12 Sleeper NFL Draft Prospects

12 Sleeper NFL Draft Prospects

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The NFL Draft is now just days away, popping off on Thursday, April 23.

At this point, we’ve seen a million player profiles, game highlights, and hype videos for all the flashy first- and second-round prospects.

But what about the lesser-knowns? The diamonds in the rough? The sleepers? This article is for them.

I’m defining a “sleeper draft prospect” as any player who:

  1. Is projected to be selected in Round 5 or later
  2. Has the potential to be an impact player in the NFL

To identify these sleepers, I conducted an NFL mock draft online at first-pick.com, which is my preferred online NFL mock draft tool for one reason and one reason only: trades.

At First-Pick, you can trade your team’s current and future draft picks to move up and down the draft, which is exactly what I needed to do. By trading down, down, and down again, I was able to stockpile six picks in Round 5, five picks in Round 6, and one pick in Round 7. This is where my sleepers live.

Using the Buffalo Bills as my NFL team, I ignored team needs and focused on the task at hand: identifying sleeper draft prospects. Once it was my turn to draft a player, I had a full list of “best available” players to choose from.

How did I choose who to draft? I researched prospect profiles at nfl.com. If a player had high draft grade, good combine numbers, and favorable NFL comparisons, I drafted him.

Alright, enough explanation. Let’s get to the sleepers.

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Here’s who I drafted as a sleeper, where, and why.

5.07 Jason Strowbridge (DT – North Carolina)
Standing six-foot-five and weighing in at 285 pounds, defensive tackle Jason Strowbridge is a big-bodied brute who can dominate the line of scrimmage. Strowbridge demonstrated excellent growth from year to year at North Carolina where he was an honorable mention All-ACC selection in 2018.

According to NFL analyst Lance Zierlein, Strowbridge resembles former second-round draft pick Cornelius Carradine, a middling defensive end who played for the 49ers, Raiders, and Dolphins. For a fifth-round pick, Strowbridge could provide excellent depth and value to an NFL defense.

5.08 Gabriel Davis (WR – UCF)
In Kyle Yates’ 2020 NFL Mock Draft 4.0, the six-foot-two, 212-pound Gabriel Davis is penciled in as a good pick for the New York Jets with the 120th overall pick in the fourth round. That would make Davis a steal here early in the fifth round.

A first-team All-American at the University of Central Florida, Davis didn’t play against elite-level talent, but he did destroy his competition. Davis’s 2019 numbers are not be ignored—he finished his final season at UCF with 72 receptions, 1,241 yards, and 12 touchdowns.

Davis is a highly physical player with good form and sharp instincts, but according to several scouting reports, such as this one from 247 Sports, he runs poor routes and lacks production after the catch. If Davis continues to develop, though, he could become a productive wide receiver in the NFL.

5.09 Anthony McFarland Jr. (RB – Maryland)
Anthony McFarland Jr. showed regression in his second season at Maryland, largely due to an ankle injury that kept him limited. A hot and cold running back, McFarland displayed inconsistent production in college, carrying the ball with varying degrees of success from game to game.

However, his big-play potential makes him an interesting target in the fifth round of the NFL Draft. In one game as a freshman against Ohio State, for example, McFarland totaled 298 yards on 21 carries, three of which went for 52, 75, and 81 yards. That’s pretty impressive for a young player against big-time competition.

Given the nature of running-back-by-committee trends in the NFL, McFarland could contribute to teams that know when to use him and how to keep him healthy.

5.14 Yasir Durant (OG – Missouri)
Yasir Durant is a gigantic human being, okay? According to his stats at ESPN, this tackle prospect from Missouri is six-foot-seven and 331 pounds. That’s a big boy, and on the football field, it shows—Durant packs a punch and plays with power. As Lance Zierlein of nfl.com points out, Durant performed poorly at the NFL Combine, but his size, strength, and length make him a dual-threat guard/tackle option in the NFL.

In a recent NFL mock draft by CBS Sports, Durant is going to the New York Jets with the 191st overall pick, which makes him a sixth-round prospect. If an NFL team wants to shore up its offensive line in the later rounds of the NFL Draft, they could do worse than this monster from Mizzou.

5.17 A.J. Green (CB – Oklahoma State)
A.J. Green posted nearly identical numbers in each of his three years a starter at Oklahoma State, just about totaling 48 total tackles in each season, 39 of which were solo efforts. As a six-foot-one, 202-pound athlete, Green has the length you’re looking for in an outside corner in the NFL.

The Steelers, Chargers, and Colts are all reported to have reached out to Green in some capacity, likely for his physical play and with respect to his decorated collegiate career. As a senior in 2019, Green was a semifinalist for the Jon Thorpe Award, which is awarded to the best defensive back in the country. What’s more, his teammates voted him as a team captain, which indicates leadership qualities and good sportsmanship.

In a recent mock draft from Sports Illustrated, Green doesn’t fall past the third round. Projected to go to the Dallas Cowboys with the 82nd pick, it looks like Green was an absolute bargain here in the middle of the fifth round. It’ll be interesting to see what the reality of the situation becomes on Draft Day.

5.20 Joe Bachie (ILB – Michigan St.)
Joe Bachie is identified as a potential backup/special-teamer at nfl.com, where Lance Zierlein describes him as “productive and tough,” but also as a “limited inside linebacker.” Productive and tough to be sure, Bachie is a six-foot-one, 230-pound warrior who tallied more than 100 tackles in two of his three seasons as a starter for Michigan State.

However, Bachie’s size and strength come with a bit of a red flag as he was nabbed for failing a PED test in college. If NFL GMs can look past this hiccup and focus instead on his tape, they’ll see a phenomenal athlete who always seems to be in the right place at the right time.

In a recent NFL mock draft conducted by CBS Sports, Bachie’s a good fit for the Carolina Panthers with the 148th overall pick in the beginning of the fifth round. Could Bachie evolve into a suitable replacement for Luke Kuechly?

As a potential fifth-round draft choice, Bachie’s a low-risk, high-reward NFL prospect.

6.09 Colby Parkinson (TE – Stanford)
Colby Parkinson is six-foot-seven and 250 pounds. He plays tight end. I’ll say that again. He is a six-foot-seven, 250-pound tight end.

I mean, my goodness. When you look at his tape, your jaw drops. The former Stanford standout plays like a man among boys. Parkinson’s ability to use his size and frame makes him a formidable offensive weapon, especially in the red zone. In his 31 games in three seasons at Stanford, the Cardinal pass-catcher hauled in 87 receptions for 1,171 yards and 12 touchdowns.

It is clear that Parkinson possesses the size and skills to compete at the next level, so why isn’t he in the third- or fourth-round conversation? According to Lance Zierlein’s write-up at nfl.com, Parkinson needs to add more meat to his frame, improve his blocking, and play stronger against safeties.

Where can we expect Parkinson to end up on Draft Day? A recent CBS Sports mock draft has the Dolphins selecting Parkinson with the 153rd overall pick in the fifth round of the NFL Draft.

6.14 Quintez Cephus (WR – Wisconsin)
At six-foot-one and 202 pounds, Quintez Cephus possesses pretty standard specs for an NFL wide receiver. The former Badger posted a 93-1,496-13 line in his 30 games from 2016 to 2019, but with one very important asterisk—he missed his entire 2018 season after being suspended for sexual assault charges. Criminal mischief and its associate character issues could be responsible for his low standing on draft boards.

On the field, though, Cephus demonstrates NFL-readiness—he has strong hands and attacks the ball with regularity. Cephus is likely to be drafted in the sixth round of the NFL Draft. In an NFL mock draft by CBS Sports, The Rams could take a chance on Cephus with the 199th overall pick in the sixth round.

6.18 Darrynton Evans (RB – Appalachian State)
Darrynton Evans is a five-foot-10, 203-pound speedster who isn’t projected to make it past the fourth round of the NFL Draft. Call it a glitch in the game or something, because I have no idea how Darrynton Evans slipped into the middle of the sixth round in my online mock draft.

Evans isn’t exactly a sleeper, but I have to mention him here because that’s how my NFL mock draft shook out. In real life, look for Evans to make an impact on an NFL team that drafts him somewhere in the fourth round of the upcoming NFL Draft.

6.21 Benito Jones (DT – Ole Miss)
According to his prospect profile at nfl.com, Benito Jones could become a good backup in the NFL with the potential to become a starter. At six-foot-one and 316 pounds, he isn’t exactly a behemoth by NFL lineman standards. However, his steady progression and ultimate production as a defensive tackle at Ole Miss should be enough to garner attention from NFL GMs.

When you look at Jones’ college profile, his on-the-field contributions jump off the page: Four-year letterman, 48 games played, 36 starts, 132 career tackles, top-10 all-time tackler in school history, 11th all-time in career sacks (10.5). Oh, and he’s a Second Team All-SEC player as voted by coaches. Not too shabby, eh?

Will NFL teams be as adulating? It’s possible. Lance Zierlein of nfl.com believes Jones “has the potential to become a future starter with an adequate rush potential to boot.”

While I was able to draft Jones in the sixth round of my mock draft, look for an NFL team to scoop him up somewhere in the middle of the fifth round on Draft Day.

6.22 Trevis Gipson (DE – Tulsa)
Trevis Gipson is another one of those guys who could go as high as the fourth round. True, I drafted him in the sixth round of my mock draft, but sometimes online mock software disagrees with other popular rank-makers around the country. So in this instance, I’m not sure Trevis Gipson qualifies as a sleeper, but I am obligated to mention him here because I stole him in the sixth round of my mock draft.

An imposing edge rusher at six-foot-three and 261 pounds, Gipson has the size and speed to beat lineman and harass quarterbacks. That’s a tasty combination that NFL coaches and GMs love to see.

A likelier pick in the middle rounds of the NFL Draft, Gipson has the potential to replicate his career success at Tulsa (114 total tackles and 13 sacks) for any NFL ball club that takes him.

7.25 Jake Luton (QB – Oregon St.)
File Jake Luton into the “super sleeper” category. At six-foot-six and 224 pounds, Luton possesses elite size for an NFL-caliber signal-caller. What’s more, he’s got the ultimate game-changing intangible: picture-perfect decision-making.

In his senior season at Oregon State, the big-armed gunslinger threw for 2,714 yards, 24 touchdowns, and only three interceptions. Three interceptions! Mix in a 62% completion percentage, and you’re looking at a kid who knows how to play the position with poise.

As Lance Zierlein of nfl.com adds, Luton is “a pro-style quarterback with developmental traits who could hear his name late on Day 3.”

Got any sleepers of your own that you’d care to share? Hit us up on Twitter.

And stay tuned to FantasyPros for the latest NFL Draft takes up until Thursday, April 23 and even more analysis after Day 3 concludes on Saturday, April 25.

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Jim Colombo is a correspondent at FantasyPros. For more from Jim, check out his archive and follow him @WideRightNBlue.

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Jim is a writer and fantasy football fanatic from Buffalo, New York. When he's not creating content for a creative agency in Orchard Park, he's writing about fantasy sports, screaming at Bills games, or cutting loose at Phish.

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