Alvin Kamara. Fred Warner. Cooper Kupp. Mark Andrews. Orlando Brown, Jr. Chris Godwin. Terry McLaurin. Trey Hendrickson. Kareem Hunt.
All players taken in the third rounds of their respective drafts over the last few years, and nearly all of them would be first-round (or early second-round) picks in any re-draft.
Maybe you came from a smaller school. Maybe you showed up at combine unready to back up your tape. Maybe you played at a position that has a decreased sense of value in the NFL today. Whatever the reason, just because the league doesn’t deem you worthy of anything more than a third-round selection doesn’t mean that you can’t transcend it with your play on the field.
Among the players selected in the third round of the 2023 NFL draft, here are the ones I believe most ready to do just that.