The majority of stars in the NFL were four or five-star prospects coming out of high school, went to a big time program and went on to become first round picks, but that’s not the case for everyone. Guys like Puka Nacua, Dak Prescott and George Kittle are some of the best players in the league, and they weren’t selected until day three of the NFL Draft.

The first round of the draft gets all the hype, but Super Bowls aren’t won on day one. They’re won on day three. If you can consistently find value in the later rounds of the draft, your roster is going to continuously be one of the best in the league. Just ask the San Francisco 49ers, who seem to come away with great late-round players every year.

There is going to be a Puka Nacua or a Dak Prescott in this year’s draft class, but it’s hard to figure out who it is before they all take the field. So, today, I’m going to give you five day three players that could have a massive impact on their team in year one. And who knows, maybe one of them will be an All-Pro one day.

Elijah Sarratt, WR, Baltimore Ravens

Draft Pick: Round 4, Pick 115

I think the NFL fanbase as a whole was pretty high on Elijah Sarratt entering the 2026 NFL Draft, and some thought he could go as high as the second round. He ended up falling all the way out of day two and landing with the Baltimore Ravens in the early fourth round, and it’s hard to imagine a much better landing spot for the Indiana prospect.

The Ravens already have a very good receiver in Zay Flowers, but he’s 5-foot-9. Sarratt is 6-foot-2 and will provide Lamar Jackson with the big-bodied target he’s been missing for most of his career.

Over the past three seasons with JMU and Indiana, Sarratt has totaled 200 receptions, 2,978 yards and 31 touchdowns. He can beat you downfield, but he’s also an incredibly well-rounded receiver. I don’t know how he fell into day three, but the Ravens found themselves a massive weapon they desperately needed for Jackson in round four.

Keionte Scott, CB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Draft Pick: Round 4, Pick 116

Keionte Scott was one of my favorite players in the draft this year. The Miami prospect really didn’t play a whole lot of college football, but when he was on the field, he made a huge impact.

Scott gave up a 69 percent completion rate in coverage, but he allowed just 243 yards on 32 receptions and didn’t give up a single touchdown while breaking up four passes and picking off one in 2026. But on top of his coverage skills, Scott earned a 91.4 run defense grade with 31 run stops this past year. He was arguably the best run defending corner in the draft while giving up under eight yards per reception.

Scott now lands in a Tampa defense that was desperate for cornerback help. He’s primarily a slot guy, and Tampa has Jacob Parrish, but I would expect Scott to be the primary slot guy by midseason. That’s how good I think he can be with the proper coaching.

Charles Demmings, CB, Minnesota Vikings

Draft Pick: Round 5, Pick 163

Another late-round corner that I was very high on coming into the draft was Charles Demmings out of a little-known school called Stephen F. Austin. I won’t pretend that I watched any of his games live, but after his incredible combine performance, I went back and watched some his tape, and man, he’s going to be good.

Let’s start with the fact that he’s a freak athlete. At the NFL Combine, Demmings ran a 4.41-second 40-yard dash with a 42-inch vertical and an 11-foot broad jump. Not bad, especially for someone who is 6-foot-1 and nearly 200 pounds.

On top of his athleticism and size, Demmings also put a lot of good stuff on tape. Over his last three seasons, Demmings never allowed a completion rate higher than 48.6 percent, and picked off eight passes while breaking up 15. He’s a tremendous press corner and moves very well for a corner as tall as he is. His only knock is the competition level he played in college.

Demmings might not start the year off with a lot of playing time, but look for him to cement himself in Minnesota’s cornerback rotation by the end of the year. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s a starter by Thanksgiving.

Nick Singleton, RB, Tennessee Titans

Draft Pick: Round 5, Pick 165

Nick Singleton might be the one I feel the most confident about on this list. This kid was an absolute star at Penn State early in his career, hitting the 1,000-yard mark and averaging 6.4+ yards per carry in two of his first three seasons, but his senior year with the Nittany Lions caused him to slide all the way to round five.

Singleton was outperformed by his teammate, Kaytron Allen, in 2025. Singleton ran for just 549 yards, but was able to punch in 13 touchdowns. Allen, on the other hand, totaled 1,303 yards and 15 touchdowns. Needless to say, it was a disappointing final outing for the senior.

Singleton is 6-foot, 219 pounds and benched 225 pounds 25 times at the combine. He’s a very physical runner, and now he enters a Tennessee offense that has been desperately looking for someone like him since Derrick Henry left. Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears are above him on the depth chart, but that could quickly change once training camp rolls around.

Singleton is probably the most talented running back on this roster, so if he can make an impression in training camp, he could be Tennessee’s starter by midseason.

VJ Payne, S, New York Jets

Draft Pick: Round 7, Pick 228

I was shocked to see VJ Payne fall into the seventh round of the NFL Draft. The Kansas State product is 22 years old, 6-foot-3, runs a 4.40-second 40-yard dash with a 35-inch vertical and 10-foot, 7-inch broad jump, and is coming off a career year. What else could you want in a safety?

In 2025, Payne allowed a 47.2 percent completion rate, 158 yards and one touchdown while picking off one pass and breaking up three more. He allowed a 57.4 passer rating and was only penalized twice. And it’s not like he did it against a bunch of nobodies, he played in the Big 12.

The New York Jets got an absolute steal in my eyes. Payne is ready to play right away, and even though there are quite a few players ahead of him on the depth chart, I don’t expect that to last very long.