- Justin Joly could emerge as the Broncos‘ top tight end: After playing to an 81.6 PFF receiving grade in his last season at NC State, Joly could wrestle snaps from Evan Engram and Adam Trautman.
- C.J. Daniels as the Rams‘ WR3?: Los Angeles has given a real shot to late-round receivers before, which could grant Daniels the team's third role.
- More depth from the Chiefs‘ class: Slot cornerback Jadon Canady and quarterback Garrett Nussmeier have the ingredients to vie for playing time out of the gate.
Estimated Reading Time: 8 minutes
Even though the 2026 NFL Draft wrapped up last weekend, it’s never too early to project how rookie classes can play out based on team and schematic fit.
While expectations for first- and second-round picks are innately the highest off the bat, Day 3 choices consistently make waves with how they perform in their first years — often outplaying their draft slot and making teams regret passing on them.
These 10 late-round selections from 2026 have the ingredients to create a productive rookie season based on both prospective playing-time opportunities and their skill sets.
TE Justin Joly, Denver Broncos
The Broncos filled their need at receiver before the draft in trading for Dolphins star Jaylen Waddle, but Denver didn’t prioritize its hole at tight end until it picked Joly in the fifth round.
Even after a strong initial three seasons, Joly looked at his best in 2025 with an 81.6 PFF receiving grade, 1.78 yards per route run and a miniscule 2% drop rate. Considering that both returners Evan Engram and Adam Trautman finished under a 58.0 receiving mark last campaign, Joly has a viable chance to become the Broncos’ top pass-catching tight end as a rookie.
LB Kaleb Elarms-Orr, Buffalo Bills
The Bills came into the 2026 draft with a bevy of needs, the foremost of which was at linebacker. However, Buffalo didn’t attack the position until the fourth round with Elarms-Orr.
Elarms-Orr shined for TCU last season, earning an 84.4 overall PFF grade. His best work came downhill, posting an 89.1 PFF run-defense grade and missing only 7.1% of his tackles.
Buffalo returns 2025 starters Terrel Bernard and Dorian Williams, but each underwhelmed by playing to no better than a 56.1 overall grade. With minimal depth behind the pair, Elarms-Orr is poised to compete for starting reps from the get-go.
EDGE Dani Dennis-Sutton, Green Bay Packers
The Packers focused their initial draft efforts on adjusting their defensive weak points, including fortifying edge defender by selecting Dennis-Sutton.
A well-regarded game-wrecker in the Big Ten, Dennis-Sutton earned at least a 75.0 PFF pass-rush grade in each of his four seasons at Penn State. Last year, he was one of just five qualified edge defenders in the conference with 77.7-plus PFF pass-rush and run-defense marks.
With Micah Parsons’ status uncertain going into the start of 2026 and both Rashan Gary and Kingsley Enagbare gone, Dennis-Sutton could be on the fast track to seeing meaningful reps next to Lukas Van Ness. Ranked as the 67th overall player on PFF’s Big Board, Dennis-Sutton might be a fourth-round steal.
CB Keionte Scott, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Even though Scott will turn 25 in August, it was a shock to see him last until the fourth round. That fall may have actually worked wonders, as he landed in an ideal spot with the Buccaneers.
Scott was extraordinarily disruptive during Miami’s run to the national title game, flashing his ridiculous closing speed in recording a 91.2 PFF run-defense grade and 6.9% run stop rate — each of which ranked no worse than second among qualified cornerbacks. Further, Scott permitted only a 69.9 passer rating when targeted, and he played to a 70.4 PFF pass-rush grade when deployed as a blitzer.
With the Buccaneers losing Jamel Dean and Christian Izien this offseason, Scott should be a seamless fit in Todd Bowles’ blitz-heavy defensive scheme. After all, eight Tampa Bay defensive backs played at least 150 snaps last year, which means Scott should see the field as a rookie.
Keionte Scott's Career PFF Grades
WR C.J. Daniels, Los Angeles Rams
The majority of pundits expected the Rams to find a more clear-cut third receiver with the 13th overall pick. Instead, Los Angeles took quarterback Ty Simpson — and didn’t bolster its receiving corps until the sixth round with Daniels.
Having played six years of college football at three programs, Daniels is a well-traveled prospect who’s repeatedly turned heads. With the Hurricanes in 2025, he was efficient with 1.73 yards per route run and a 3.8% drop rate. On top of that, Daniels plays bigger than his 6-foot-2 frame, holding a career 62.3% contested catch rate.
Los Angeles has repeatedly given late-round wideouts a chance, from Puka Nacua to Jordan Whittington to Konata Mumpfield. Daniels has every opportunity to stake his claim as the team’s WR3 next to Nacua and Davante Adams.
CB Jadon Canady, Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs are among the NFL’s elite teams in cultivating late-round cornerback talent, and Canady might be next up.
Canady was terrific with Oregon in 2025, compiling an 88.0 PFF coverage grade that tied for seventh among qualified FBS cornerbacks. Additionally, Canady is versatile in having played at least 234 career snaps in the slot, outside corner, safety and even the box.
Chamarri Conner was Kansas City’s leading slot defender by snap count last season, but he may transition to a more traditional safety role in light of Bryan Cook’s departure. While Canady will have to fend off players like Kader Kohou, Kristian Fulton and Kaiir Elam, he has a legitimate shot to break through in the team’s defensive back rotation.
CB Keith Abney II, Detroit Lions
Ranked 50th on the PFF Big Board, it was stunning to see Abney still available well into the fifth round. The Lions could benefit from the rookie’s intriguing profile in short order.
Abney was outstanding for Arizona State last season, playing to an 85.3 PFF coverage grade while missing just 4.3% of his tackle attempts. Even at 5-foot-10, Abney is a physical slot cornerback who consistently gets his hands on the ball, reflected in his nine pass breakups.
The Lions added free agent Roger McCreary as their projected replacement for Amik Robertson inside, but Abney has a real chance to seize the job. After all, considering Detroit’s significant cornerback injuries last season, Abney should be a next man up if history repeats itself.
S Michael Taaffe, Miami Dolphins
On a stripped-down roster, the Dolphins will be relying on umpteen new faces as they begin the Jeff Hafley era. Perhaps Taaffe, one of the team’s fifth-round picks, could be someone to step up.
Taaffe largely slid due to size and athleticism concerns, but there’s no denying his elite grading profile. As a cornerstone of Texas’ elite defense, the safety earned an 84.4 overall PFF grade or better in both 2024 and 2025, allowing just 34 catches for 310 yards in that window.
The Dolphins have minimal options at safety after trading away Minkah Fitzpatrick, leaving returner Dante Trader Jr. and newcomer Lonnie Johnson Jr. as projected starters. Considering that each finished below a 60.0 overall grade in 2025, the door should be open for Taaffe to garner tons of snaps.
WR Deion Burks, Indianapolis Colts
Despite not possessing a first-round pick, the Colts overhauled their linebacking corps and landed other potential starters. Burks, a touted prospect, could work his way into that consideration.
Regarded for his freak athleticism, Burks was ranked 78th on the PFF Big Board, yet wasn’t off the board until Pick 254. Even as a smaller receiver at 5-foot-9 ¾ inches, Burks averaged 1.35 yards per route run throughout his career and dropped just four passes across 2024 and 2025. On top of that, Burks was a weapon in the intermediate range last year with a 93.2 PFF receiving grade on throws between 10 and 19 yards.
In order to digest Alec Pierce’s mega-deal, the Colts traded away Michael Pittman Jr., which cleared another slot in the team’s receiving corps. Burks should vie with Ashton Dulin and newcomer Nick Westbrook-Ikhine for Indianapolis’ WR3 spot next to Pierce and Josh Downs.
QB Garrett Nussmeier, Kansas City Chiefs
Believe it or not, Mansoor Delane, Peter Woods and R Mason Thomas may not be the only Chiefs draftees to start in the early portion of 2026.
A projected mid-round selection, Nussmeier slid all the way to the final slots of Round 7 due to a poor 2025 showing, size limitations and a back issue. However, Nussmeier was one of the SEC’s best gunslingers in 2024 with an 81.3 PFF passing grade, 4.5% big-time throw rate and 9.8% pressure-to-sack ratio. Even last year, Nussmeier flashed the ability to layer passes, attack over the middle and a readiness to handle the blitz.
Nussmeier has substantial work cut out to return to more mistake-free form, with a roster spot far from guaranteed. But considering that Patrick Mahomes may not be ready to start the year after suffering a torn ACL, the former LSU Tiger has the tools to compete with Justin Fields and Chris Oladokun for the title of Andy Reid’s primary backup — which means the potential Week 1 starter.
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