NFL
By: Randall Slifer
Day three of the NFL Draft is a very important day, as there is a ton of talent with a ton of picks to be made in one day. Aside from the breakout players on day three that happen every single year, adding depth to your roster and planning for the future is very important in team building. Here are some sleepers that are projected to go late in this NFL Draft:
Edge/OLB Fadil Diggs, Syracuse
Fadil Diggs is a versatile weapon on the front line coming into the NFL Draft. Fadil transferred to Syracuse from Texas A&M when Fran Brown became the head coach. He played well at Texas A&M but really ramped up in his final collegiate year. He racked up 42 pressures with 8 sacks and 6 QB hits. Fadil averaged 1.17 tackles for loss per game and combined that with his sacks and QB hits, he averages 2.33 plays in the backfield per game. The potential of having a contributor to two punts a game is value in day three of the NFL draft. Fadil is a great athlete marking a 9.30 relative athletic score running a 4.57 40-yard dash with a 1.60 10-yard split. His explosion tests were good with a 30.5” vertical and over a 10-foot broad jump. His plays in the backfield come from his patience in defending the run and understanding the lanes to attack. He is a slim build so he can get through small crevices to come out in the backfield, and he can wrap up tackles easily with over 33-inch arms and over 10-inch hands. If he can gain a little more strength to improve his bull rush and power moves, he would be a wrecking force on the line in multiple ways. Fadil’s coverage ability works well with eyes on the QB but has trouble mirroring offensive weapons. Diggs’ polished foundation and traits make him a value pick as he is projected in the 5th round pick of the NFL Draft.
RB Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Arizona
Jacory Croskey-Merritt is an elusive running back who transferred to Arizona but only played one game due to eligibility issues. Before Arizona, he broke 1000 yards in New Mexico with 17 touchdowns and only two fumbles. He works best in a zone running scheme looking to start running vertically as quickly as possible. His 1.56 10-yard split and keen vision really shows in his first level explosion identifying the lane and bursting through to maximize his yards per carry before initiating the first contact. His elusiveness is impressive in the open field. In 2023, he was accredited with 64 forced missed tackles and he has had an elusive rating of over 100 in the past three years. PFF acknowledges that a rating above 90 is considered elite. In his only game in 2024, he managed to rack up 8.4 yards per carry and over 100 yards. Jacory had a touchdown called back for holding that was an impressive bounce outside from an inside run. Jacory got the ball back the very next play and that touchdown counted. In 2023, he had two 200-yard games and six games of scoring multiple touchdowns. If Jacory had played a full season this year, he would be in the early to middle of day three, but now he is considered a steal in late day three, or possibly a priority free agent target in this NFL Draft.
LB Cody Lindenberg, Minnesota
Cody Lindenberg had his breakout season in his 5th final season at Minnesota. The 6’3 240lb linebacker can become a workhorse defensive piece as he is sufficient in all levels of the game. He is very good at read and react, defending the run, and had some pass-rush juice in 2024. Cody had over a 10% pass rush win rate with eight pressures, one sack, and four QB hits this year. Lindenberg moves very well laterally and can follow the ball carrier and stays patient until he is ready to pick his lane to tackle. He averages almost eight tackles a game with 45 solo tackles and 5 tackles for loss. He is a sound tackler with only a 13% missed tackle rate. His coverage skills are good to where he can follow the quarterback’s eyes well with field awareness to say in his zone quadrant. He can take away a quarterback’s read, causing the quarterback to scramble, and lead to a broken play finished by Cody himself. Coming into the NFL, Lindenberg can sit back in the depth chart to learn the NFL better and get up to game speed. He will need to work on understanding run or pass patterns better and reacting to the plays to get downfield quickly. He can increase some play strength as he is good at defending the run when clean but has a tough time shedding blockers at the second level. Cody Lindenberg has a great foundation going into the NFL, and his workhorse mentality can turn himself into a starter in the NFL.
S Craig Woodson, California
Craig Woodson played all four seasons in California and registered over 2,700 snaps. He became a starter in 2022 and never lost the position. He is a great general in the backfield, and he can hit. Woodson is six feet tall, and 200 pounds and he hits like a linebacker trying to go through his opponents. He racked up 5.38 tackles per game, 45 solo tackles and 2 tackles for loss. He has knocked out two fumbles in his collegiate career. He has a great motor and gives 100% effort on every play. He does best in the box to use his IQ in reacting on the run and processing in zone coverage. He only allowed 243 yards and one touchdown with a forced incompletion rate of 21.1%. He only has a missed tackle rate of 8.6%, and he is a very reliable open field tackler. Craig would transition best in the NFL as a safety in nickel or dime packages to cover the intermediate and react quickly on the run. He is a little older as a prospect at the age of 24, but his IQ and mentality have come through his collegiate career. His tough mentality and maximum effort give great value to a defensive back room when he is projected to be drafted in the 7th round of this year’s NFL draft.
WR Efton Chism III, Eastern Washington
Efton Chism III showed out in Eastern Washington; the same school that Cooper Kupp went to during his collegiate years. Their final collegiate year statistics are eerily similar with playing in the slot primarily and similar statistics in yards gained after the catch, yards per route run, and reception rate. Cooper Kupp had more yards and touchdowns, but the ratio of yards to touchdowns is comparable. Efton Chism can win on all 3 levels with his route deception at the stem of his route and the physicality in press man situations. He can separate by planting his foot in the ground with great change of direction and his deceleration is top notch. Efton did not run a good 40-yard dash, but his agility testing was off the charts, and his route running shows that. Efton spotlighted all his capabilities against UC Davis. He won on a vertical route high pointing the ball for a 55-yard touchdown and showing his suction cup mitts with a diving catch on a 20-yard sail route near the sideline. He gained quick yards in the screen game and was impressive in short passing situations. His long speed is a question mark going to the NFL, and the level of competition can be concerning as well. He brings a good base as an NFL wide receiver in a well-developed route tree and shiftiness that all translates well in the NFL. Efton Chism III deserves a shot to show that the Eastern Washington Eagles can put out quality wide receivers from time to time.
Do you have any sleepers in the NFL draft? Reach out to me on Twitter/Bluesky @RandallSlifer or comment here! Go Bills!
