Last season, if the 49ers had expected more of linebacker Fred Warner, or if the Ravens had expected more of offensive tackle Orlando Brown Jr., or if the Raiders thought Maurice Hurst would become the force he did, these players would have been selected sooner than they were in the 2018 draft. Every year, there are players selected in the third round or later who transcend their humble beginnings and make a difference right away.
For most of those players, the preseason is absolutely crucial to that success, as it’s the only place they’re going to get serious reps without injuries decimating the depth chart. Because again, if they were expected to be special, they would have been taken sooner.
Here are some players to watch this preseason who have similar NFL starting points — selected in the third round of the 2019 draft or later and just hoping for the opportunity to show what they can do.
Juan Thornhill, S, Kansas City Chiefs
OK, we’re cheating with the first two players on this list. Thornhill was the second-to-last pick in the second round, but he’s worth mentioning. By all accounts, he’s been tearing it up in training camp after missing June minicamp with a calf injury, and his production and athletic profile indicate a player who could do a lot to turn around Kansas City’s defense.
Thornhill had 13 interceptions in three seasons as a starter at Virginia, and in 2018, he allowed just three touchdowns to six interceptions, and an opponent passer rating of 43.8. If he’s able to take this training camp performance into the preseason and regular season, Thornhill and free-agent acquisition Tyrann Mathieu will go a long way toward repairing the issues in Kansas City’s pass defense last season — a team deficit that may have cost the franchise a trip to the Super Bowl.
DK Metcalf, WR, Seattle Seahawks
Cheat No. 2, as Metcalf was the last pick in the second round. Based on his work from rookie minicamp through the first part of training camp, he could also be a cheat code. Metcalf slipped further than his talent might indicate — he was the 12th overall player on my big board — because his route tree was limited at Mississippi. But Jacob Peeler, Metcalf’s receivers coach in college, said after the Seahawks selected Metcalf that his route tree was limited by design.
“He runs slants, digs, comebacks, curls … you name it. He does it at top-level talent, and those will be things that fans will get to see once he gets there. But that’s something I never really questioned with him. He is 6-4, he is 225 [pounds], so he has some things where big guys are going to be limited, but he was a tremendous asset to our offense.”
Metcalf is indeed able to run more than the standard vertical routes and simple square-ins you’d expect from a limited player — he’s never going to have people mistaking him for Antonio Brown as a route runner, but this is a height/weight/speed mismatch waiting to happen. During Seattle’s series of minicamp and training camp practices, Seahawks defensive backs have had an especially hard time defending Metcalf in the end zone. Opposing defenders could soon experience the same difficulty.
Trace McSorley, QB/RB/WR, Baltimore Ravens
This is an interesting one. The Ravens hope to jump on the Saints’ Taysom Hill bandwagon by taking a college quarterback and using him at multiple positions. And certainly, if you’re going to sub out quarterbacks on a situational basis, it makes more sense to do it with Lamar Jackson than it does with Drew Brees. Baltimore took McSorley in the sixth round based on his rushing ability as much as his quarterback profile — he gained 1,697 yards and scored 30 rushing touchdowns at Penn State — and he could be seen everywhere from the backfield to a role as a returner.
Darrell Henderson, RB, Los Angeles Rams
Perhaps the best pure outside-zone runner in his draft class, Henderson is certainly an ideal fit in Sean McVay’s offense.
When I did a tape piece with Henderson before the draft, he spoke about the speed and agility that allowed him to gain 8.9 yards per carry in each of his last two seasons at Memphis, and as far as I can tell, the only reason he lasted until the third round was a general concern about his size (5-8, 208 pounds). Henderson won’t replace a healthy Todd Gurley as the Rams’ main back, but his satellite potential could make him a home-run hitter in a creative system.
David Montgomery, RB, Chicago Bears
Montgomery lasted until the ninth pick in the third round, in part because he doesn’t project as a next-level accelerator downfield. But the Iowa State product is a complete back in every other way — as an elusive player who can juke linemen out of their assignments, as a blocker, as a receiver and as the best tackle-breaking back in this class by far. With Jordan Howard now in Philly and Tarik Cohen and Mike Davis looking more like situational players, Montgomery has the skill set — and the opportunity — to become Matt Nagy’s feature back.
Jalen Hurd, WR/RB, San Francisco 49ers
Hurd started his college career ahead of Alvin Kamara on Tennessee’s running back depth chart, and he gained 2,635 yards and scored 20 touchdowns on the ground for the Vols before transferring to Baylor. In 2018, he caught 69 passes for 946 yards and four touchdowns as a receiver, leading 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan to say that the third-rounder is the most versatile player he’s ever drafted. Shanahan added that he would have considered Hurd (6-4, 227 pounds) as a running back, receiver or even as a tight end. Shanahan is one of the best offensive minds in the business, and you can bet he’ll find interesting ways to use Hurd as an ultimate movable chess piece. He already leads the team in fights during practice, so we’ll see how that works out for him.
Diontae Johnson, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers
Selected with the second pick in the third round out of Toledo, Johnson caught 135 passes for 2,235 yards and 23 touchdowns over three collegiate seasons. With the departure of Antonio Brown, the Steelers are in desperate need of a downfield threat who can get open consistently with pure speed and agility. Johnson isn’t the biggest receiver (5-10, 183 pounds), but the same could be said of Brown, and Johnson does show some of the same skills in an embryonic sense.
Terry McLaurin, WR, Washington Redskins
In Jay Gruden’s version of the West Coast offense, receivers must run precise routes to match up with their well-schooled quarterbacks, and they must be tough enough to make contested catches and get consistent yards after the catch. McLaurin has the second attribute and adds to it with legitimate downfield speed — the third-rounder caught 10 passes of 20 or more air yards for Ohio State last season for 353 yards. He needs work on his route awareness, but as a physical deep threat, McLaurin could sneak into a WR2 role in 2019, especially given his prior relationship with first-round quarterback Dwayne Haskins.
Hakeem Butler, WR, Arizona Cardinals
In 2018, Butler led all draftable receivers with 19 receptions of 20 air yards or more, for 721 yards and four touchdowns. That’s why I had him 32nd overall on my board, focus drops and route issues aside. NFL teams obviously disagreed, and Butler lasted until the first pick in the fourth round, where the Cardinals selected him. However, it’s a great fit for Butler, as he can transition to a role as a situational deep receiver with Kyler Murray, the most efficient deep thrower in the NCAA last season, as his new quarterback.
Riley Ridley, WR, Chicago Bears
Calvin Ridley caught 10 touchdown passes for the Falcons as a rookie in 2018, and now younger brother Riley has the chance to make a similar impact with the Bears. With his route awareness and physicality to separate in short to intermediate areas, Riley Ridley should become a best friend of Chicago quarterback Mitchell Trubisky, who’s still in the phase where he needs dump-off options who can create after the catch. Ridley isn’t a downfield burner, but he did catch four passes of 20 or more air yards for 112 yards for Georgia last season.
Dawson Knox, TE, Buffalo Bills
DK Metcalf was one of the most explosive receivers in this draft class, but if you go back and watch Metcalf’s 75-yard touchdown catch for Mississippi against Alabama, you’ll see an outstanding block to quarterback Jordan Ta’amu’s blind side that allowed the play to happen. That block came from Knox, selected by the Bills late in the third round. An outstanding blocker overall and an underutilized target who can get open underneath and has the ramp-up speed for big plays downfield, Knox is the kind of player who emerges as a team favorite early on and gets the reps he deserves as a starter.
Hjalte Froholdt, G/C, New England Patriots
The Patriots are pretty set at center with David Andrews, and they have the NFL’s best guard tandem in Shaq Mason and Joe Thuney. But Bill Belichick is always planning ahead, and Froholdt, who played center and guard at Arkansas, is an interesting fit for a line with such a versatile set of blocking schemes. Last season, Froholdt allowed just five pressures and no sacks on 418 pass-blocking snaps. Froholdt needs a little work on the penalties (10 in three seasons), and his lack of core strength may put him at center in the NFL in the short term, but when the Patriots take a shot on an offensive lineman, as they did in this case with the 16th pick in the fourth round, it’s worth paying attention.
Khalen Saunders, DL, Kansas City Chiefs
Of the defensive tackles I watched before the draft, Saunders impressed me as much as any other — including Ed Oliver and Quinnen Williams — with his movement skills for his size. The Chiefs were able to steal the Senior Bowl star from Western Illinois in the third round perhaps because other teams saw him merely as a run-plugger at 6 feet and 324 pounds. But Saunders had 35 total pressures last season in addition to his 35 stops, which gives you an indication of his versatility. He’ll be able to drop the hammer against quarterbacks at the NFL level more than some may think.
Kingsley Keke, DL, Green Bay Packers
Keke somehow lasted until the 12th pick in the fifth round, where the Packers took him as a small part of a massive defensive overhaul that spanned free agency and the draft. Keke played both tackle and end at Texas A&M, but he projects best at the next level as a one-gap penetrator, something he’ll be able to do in Mike Pettine’s defense. There are only so many spots on Green Bay’s defensive line, but don’t be surprised if Keke gets more reps than expected if he impresses in the preseason.
Germaine Pratt, LB, Cincinnati Bengals
I had Pratt as one of my most underrated players in this class based on his North Carolina State tape that showed a guy who hit run fits, covered the flat against running backs and tight ends, and rushed the passer from the edge. The Bengals are in great need of linebackers who can do one thing at Pratt’s level, never mind three. Perhaps Pratt lasted until the third round because teams couldn’t get a handle on his primary attribute, but I think the Bengals could be rewarded with a Jamie Collins-type player.
Chase Winovich, edge rusher, New England Patriots
Though Rashan Gary was selected with the 12th overall pick by the Packers, it was actually Winovich — taken by New England with the 13th pick in the third round — who was the more productive pass rusher at Michigan. Winovich lasted longer in the draft because of his athletic limitations; he’s not the same run-and-chase player Gary is, but in Bill Belichick’s defense, Winovich has the ability to go inside and outside on offensive tackles, play the run credibly, and work his way into the stunt game.
David Long, CB, Los Angeles Rams
The Rams are set at outside cornerback with Aqib Talib and Marcus Peters … if you cast aside age concerns about Talib and consistency issues with Peters. Long, taken with the 15th pick of the third round, has a perfect physical and aggressive style for Wade Phillips’ defense, and he’s versatile enough to fit whether Phillips is calling zone or man coverages. Long allowed just 16 catches on 60 targets in his college career at Michigan, and don’t be surprised if he starts getting outside reps the next time Peters has a run of inconsistency.
Ugo Amadi, DB, Seattle Seahawks
Early on in Seahawks training camp, Amadi found his way to the deep third of the secondary, where his speed and movement skills help at free safety. Amadi played all over the defensive backfield for Oregon, and though his size (5-9, 199 pounds) may limit him to a speed slot role at the NFL level, he’s certainly shown the ability to do that — last season, he allowed just 36 catches on 64 slot targets for 418 yards and an opponent passer rating of 67.1. Amadi lasted until the 30th pick in the fourth round, but he’s got draft steal written all over him.
Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, DB, New Orleans Saints
This was one of the biggest surprises of the draft. How did Gardner-Johnson, one of college football’s best multi-positional pass defenders in 2018, last until the third pick in the fourth round? With the ability to play both slot and safety, the Florida product can command two positions of need sooner than later, which gives him an edge for reps in the Saints’ developing secondary. Last season, he recorded four interceptions and allowed just 33 catches on 58 targets for 275 yards, one touchdown, and an opponent passer rating of 46.3.
Amani Hooker, S, Tennessee Titans
Tennessee’s safety rotation is already impressive enough with Kevin Byard and Kenny Vaccaro, but the addition of Iowa’s Hooker in the fourth round gives Mike Vrabel’s defense even more versatility. With Hooker defending the intermediate passing game and slamming down on run fits, Byard can cover the deep third as he does, and Vaccaro can maintain his status as the versatile slot-to-safety defender. If you see the Titans deciphering opposing offenses with a lot of “big nickel” (three-safety) sets, Hooker may be the reason why.
