pledge and ultimately sign with Georgia. Bagent was invited to the NFL combine and projects as a late-round pick, somewhere between the No. A total of 247 high schools contributed to the 262 players selected in the seven rounds of the April 28-30 Draft, the most different schools represented since 2016 (247 schools). 2023 NFL Draft: Will Levis, Zay Flowers among Round 1 prospects In the end, Smith bypassed the local school and picked Alabama. 2018 position ranking: No. ", He just needed a chance. Luther Elliss said a competitive edge can often help compensate for what some players in the FCS might lack in physical evaluations. XFL semifinals: Defenders roll Sea Dragons, set up title showdown with Renegades. He was even qualified for the 2007 World Championship Athletics competition for sprinting, but he decided not to go. Sewell initially planned to make his choice during the fall of his senior year, but Willie Taggarts decision to leave Oregon for Florida State caused him to reevaluate. Because of his 40-yard dash time, Strong went from being just another good FCS prospect to being considered among the best at the combine. 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. Once in Fargo, he blossomed. But he missed the entire 2006 season due to an ankle injury, and he fell off the radar again. That, along with his talent and his tenacious play on the defensive side of the basketball, helped Pippen to evolve into a player who is often under-appreciated because he played alongside Michael Jordan. "No one has ever given me anything or honestly expected much from me because of where I've come from. He found this with the New York Jets. McCook swears he knew what he had from the start. Leno, in fact, is probably a better left tackle than the much . (From first-round quarterbacks Trey Lance and Carson Wentz to linemen such as 2021 second-rounder Dillon Radunz and Billy Turner, a starter for the Green Bay Packers now with the Denver Broncos, plenty of prospects have done just that of late.). 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. Read more on the 2023 draft . In 2009, he was named the sole starter for the Ravens as the every down back. Top current NFL players from small schools (FCS or below) Davis ended up as an early enrollee for the Wildcats, but did not emerge as a starter until 2020. Michigan Football 2023 NFL drafted players high school ranking In 2009, he started at his role of Strong Safety for all 16 games of the season. The story of how Tom Brady fell to the New England Patriots and the 199th pick of the 2000 NFL Draft has been told and retold on television shows and in articles. I knew it was an opportunity for me to prove myself -- not prove it to myself, but prove to the scouts and teams who were watching me go against guys who played at bigger schools. Do not ignore them. After having a couple above-average seasons as only the second string running back in Jacksonville, Jones-Drew was made the starter for 2009. At such a small height, many critics doubted he could defend the average height of 6'2" for receivers in the NFL. Fields was brilliant in his two seasons in Columbus, throwing for 5,373 yards and 63 touchdowns with two top 10 Heisman finishes. "I always use the saying that 'I took the stairs, I ain't take the elevator.' Jordy Nelson was a productive high school quarterback athletic enough to excel at other sports. Starks was not recruited to play following high school and he was only on the taxi squad a group of backups who replaced starters who are either injured or suspended at Rogers State College. 1. This 5'7" Goliath can do what every NFL player wants to be able to do. George, who is only 25-years old and not yet in his prime, is one of the best defensive players in the NBA today. Tulsa was the only FBS school to offer him a scholarship, though he did attract attention from Oklahoma State. Because after Alabama quarterback Bryce Young and 61 other players from the SEC were selected by NFL franchises in the three-day event, the conference claimed the honor of having the most players . Then, he really broke out. In his final season at South Dakota State, Strong rushed for 1,686 yards and 18 touchdowns while averaging 7.0 yards per carry. However, he didn . Gardner has played for the New York Yankees since 2008, and he is an All-Star outfielder and a World Series winner. In total, Miller had 226 tackles, 23.5 for loss, 8.5 sacks and six forced fumbles in 26 games at Jackson State. LSU was one of those schools, but the offer came too late in the process in December of 2016 when Orgeron was interim head coach. 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. Jackson is the opposite of Ray Rice. Rivals rating: 2 stars, not in Rivals 250. The only problem is Sanders has never played a full season in his career. The names George Kittle and Tristan Wirfs are well-known, as are many others. Some were rated by Rivals.com among the nations most elite prospects. From that game forward, Strong ran his way to an invitation to the NFL combine. And Elliss and Watson have NFL experience in their blood. -- Heather Dinich, Virtually any North Dakota State draft prospect, especially on offense, has to be viewed through a very specific lens. During his time in uniform with the Trojans, Vera-Tucker showed his versatility by starting games at both guard and tackle. After a year at prep school and three seasons at Division II Fayetteville State, a historically Black university that competes in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association, Williams left eligibility on the table and entered the NFL draft. When Kraft finally hit the field in Brookings, he scorched it. After graduating from LSU, Holliday decided to enter the NFL draft. He tries to hurt you," Wright said. There were 19 players each from Houston (TX) and Miami (FL) high schools on Kickoff Weekend rosters, tied for the most of any city. Paul George put up impressive numbers during his high school career and he won multiple awards for his performances on the court. NFL Draft sleepers: The best FCS, HBCU & small-school players you - MSN He has been named the "quarterback" of the Jets number one ranked defense. 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. Other outliers include Lukas Van Ness, who ranked as a low three-star and the No. LSU was considered the favorite for Surtain for a significant portion of his recruitment, but he ended up signing with Alabama on national signing day. I embrace that grind because it's all I know.". "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. He rarely misses tackles. 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. Kyle Pitts began his high school career playing quarterback before he made a move to tight end. "And that was an unofficial visit because he got to bring some guests," Strange said. 2. He still recorded 727 all-purpose offensive yards. 2018 position ranking: No. His best season was in 2007 when he recorded 96 tackles and multiple turnovers. The NFL cares that you're talented and you have the DNA or the makeup to sustain and do well in the league.". His size isn't a problem -- by comparison, Georgia's Jordan Davis is listed at 6-6, 340. 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. Iosivas has always had the dream of being an NFL player, but his father also had a strong influence on his path. He flourished in that position and, despite multiple back surgeries, worked his way into the first round. Look at these schools that were interested in him." 36 offensive guard. That is now, many years later, humorous in that Aaron Rodgers stands at 6-foot-2 and 225 pounds, and he is widely regarded as one of the best athletes to play the QB position. Surtain ended up starting 38 games for the Crimson Tide and became one of the top corners in the nation. As a 245-pound defensive end/linebacker coming out of Farragut High School in Knoxville, Tennessee, Strange flew under the radar during the recruiting process. Jaguars 2023 NFL Draft concludes with 13 players chosen, . A month later, the Georgia native signed with South Carolina in the early signing period. "It was a game that I was just thinking like, 'Yeah, this is that game that put me on,'" he said. He ended his career as one of the most celebrated players ever for a celebrated small-school program. Terrell Owens was a freak athlete in high school, but he was not seen as an elite football player worthy of starting for one of the bigger programs in college football. But he wanted to play quarterback and North Dakota State, which sent Carson Wentz and Easton Stick to the NFL, was the best fit. He is one of the best receivers in the league today. You apparently also cannot teach that a defensive back with blinding speed can be molded into one of the best to ever play the position. Tryon stuck with his WSU commitment after the offers from Oregon and Utah, but he ended up flipping to Washington in January 2017. 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. Darrisaw ended up being a three-year starter at left tackle for the Hokies. One of those schools was Alabama. ended up attending the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, where he played multiple sports. Over his last two years at UF, Pitts caught 97 passes for 1,491 yards and 17 TDs. "Once he heard about me, he reached out to me so that's just how it happened," Strong said. "No one is going to outgrind Tucker Kraft.". 2017 position ranking: No.

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