NFL Draft 2017: Five Late-Round Hidden Gems

While a lot of NFL Draft attention goes to the first three rounds, teams have been known to find some late-round gold too.

Day three of the NFL Draft is usually only for the die-hard fans. Most of the household names are off the board and the picks don’t take 10 minutes with highly targeted commercials peppered in for good measure. The later rounds are what separate the mediocre teams from the perennial playoff contenders – finding late-round gems.

Yes, every team wants to find that Tom Brady to add to their roster.

Still, some of the best players in the NFL are discovered in the later rounds, everyone from fifth round pick Richard Sherman to sixth round selection Antonio Brown.

Even though teams like the Packers and the Steelers pick toward the bottom of the draft almost every year, they manage to pick outstanding players who help the team continue winning year after year.

To be sure, teams need the first-round talent, too. For instance, the Steelers selected Ben Roethlisberger early in the first round. If the team hadn’t selected a tough, strong-armed quarterback, who knows how different Brown’s story may have turned out?

So, while it is natural to be excited for the first round talent, don’t sleep on late-round talent. Here are five of the best: