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A lot of players can be considered a “sleeper”. Maybe you’re talking about late 1st round guys who should really be going top-5. Maybe you’re talking about late round picks who will eventually become an all-pro. Or maybe you’re talking about someone who is a complete unknown to fans and goes undrafted, but ends up becoming a solid NFL player seemingly out of nowhere.

Right now, I’m highlighting the deep sleepers in the 2020 NFL draft. These are guys that many of you have never heard of, and even some analysts have never heard of. But they’ll have a decent chance to have their name surprisingly called on Day 3 of the draft, and could turn into solid NFL players.

This is obviously highly opinionated, and subject to change. If a sleeper looked like a legitimate draft prospect to me, it’s likely that an NFL team will agree and take him a flier on him. In some cases, maybe NFL teams missed out on a guy.

If I notice that a player on my list starts to shoot up draft boards, I’ll likely remove them from this page in order to ensure these sleepers are accurate at the time of the draft.

The process is interesting this year due to the lack of pro days. Coronavirus concerns cancelled the opportunity for many prospects to post blazing 40 times.

 

Deep Sleepers

Some of these players are deeper sleepers than others. I wouldn’t be surprised to see any of these guys be drafted because only 1 team needs to love you. It’s also important to note that many of these players are prospects due to athelticism alone. But that’s important to NFL teams throwing out a late round flier pick.

Below are 12 of my favorite deep sleepers in the draft.

 

Zimari Manning, WR, Tarleton State

2019 Stats: 12 games, 1462 receiving yards, 22 touchdowns

I like Zimari Manning so much that I also wrote about him in my Most Underrated Players article (along with one other player). The reason I included them in that list is because I’m confident they’ll be drafted, while most of these guys have large bust potential. But I’m sure Manning will be a good one.

He has good size for the NFL, is extremely hard to tackle, and plays like a tight end in the size and speed of a receiver. He is dominant in the red zone with exceptional body control that helped him haul in jump ball after jump ball, totaling 34 touchdowns in his 2 seasons at Division-II Tarleton State.

He has as sticky of hands as you’ll see in the draft class, incredible body control, is elusive in the open field, excellent at contested catches, and has shown some ability as a route runner.

Since he didn’t participate in a high profile all-star game, combine, or get to have a pro day, the question will be if he has the speed to separate at the NFL level. But everything else is a plus, and I’d be shocked if a team doesn’t draft him.

 

Shane Zylstra, WR, Minnesota State

2019 Stats: 15 games, 1676 receiving yards, 18 touchdowns

You may recognize the last name Zylstra, as Shane’s older brother Brandon Zylstra is a receiver for the Carolina Panthers. Brandon worked his way from a small school to the CFL before dominating with the Vikings in preseason, and has since stuck around the league for a while.

Shane is a stellar prospect in his own right. After dominating the D2 level and setting dozens of records, Shane Zylstra is hoping to follow his brother’s footsteps without needing the CFL stepping stone.

Listed at 6’5″ 215 pounds, he looks even bigger than that. He’s a legit big bodied wide receiver with solid top end speed and route running ability. He didn’t have any issue getting separation at his level, and rarely even needed to use his height for catches. While he is fast on long routes, his first step is fairly slow which could limit him.

Zylstra has made countless highlight catches throughout his career, and has elite size, great hands, good body control, and surprisingly good route running and separation skills for a receiver of his size. In this incredible WR draft class he might not get drafted, but he’ll certainly get a fair shot at an NFL roster.

 

Keyon Thomas, WR, Adams State

Keyon Thomas isn’t just a deep sleeper, and he isn’t just a really deep sleeper. This man has figuratively not even been born yet.

I don’t know the entire backstory of Keyon Thomas, but he has Olympic speed. He just doesn’t know how to play football yet. As a matter of fact, he could rarely even see the field at a Division-II school.

A team will sign him seeing a positionless athlete who can learn to return kicks and possibly develop into more. Why? He reportedly runs a 40 in the 4.3 range, and recorded a 44.0″ vertical with an 11’0″ broad jump.

He’s nowhere near NFL caliber as a football player right now. But NFL coaches are confident they can get the most out of a player, and Keyon Thomas can do things that coaches can’t teach.

I have no way of verifying the reported measurables, but coaches will be drooling over his athleticism and someone will give him a shot to see if he can learn the game.

 

Taeyler Porter, RB, Arkansas-Pine Bluff

2019 Stats: 10 games, 1027 rushing yards, 12 touchdowns, 5.3 yards per carry, 209 receiving yards

Porter is a lightning quick running back from FCS Pine Bluff who garnered 1st team All-SWAC recognition each of the last 2 years.

At 5’8″ 202 pounds, he doesn’t have the size of an every down running back, but has a lot to offer as a change-of-pace guy. He is quicker than he is fast, but put up a solid 4.54 at his pro day. He has a very abrupt cut up field that helps him explode through small holes and excel even with weaker offensive lines.

2019 saw Porter used a lot more in the passing game, pulling in over 200 receiving yards and showcasing some good hands and route running out of the backfield.

His tape actually reminds me a bit of D’Andre Swift, granted he’s a little smaller, a little slower, and playing in a sub-par FCS conference.

Porter runs tough for a 200 pound back, and forces a lot of missed tackles.

I expect a team to give him a shot at the next level and he’ll make the most of it.

 

Drake Dorbeck, OT, Southern Miss

Drake Dorbeck was the first Golden Eagle to be awarded the Kent Hull Trophy, which is given to the top college offensive lineman in the state of Mississippi. The previous 5 winners have all been drafted.

Dorbeck has great size for an offensive lineman, standing at 6’6″ 320 pounds. In his 3rd year as a starter, he was named C-USA 2nd team and likely deserved 1st team recognition. He is a solid athlete for his size but will likely switch from the left tackle to right tackle position. Dorbeck bends reasonably well and has good hand placement, while anchoring well and rarely losing to power moves.

I’m impressed by his overall feel for the game and off field mentality.

Whoever gets this guy should be getting a solid backup offensive tackle, who also has the strength to move inside to guard when needed.

 

Michael Hoecht, DT, Brown

2019 Stats: 10 games, 42 tackles, 9 tackles for loss, 4 sacks

Like Zimari Manning, I also mentioned Michael Hoecht in my Most Underrated Players article.

The main reason: He reportedly ran a 4.65 as a 6’4″ 290 pound defensive tackle.

Hoecht is an all around athlete with enough size for the position and is a perfect fit as a 3-4 defensive end. In his final 2 years, he totaled 111 tackles from the interior of the defensive line, which is a huge total for that position in a league that plays slower than most.

Hoecht has a very fast first step but doesn’t always take advantage of it, and has enough strength to push guys around if he squares himself up properly.

Coaches love athleticism because it can’t be taught. With the right coach, Hoecht could turn into a legitimate NFL starter. And yet most people don’t know his name.

 

Jaron Green, DT, Arizona Christian

2019 Stats: 10 games, 64 tackles, 19 tackles for loss, 7 sacks

Jaron Green was a man amongst boys at Arizona Christian, where he was an NAIA 1st Team All-American.

He’s undersized for the NFL, but he knows how to use that to his advantage. Green gets low and powers through the blockers, while keeping his eyes in the backfield and diagnosing plays exceptionally well.

His speed is solid for the NFL, with a fast first step and a slippery play style than makes it extremely hard to sustain a block on him. If you run inside Green will shed his block and make the tackle, and if you run off tackle he moves laterally well enough to get out and make the play.

Sideline to sideline defensive tackles are always fun to watch, and Green uses his athleticism to his advantage.

For those who don’t know, average NAIA competition is considered on par with Division-III, but good players can be found at all levels.

 

Dominic Cizauskas, ILB, Glenville State

2019 Stats: 11 games, 120 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, 4 sacks, 14 passes defended, 4 interceptions

This is a tough one, and I wasn’t going to include him at first. Some will know his name and scoff.

Cizauskas undoubtedly has an NFL skillset. He is 6’1″ 250+ pounds, fast (reportedly ran a 4.53 at his mock pro day), extremely strong, hits hard, reads defenses well, is incredible in zone coverage, and is all around dominant on the football field. He was a D2 1st Team All-American this past year.

The issue is major off the field issues that are impossible to judge from an outside perspective without being able to speak with him personally.

Cizauskas was a highly touted recruit set to go to the University of Wisconsin and dominate Big Ten competition. After a legal issue involving a woman occurred, he lost his scholarship and was found guilty in court.

After a couple of years he got a second chance at Division-II Glenville state, and through 2 seasons totaled 254 tackles, 24.5 tackles for loss, 7 sacks, 22 passes defended, and 5 interceptions.

I’m in a position where I rank every draft eligible prospect, but NFL teams will completely drop some players off their board because of off-the-field concerns. I don’t do that, so I just lowered his draft stock a bit to an undraftable grade.

If I were an NFL GM, I’d recognize he’s definitely an NFL caliber prospect, but he wouldn’t be on my board at all. That’s the nature of his off-field issues. Some teams may think he’s served his time and his better now, we’ve certainly seen that before as well.

If a team gives him a shot, I fully expect him to make the team or at least the practice squad. But getting an opportunity is the biggest issue.

 

Jai Edwards, S, Tarleton State

2019 Stats: 11 games, 76 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, 4 passes defended

I guess I like Tarleton State a lot.

Jai Edwards has everything you want in a safety. At 6’0″ 200 pounds he hits hard, runs well, jumps on routes, and has a good feel for the game.

His 2019 numbers were a little disappointing, but he showed the same developmental tools that helped him dominate in 2018 with 88 tackles, 10 passes defended, and 4 picks.

I love versatile safeties, and I could see Jai playing all 3 major safety roles: Box safety, field safety, and slot safety. He’s got enough athleticism and skill to do it all.

Jai comes from an athletic family and is known as a workhorse, just like his brother Carsen, who is a point guard for the Boston Celtics. Jai also plays some basketball which helps him have loose hips when defending from the slot and breaking on passes.

I’ve seen Jai’s name around a bit and he’s not a complete unknown, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see him turn into a better football player than Carsen is a basketball player.

 

KiAnte Hardin, CB, Pittsburg State

2019 Stats: 11 games, 26 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, 15 passes defended, 4 interceptions

Another Division-II school I love is Pittsburg State, a school which has produced some really solid NFL players such as John Brown.

KiAnte Hardin started his career at the University of Minnesota, and was the Gophers’ best coverage cornerback and blooming star as a sophomore in 2016.

He was then one of the players dismissed from the team following the massive sexual assault scandal that hit 10 players.

Like Cizauskas (but to a lesser degree given public accounts of the cases), this is a situation where NFL teams will have to talk with him and figure out how involved he was and if they want to take a chance on his off-the-field issues. By all accounts I’ve seen, he’s had to issues since arriving at Pittsburg State.

In terms of his football ability, he has the coverage skills of an outside corner and the speed of a slot receiver. At 5’10” 185 pounds, he locked down receivers with ease. He also posted a 4.39 at his pro day.

Hardin has very quick hips and mirroring ability, is good in press, and hits really hard for his size. I could see him in a variety of schemes due to his athleticism.

Had he never been involved with the 2016 Gophers scandal and continued progressing in the Big Ten, he would have been at the combine and a lock to be drafted.

 

Chris Harris, CB, St. John’s (MN)

2019 Stats: 14 games, 50 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 15 passes defended, 8 interceptions

Chris Harris is a 6’3″ 195 pound Division-III corner from a perennial powerhouse at the level.

After starting his career at Division-II Chadron State, he spent a year at FCS Montana State before settling in at St. John’s.

A teammate of Ben Bartch, who is a lock to be drafted this year, Harris has had legitimate opportunities to impress NFL teams thanks to the crowds drawn for Bartch.

As is the case for most D3 players, the biggest issues for Harris will be pure athletic ability. He didn’t get to have a pro day so his 40 time is a mystery, but he shows solid speed on tape and is an absolute ballhawk.

After a solid 2018, he followed it was with 8 interceptions in his senior season. A 6’3″ corner is a rarity, and one with this level of ball skills is even more rare.

He’s never had to face an NFL caliber wide receiver and will have a strict learning curve, but he has a frame that can’t be taught and a very solid skillset.

 

Dante Brown, K, Fort Hays State

2019 Stats: 19/23 field goals, 8/8 from 20-29, 6/7 from 30-39, 3/5 from 40-49, 2/3 from 50+, 56 long

This is a really weak class for kickers, but Dante Brown from Fort Hays State has a chance to make it.

Kickers at big schools get attention from media scouts, but NFL scouts know that kicking isn’t any easier at lower levels. While you likely deal with less crowd distractions, you also have worse field conditions on average and no more time to kick.

Dante Brown was the Division-II 1st Team All-American at kicker, and had a really good year for both accuracy and power. Brown finished 19-for-23 on field goals, including 2/3 from 50+, and a make from 56 yards. This came on the heals of a 2018 season where he was a solid 28-for-33, including a large number of long kicks, 11-for-16 from 40+ yards.

Brown shows solid consistency from every level and both hash marks, and was decent as a kickoff specialist as well.

You don’t find too many kickers who hit over 80% of their kicks and can nail 55 yarders, so he deserves a lot more attention than he’s getting.

 

If your favorite deep sleeper isn’t listed here, that doesn’t mean I disagree! Take a look at my 2020 NFL Draft Rankings to find them, or leave their name and reason in the comments!