Who teams should look to draft on day 3
It’s inevitable that each year their are a handful of impact players that get over looked during the draft season. The result of this storyline for instance Chiefs running back Pacheco, a 7th round darling 2 seasons ago, or the latest and greatest retiree of the league, Jason Kelce, a 6th round center who’ll see Canton in 4 years. Whatever the size of the impact, any piece of significance from a third day drafted player is a success for a general manager and front office standpoint. Here are some names to remember as the NFL draft lurks within the next 7 weeks:
Tulu Griffin, WR, Mississippi State
2024 has two very deep positions which is an easy way to ignore lesser known names in the draft, this year wide receiver and offensive lineman are the two in particular with more prominent prospects. Lideatrick Griffin, AKA Tulu, visited the NfL Combine, competing with the likes of Brian Thomas Jr, Rome Odunze, and the rest of the talented group. Griffin stood out with his soft hands, his maturity in every drill, and his routes. Every catch was natural for him, adjusting to below the waist passes comfortably and eyeing in over the shoulder the targets the same. He holds a straight line on his crossers and his “go” route, keeping defenders at bay. A late round pick with great upside, expect him to be under the radar as long as the early weeks of next season when he can shine in practice to earn reps on game day.
Mohamed Kamara, Edge, Colorado State
Over the course of the NFL’s combine coverage this weekend , at least six or seven players were referenced to Maxx Crosby and his relentless. As a subjective viewer, there’s more than likely only one Crosby per a generation. Instead of using him as the template I’d like to use his comparison as the outlier that he is, and Mohamed Kamara is that DUDE. Kamara can single-handedly wreck an entire offensive game plan. He is first to the ball on 9/10 plays, and he needs two people to block him. In one on one rushes you won’t find another guy like him. He led CSU with 14 sacks and 38 qb pressures in 2023 alone. 14 sacks was fifth most in the entire country, but adding the pressures plus his run game physicality makes him more than valuable on day 3 and could see a day 2 nod if any front office feels the way I do about Kamara. Relentless and powerful are two characteristics that’ll follow Kamara to any of the 32 NFL teams that decides to choose him.
Anim Dankwah, OL, Howard University
Bull in a heard calves, a python in a corn snake cage you get the idea, Anim Dankwah is an astonishing beast of a man looking to protect any QB willing to trust him. At 6’8” and 350 pounds of magnificent muscle , he swallows the shoulders of pass rushers, casting cloud like shadows across the field as he lines up for every snap like it’s his last. Bull rushes won’t work with his size, and his upper body is strong enough to deflect rush moves like swims and chops with ease. Some team needs to take a chance on Dankwah, being from Howard U. is going to be a blemish on his résumé for certain teams but one lucky team will be thankful they didn’t pass on Anim.
Jha’Quan Jackson, WR, Tulane University
So the ultimate male question, does size matter? At 5’9” I’d have to argue no it does not for Jha’Quan Jackson. Watching his film from college he was clearly underutilized, the Tulane running back had over 1300 yards in 2023. However, dive deeper into the stat sheet and you’ll notice Jackson averaging 15 or more yards per catch each of the last three seasons, hitting 17 yards per catch this past season. He’s a playmaker with the ability to get open. In a league throwing the football more and more every year, he can surely find a home on a roster. More intriguingly so, if he found himself in a utility role with a west coast offense, he could be a high impact player early on in his career. Flaunting his route ability during Senior Bowl week, another successful step in his NFL journey. Putting coaches on notice with a consistent three or more yards of separation in 1 on 1 drills leading up to the Senior Bowl game this past February. Finally at the combine in Indianapolis this past weekend, Jackson was a natural pass catcher. His hands were as if a pocket perfectly made for a football, gliding through the gauntlet drill. His lateral quickness is his best asset and will make several NFL defenders miss on Sundays at the next level.
These are just four names that I feel, subjectively, will succeed at the NFL level. NFL front offices with far more experience will have their own opinions but don’t be shocked if these are players making impact plays for there prospective clubs. The gems of the draft are the hardest to find but an essential part of any winning team in any team sport. Don’t take for granted the prospects selected on day three of the draft or even not selected at all, they’ll be working the hardest to make an impression.
Follow with my Twitter page, @sportdispatch for another set of potential draft gems of 2024 next week!
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