With an entire day of dedicated coverage, football fans spend most of their energy following the first round of the NFL Draft. That makes sense, considering that 32 of the best football players on the planet will realize their dreams, but the back six rounds are often where NFL teams find real value.
Prospects worthy of an early selection regularly slip deep into the draft, then go on and have a better career than some first-round picks. After all, no matter what tape and measurables may suggest, drafting is largely a dart throw.
Plenty of under-the-radar and unheralded players quickly make a name for themselves. Just look at current San Francisco 49ers and former Iowa State quarterback Brock Purdy, who was the 2022 NFL Draft’s Mr. Irrelevant at pick No. 262. He eventually beat former first-round pick Trey Lance for the starting job and even led the 49ers to an appearance in the 2024 Super Bowl.
Purdy is just a recent example of an underrated prospect flourishing in the NFL, but there were many before him — and many to come after. With the 2025 NFL Draft just days away, it felt appropriate to identify some college football stars that have a good chance to outperform their spot in the CBS Sports 2025 NFL Draft Prospect Rankings and their projected draft slots.
Deone Walker, DL, Kentucky
CBS Sports NFL Draft Prospect Ranking: 47
Walker is currently projected as a late second round pick, which is fair for a more traditional nose tackle. That being said, he could be an absolute steal, with the upside to…
Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/2025-nfl-draft-ohio-state-rb-quinshon-judkins-louisville-qb-tyler-shough-among-underrated-prospects/
Author : Will Backus
Publish date : 2025-04-23 16:47:00
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