• S Dadrion Taylor-Demerson leads the way: Taylor-Demerson came away with an incredible sideline interception against the Colts in Preseason Week 2 and finished the preseason with an 80.1 PFF coverage grade.
• EDGE Austin Booker shows promise: Chicago may have unearthed a gem in Booker, and they weren’t afraid to showcase that this preseason. The Kansas product impressed throughout camp, generating a 75.9 PFF pass-rushing grade and a 10.3 pass-rushing productivity rate.
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Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
The lights shine brightest on the league’s 32 first-round picks, but real gems are often found further down the draft board.
Day 3 picks have something to prove when they step onto the field. Amon-Ra St. Brown, Tyreek Hill and Brock Purdy are just a few of the league’s best to get their starts as Day 3 selections — and these rookies hope to follow in their footsteps.
Here are the highest-graded Day 3 (Rounds 4, 5, 6 and 7) picks from the 2024 NFL preseason.
The fourth-round selection out of Texas Tech showcased his awareness and anticipation, making sound reads in coverage to bait and break on throws. Taylor-Demerson came away with an incredible sideline interception against the Colts in Preseason Week 2 and finished the preseason with an 80.1 PFF coverage grade. The young safety understands his spacing and how to attack it, giving him a solid foundation to build on.
Ball skills are Abrams-Draine’s calling card, and he put them on display throughout the preseason. The former Missouri corner forced an incompletion in all three of his preseason games and came down with a red-zone pick in his preseason debut. That effort resulted in an 86.0 PFF coverage grade.
The Rams’ sixth-round center hit the ground running and quickly earned the respect of McVay’s staff. Across two strong outings in the first two preseason games, he earned a combined 85.9 pass-blocking grade and 77.9 run-blocking grade. Results like that not only earn guys roster spots but also significant roles. Don’t be surprised if Limmer earns a spot in the starting lineup before too long.
Chicago may have unearthed a gem in Booker, and they weren’t afraid to showcase that this preseason. The Kansas product impressed throughout camp, generating a 75.9 PFF pass-rushing grade and a 10.3 pass-rushing productivity rate. The Bears weren’t afraid to utilize Booker in a number of ways, running him as a looper on stunts and even dropping him into coverage at times — something that can help the Bears defense be unpredictable.
While Abraham sometimes struggled with off-coverage, he brought a presence to the run game that we seldom see in corners. The sixth-rounder out of Marshall displayed his willingness to defend the run with purpose, also hunting runners that are lax with ball security. In his debut, Abraham stole the ball from a stood-up Audric Estime and returned it to the house.
After dealing with some ball-security issues in camp, Davis showed progression in his preseason showings and didn’t fumble across 16 touches. While game-to-game consistency wasn’t there in his two matchups, the former Kentucky Wildcat flashed his ability on the ground. In his final preseason appearance, Davis racked up 7.3 yards per carry, with 5.0 yards coming after contact, on his way to an 84.7 PFF rushing grade.
The Packers’ fourth-round pick in the secondary put together a good camp and showed some sound coverage skills both at deep free and in the slot. Williams flashed quick closing coverage in the flat, where he secured a pair of stops on just three targets into his coverage. That energy helped to earn Williams a 77.9 PFF coverage grade.
The second Ram to make this list. Whittington quickly earned his looks in camp and now profiles to be a guy who should far outpace his sixth-round draft position. The former Texas Longhorn may not separate consistently, but he makes up for it with his strength at the target point and contested catch ability. Whittington earned a 77.8 PFF receiving grade and came down with 85.7% of his contested targets.
While Newton got himself into trouble in coverage at times, particularly against the Bears, he did show flashes of that playmaking ability he showcased at TCU and LA Monroe. While the Bengals’ fifth-round selection has struggled a bit with anticipating route concepts, his effort was there, allowing him to record a 14.3% forced incompletion rate.
What Cowing lacks in size, he makes up for in technique and route-running ability. The 49ers’ fourth-round pick at receiver hit the ground running, earning a 75.3 PFF receiving grade and 153.1 passer rating when targeted this preseason. Cowing creates separation at a high rate, making him a passer’s best friend, particularly when given freedom of the entire route tree from slot and snug looks.
