Table of Contents
Team grades| Conor Orr’s Best and worst | Way-too-early mock draft| Best picks of the draft | Most improved teams | AFC likely draft busts | NFC likely draft busts | Round 1 impact rookies | Rounds 2-3 impact rookies
It’s the longest, most tedious day of the NFL draft. And it’s also the most important for building the fabric of championship-winning teams.
Day 3, spanning the fourth through seventh rounds and into undrafted free agents, is where teams are made. There were 157 players selected on the draft’s final day this year—some disappointed after expecting to be drafted the night before, others convinced they were getting prank calls and stunned that their services were desired before the last pick.
But the Day 3 draft pool isn’t as strong as it once was. Why enter the draft, one may think, when they can stay in college, earn a degree, get a bigger paycheck and potentially boost their draft stock? It’s a much more appealing world, really, and the quality and depth of talent in the draft have subsequently suffered.
Still, there were a handful of good value selections on Day 3, and a few others where players found good situations from a depth chart and scheme viewpoint.
Here’s Sports Illustrated’s look at the seven Day 3 rookies most likely to make an impact this fall.
Jermod McCoy, CB, Las Vegas Raiders
McCoy fell only because of concerns about the longevity of his knee. But he should be healthy and ready to roll in Week 1, giving the Raiders a first-round talent on the back end of their defense. At 6' 1" and 188 pounds, McCoy is lean but explosive. He missed all of 2025 due to a torn ACL, but he has tons of burst, clean feet and quality route anticipation. His ball skills are good, too, as he had four interceptions in ’24. The Raiders have a fine secondary, but McCoy is too good to keep off the field.
Kaden Wetjen, WR/RS, Pittsburgh Steelers
Wetjen is an elite returner, and while he likely won’t develop much of an early role as a pass catcher, the fourth-rounder will be an immediate game-changer on special teams. The 5' 9", 193-pound Wetjen recorded four punt return touchdowns and scored twice on kickoffs during his Iowa career, and he scored four return touchdowns in 2025 alone. He’s sudden, elusive and has tremendous vision to find holes, all of which should help his return prowess translate to Pittsburgh.
Kendal Daniels, LB, Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons’ linebacker room presents the opportunity for Daniels and sixth-round pick Harold Perkins Jr. to see the field early. Daniels, taken at No. 134, is only two years into his transition from safety to linebacker, but the 6' 5", 242-pounder is big, strong, fast and full of promise. Daniels also has the chance to learn under defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich, who owns an impressive track record of turning safeties into standout linebackers.
Kyle Louis, LB, Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins could become quite young in the middle of their defense, as Louis pairs with second-round pick Jacob Robinson to build a promising future tandem. While at Pittsburgh, Louis established himself as a bona fide playmaker. Louis lacks traditional size at 6' 0" and 220 pounds, but he’s fast, fluid and should impact games on special teams before ascending into a larger defensive role.
Zakee Wheatley, S, Carolina Panthers
The Panthers could’ve taken Dillon Thieneman in the first round without backlash, but they passed on him for Monroe Freeling, bolstering their future on the offensive line. Wheatley is a strong consolation prize midway through the fifth round. Long and lanky at 6' 3" and 203 pounds, Wheatley is loose and has loads of range. He can run the alley and make plays from centerfield, and he has the coverage chops to play in the slot, too. He should push for playing time this fall.
Riley Nowakowski, TE, Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers plan to use Nowakowski as their fullback, so his impact will primarily be dependent on the number of snaps they run in heavier personnel packages. But the fifth-rounder has the goods to be a long-time NFL player. He’s tough, physical, dependable and enjoys doing the dirty work, which projects favorably to a position where the spotlight will rarely find him. Nowakowski flashed more pass-catching versatility, especially with the ball in his hands, in 2025 and should be a reliable dump-off option.
Kaytron Allen, RB, Washington Commanders
The Commanders were primarily considered the floor for Jeremiyah Love in the first round, but after falling short in the Love sweepstakes, they waited until the sixth round to add Allen. The 5' 11", 216-pounder is Penn State’s all-time leading rusher, and he’s a tough, physical runner who thrives working downhill. Allen projects best as a short-yardage complementary back, and Washington’s running back room doesn’t offer much resistance on his path to seeing early snaps.
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DANIEL FLICK
Daniel Flick covers the NFL draft for Sports Illustrated and Indiana University athletics for OnSI. Proudly a former Indiana Daily Student writer and sports editor, Flick also has boots-on-the-ground experience covering the Atlanta Falcons for OnSI.
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