2024 NFL Draft: Day 3 Picks in Perfect Situations to Contribute Early

Day 1 and 2 draw all the attention, but contributors are found all over the NFL draft. So while many fans check out during the draft's final day, there are sneaky good picks every year that make a difference.

For instance, the Rams snagged Puka Nacua in the fifth round of the draft long after most fans turned off their TVs and quit checking their phones for notifications.

On a smaller scale, Aidan O'Connell and Dontayvion Wicks went on to make an impact on their respective offenses.

The 2022 draft class was particularly strong on Day 3 with Brock Purdy, DaRon Bland, Kyren Williams, Isiah Pacheco and Riq Woolen highlighting the stars from late in the draft.

Context is always important to early NFL success. That's especially true for Day 3 picks. Things have to break a certain way just for them to get the chance to prove themselves.

Based on their talent level, competition for playing time and draft fit, here are the Day 3 prospects who are in a great position to have an early impact.

Outside of Brock Bowers, this year's tight end class was a bit underwhelming. There were only three selected within the first 100 picks.

The fourth round turned into a sweet spot for the position. Six came off the board early on Saturday, including Theo Johnson to the New York Giants with the seventh pick in the round.

It wouldn't be all that surprising if Johnson is the second-most productive Giants receiver heading into 2025.

For one, the Giants receiving corps is still in flux. Malik Nabers should be the No. 1 option as a rookie, but Darius Slayton led the team in receiving last season with 770 yards.

Darren Waller was a big part of the offense with 52 receptions for 552 yards and a touchdown in 12 games. However, the Giants are still waiting to find out if the star tight end is going to retire before the season.

Jordan Raanan of ESPN reported the Giants are "operating as if Darren Waller will retire."

If Waller decides to retire, it certainly opens up opportunities for Johnson. The Giants have Daniel Bellinger on the roster, but he doesn't have the same versatility of Johnson. As Derrik Klassen noted in Johnson's scouting report, "He has the size and strength of a true in-line tight end along with the movement skills of someone who can be flexed all around the formation."

Johnson's blocking is good enough to get him on the field right away. Even if Waller decides to play, his injury history would suggest that Johnson will still get opportunities to shine in Year 1.

It isn't hard to figure out Brian Flores' MO on defense. He wants to put as much pressure on opposing offenses as possible. The Vikings were easily No. 1 in blitz percentage and will play zone coverage behind their many blitz packages.

Playing that style requires cornerbacks who can press receivers at the line of scrimmage before dropping to their zone responsibilities.

Former fourth-round pick Akayleb Evans found a home in the Vikings secondary last season. At 6'2", 197 pounds with 32-inch arms, his length and ability to jam receivers at the line fit perfectly in the scheme.

Byron Murphy Jr. played more than any corner, but he doesn't actually fit the archetype. At 5'10", 190 pounds with 30⅛-inch arms, he's in the 10th percentile for arm length at the position.

Murphy and Evans will likely be the starters with Josh Metellus or Mekhi Blackmon working in the slot.

However, the 6'4", 194-pound Jackson has a clear path to playing time if he can impress in camp. If he proves his press coverage can translate to the NFL right away, it would make a lot of sense for him to become the third corner and kick Murphy into the slot when they employ nickel and dime packages.

There wasn't a team in the draft that needed more help on offense than the New England Patriots. Drake Maye was the right pick with the third overall selection, but the Pats don't have enough in place for him to flourish in his rookie season.

So the fact that the Patriots used a second-round pick on Ja'Lynn Polk shouldn't detract from Javon Baker's ability to shine as a Day 3 pick. There are plenty of targets that need to be distributed in Foxborough.

If you want an idea of just how broken the Patriots passing game was last season, Ezekiel Elliott was second on the team in targets with 65. DeVante Parker was tied for fourth on the team and he's gone too.

With Bill Belichick gone and Alex Van Pelt taking over as the offensive coordinator on Jerod Mayo's coaching staff, the Patriots offense is set to embark on a new era.

That's great news for Baker. He'll get a better opportunity than most Day 3 picks to prove himself.

He has the goods to make the most of that opportunity too. He didn't time well in pre-draft athletic testing. He ran a 4.54 40, but he routinely wins on deep routes on film and has the ball tracking and body control to adjust to the ball on the fly.

He's going to become a quick favorite for Maye and potentially create an exciting one-two punch with Polk in the early stages of this new offense.

Anytime there's a new general manager and head coach taking over a franchise, the usual rules of roster engagement are flexible. Jim Harbaugh and Joe Hortiz have already done a lot of work to rebuild the Chargers roster in their image.

Michael Davis is gone and the team signed Kristian Fulton in free agency. However, his one-year, $2.9 million contract isn't one that should have him penned in as the starter already.

The Chargers doubled up on corners in the fifth round. They took Tarheeb Still first, but it's Cam Hart who is the more intriguing option to contribute right away.

Still is most likely a slot specialist at 5'11", 189 pounds. Conversely, Hart looks like a classic X wide receiver at 6'3", 202 pounds.

B/R scout Cory Giddings had a third-round grade on the Notre Dame defender. He was optimistic about Hart's ability to find a role early in his NFL career.

"He plays with the instincts needed in zone and the short-area quickness desired to play underneath routes. He has the skills to be a contributor early on in his NFL career, with plenty of roles that he can fill into. Hart will go through an adjustment period for the first few years of his NFL career, though," he noted.

Fulton will be the favorite to start opposite Asante Samuel Jr. He has three years of experience as a starter with the Titans. However, he's never played more than 13 games in a season and he gave up a passer rating of 114.1 in 2023.

It's not a stretch to believe that Fulton will either miss time or straight-up lose his spot at some point in 2024.

It isn't uncommon for the third day to provide at least one running back who ends up having a productive rookie season. The 2023 class is a bit of an exception. Roschon Johnson led all Day 3 picks with 352 yards on the ground.

The 2022 class, however, produced Isiah Pacheco, Tyler Allgeier, Dameon Pierce, Kyren Williams and Jerome Ford.

This year's running back class didn't have much hype, but Audric Estimé could be the next Day 3 sleeper to make an impact.

Estimé fell down the draft board, in part, because of some questionable athletic testing. At 5'11", 221 pounds he wasn't expected to set Indianapolis ablaze, but a 4.71 40 time was reason for pause.

The lack of top-end speed didn't keep him from ranking seventh in the country in runs of 20 or more yards.

B/R scout Derrik Klassen ranked the Notre Dame runner as the top running back in the class, citing his power as a runner.

"Size and strength are the foundation of Estimé's game. At 221 pounds, he's a sturdy runner who excels between the tackles. Estimé can run through defensive linemen at the line of scrimmage and bounce off defenders at the second level."

Estimé has a good shot at carving out a role in Denver. Javonte Williams has struggled to recapture the form of his rookie season, Samaje Perine isn't a lead back, and Jaleel McLaughlin is a much different player at 5'7", 187 pounds.

Based on the grades put together by the B/R Scouting Department, the Packers got one of the best steals of the draft when they took Kitan Oladapo with the 169th overall pick in the fifth round.

Oladapo was the 35th overall player and third safety on the B/R big board. That's an important distinction because he was actually the third safety taken by the Packers.

They clearly acknowledged a need at the position, drafting Javon Bullard in the second round and Evan Williams in the fourth.

B/R scout Cory Giddings sees Oladapo as a better prospect than both. He acknowledged the lack of top-end speed for the Oregon State alum but praised his physicality and potential as a strong safety.

"He will have to find a role as a strong safety with the ability to cover tight ends man-to-man and the underneath areas in zone coverage. If he's able to do both, he might carve out a long NFL career."

The Packers signed Xavier McKinney who does some of his best work as a deep safety. Oladapo's other competition is going to come from his fellow draftees.

There's also the possibility of the 6'2", 216-pound Oladapo being able to play as a de facto linebacker in sub-packages. There are a lot of ways he could get on the field, and his position group is relatively unproven outside of McKinney.

The Los Angeles Chargers are going to run the football. That's one thing we know about a Jim Harbaugh-coached team.

The Chargers' decision to take Joe Alt with Malik Nabers and Rome Odunze on the board was a statement. Even with Justin Herbert on the roster, Harbaugh is going to emphasize putting together a dominant offensive line and running the ball.

Los Angeles didn't target a running back early in the draft. After signing Gus Edwards and J.K. Dobbins in free agency, it wasn't a priority.

But it isn't hard to envision a scenario where sixth-round pick Kimani Vidal emerges as a serious role player and hot fantasy football waiver wire pickup at some point in 2024.

Vidal's primary competition for carries in this offense are Dobbins, who has played nine games since 2021, and a 29-year-old Edwards.

At 5'7", 213 pounds, Vidal has a similar build to former Michigan running back Blake Corum and actually tested a little better athletically.

B/R scout Derrik Klassen praised Vidal's "north-south burst," which is something that Harbaugh is bound to love.

With two potentially volatile veterans in front of him, Vidal has a shot to steal a role as a rookie and fit well into Harbaugh's offense.

To dismiss the idea that Ryan Flournoy could wind up having a notable role in the Cowboys offense is to believe that Jalen Tolbert is going to break out in 2024.

After two relatively disappointing seasons as a 2022 third-round pick, it's OK to be dubious that happens. Tolbert has had a clear pathway to playing time since being drafted but has just 24 receptions for 280 yards and two touchdowns in his first two seasons.

Flournoy doesn't carry the same draft investment as a sixth-round pick, but his path to playing time is similar. CeeDee Lamb is obviously the alpha in the receiver room. Brandin Cooks is the veteran No. 2 and Tolbert is penciled in as the third option.

Coming from Southeast Missouri State, Flournoy isn't as polished as some of his peers. As Derrik Klassen noted in his scouting report, Flournoy doesn't use his hands to beat press coverage and needs work as a route-runner.

However, he also brings up that "Flournoy is just too explosive and natural of a pass-catcher to look over on Day 3." His ball tracking and deep speed are enough to make him a considerable deep threat.

Flournoy's faults can mostly be addressed by coaching. If he's a quick study, he could find himself in a position battle with Tolbert. If he can get involved in an offense with Dak Prescott at the helm, he's going to put up surprising numbers for a late-round pick.