Everybody expects first and second round picks to find the field in their respective teams, but are there any 2024 NFL Draft Day 3 picks that could come in and make a splash right away? A couple of names like Penn State’s Theo Johnson and Notre Dame’s Audric Estime landed in ideal spots to find the field early, but that’s just one piece of the puzzle toward making an impact.
In the past we have seen players like cornerback Tariq Woolen, quarterback Brock Purdy, and others find themselves forced onto the field and findind success early in their careers. Johnson and Estime will be hoping for similar success right out of the gate even though they do not have the prestigious draft status of some of the other names in their class.
Outside of those two, however, who else can find themselves making plays for their respective teams during their rookie seasons despite not hearing their names called in the top-100 picks?
With the apparent retirement of Darren Waller in New York, a void has opened wide. And while Danile Bellinger does some nice things on the field for the Giants, the league is running a massive uptick of 12 personnel. This means fourth round pick Theo Johnson is going to find the field early.
And given the skillset he brings to the Giants, there is a chance he is their main in-line tight end while Bellinger could be their flexible move piece. Johnson is not afraid to block, is a freak athlete who can win at the catch point and vertically down the field, and he is a menace with the ball in his hands after the catch.
Don’t sleep on Johnson to be an immediate contributor for the Giants in 2024.
While the San Francisco 49ers just drafted Ji’Ayir Brown a year ago and have All-Pro Talanoa Hufanga in their safety room, Wake Forest’s Malik Mustapha may just be too sure of a tackler and too good of an athlete to keep off the field. Besides, when the Niners go into DIME looks, look for Mustapha to be that third safety off the bench anyway.
With a quick trigger and vice grips for arms when he has a ball carrier wrapped up, Mustapha will quickly outplay his draft slot. He is explosive and even has range to make the occasional play over the top as well. Don’t sleep on the fourth round safety.
The running back room for the Denver Broncos a year ago was, well, not good.
Former second round Javonte Williams has not locked down his status as a bellcow as many anticipated he would, Samaje Perine returned to normalcy after an effective 2022 season with the Cincinnati Bengals, and undrafted free agent Jahleel McLaughlin saw the field far more than he should have.
The door is wide open for the physical and explosive Audric Estime to kick the door down in Denver from Day 1. While his 40 yard dash time did not quite add up, the explosiveness from Estime was evident both on tape and in his jumps at the combine. He is a strong, big runner who is not going to make people miss in the open field, but rather he will work right through the defender.
He has the makings of a guy who could become one of Sean Payton’s favorites right off the rip.
Saquon Barkley departed for the Philadelphia Eagles this past offseason and the only notable running back the New York Giants signed to replace him was Devin Singletary (who is now on his third team in as many years). Being the second Day 3 rookie to make this list on one team is potentially a bad sign for the Giants’ offense in general (especially considering first round pick Malik Nabers will also be relied upon heavily right out of the gate), but former wide receiver converted to running back Tyrone Tracy has the chance to establish himself right away.
It took him until his sixth season at his second school and playing his second position to make an impact at the college level, but Tracy was the top playmaker for Purdue in 2023. Carrying the ball just 113 times last year, Tracy averaged a whopping 6.3 yards per carry, racking up over 700 yards and eight touchdowns on the ground for the Boilermakers. While he is an older prospect, the legs of Tracy are fresh.
Can he beat out the likes of Devin Singletary and Eric Gray for immediate snaps in 2024?
It is rare to see an off-ball linebacker rack up 33 pressures, 10 sacks, and 13 tackles behind the line of scrimmage. However, that is just what the SEC Defensive Player of the Year, Mississippi State linebacker Nathaniel Watson, did.
And now he comes to the Cleveland Browns by way of the sixth round where there is a potential immediate need for him to fill. While the Browns look to replace Sione Takitaki, who departed for the New England Patriots in free agency, they will give Tony Fields II and newly added free agent Devin Bush the first crack at winning the SAM linebacker job.
However, neither of those players are established NFL players who have earned the right to be penned into a job. And given the tenacity of defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, the physicality and throwback style of play that Watson brings to the field may just catch his eye.
Watson will likely have to earn reps through special teams, but don’t discount his nastiness putting him in a position to win immediate SAM snaps either.
