When it comes to late-round gems, these 20 sleepers are worth watching

During the last several weeks, we’ve taken a position-by-position look at the 2020 NFL Draft. As part of this process, we’ve provided the top five players at each position, as well as the biggest sleepers and the best fits for the Broncos.

Now, with the draft just a day away, it’s time to consolidate those reports. First, we offered the top-15 offensive and defensive players in the draft. Now, it’s time to look at the 20 biggest sleepers, regardless of position.

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Kenny Robinson | S | XFL – How about a sleeper from the XFL? Yes, I know this is a college draft, but Robinson decided to leave college early (before he was eligible to play in the NFL) to help out his family financially. Robinson can best be described as an aggressive ballhawk. That’s a great description that gets teams excited. Robinson arrives at the ball with natural violence but there are times when he overruns plays as he’s looking for the big hit. In coverage, Robinson has a knack for batting away passes and does a good job of sticking with his man down the field.

Parnell Motley | CB | Oklahoma – The players who weren’t invited to the Scouting Combine earlier this year are going to have a difficult time getting drafted, but one player I hope gets a shot in the league is Motley. I watched him during the week of practice for the East-West Shrine Bowl earlier this year and I liked what I saw. He’s a smaller corner, set to only be a slot corner at the pros, but Motley plays with a big chip on his shoulder. Motley does not back down from a challenge in coverage or even in run support. I like his attitude and was shocked he didn’t get a Combine invite. This offseason is going to hurt Motley because he won’t be able to travel and perform for teams. Some team could get a potential gem, likely as an undrafted free agent after the draft.

A.J. Green | CB | Oklahoma State – Green is a day-three pick with the upside to be a quality pro. Entering the 2019 season, Green was seen as a third-round pick by some in the scouting community. His play last season wasn’t enough to cement that draft stock. Instead, Green was inconsistent with his effort and now is looking more like someone who should go off the board between the fourth or sixth round. Green has good size and uses his hands to disrupt a receiver’s route off the line of scrimmage. He did a good job against top-tier receivers like CeeDee Lamb (Oklahoma) and Denzel Mims (Baylor), but Green’s game falls apart at times. His recovery speed just lacks an extra gear, so he might be only a reserve player of backup in the NFL but his athletic traits, size and aggressiveness are worth taking a chance on.

Trevis Gipson | OLB | Tulsa – Gipson has had great success creating pressure on the quarterback from the outside linebacker and defensive end position. He rushed more from the inside this year than he did in previous seasons, and Gipson was better than ever. He recorded a whopping 41 pressures in 2019, but Gipson doesn’t have polished moves yet. Imagine what he could be with NFL coaching and refining that raw skill set! Gipson is a flexible player with a bag of tricks as a pass-rusher. Again, none of those moves are refined but he knows how to set up moves and use one move after another quickly. He’s very flexible which allows him to get around the edge. His length also helps him make up ground quickly on his way to the passer.

Joe Bachie | ILB | Michigan State – Bachie from is a player the Broncos could get on day three of the draft and he could turn out to be a quality starter in the pros. Some in the scouting community compare his skill set to that of former Bears linebacker Nick Kwiatkoski. Fangio certainly got a lot out of a player like Kwiatkoski and could see similar upside in Bachie. He has been a starter for the Spartans since 2017 and Bachie has shown a fine ability as a coverage player. In each of those seasons, Bachie has at least four or more interceptions and pass breakups. He does a good job of monitoring the play as it breaks down in front of him and his lack of elite athleticism is made up for with high football intelligence and anticipation.

Willie Gay Jr. | ILB | Mississippi State – Gay is not necessarily a sleeper, but his skill set and upside in Fangio’s zone defense must be highlighted in this article. Injuries and suspensions kept him from playing more snaps with the Bulldogs over the course of his career, but Gay did a great job at the Scouting Combine and is on team’s radars. Gay is as explosive as the day is long. His vertical jump of 39.5 inches and his broad jump of 11 feet, four inches ranked among the best ever recorded for linebackers. His 4.46 second 40-yard dash certainly stood out, as well. Any team interested in Gay will be taking a chance on his physical tools and not his proven production. That upside makes him an intriguing pick but one with more risk attached.

Josh Uche | DE | Michigan – What makes Uche quality option is his cat-like quickness and ability to create from the inside. He can line up as a linebacker in addition to playing defensive end. Uche gets off the line quickly and can beat a tackle around the edge or inside as a rusher. His long arms help keep blockers from getting into his body and controlling him. Uche generated pressure on almost 25 percent of his rushes, an output that ranked No. 2 in the entire FBS.

Michael Danna | DE | Michigan – Danna has a lot to his game that scouts love. He transferred from Central Michigan to Michigan for the 2019 season and against Power-5 competition he did not produce as much. Danna compiled 17 sacks in his final two seasons with the Chippewas, but only managed 3.0 sacks in his one season with the Wolverines. He’s got multiple moves to get after the passer and his motor runs hot all game long. Danna is somewhat average athletically, and he needs to add more weight and strength at the pro level.

Carlos Davis | DT | Nebraska – Davis is a late-round sleeper with an athletic profile teams will love. He finished his career with Nebraska by compiling 6.0 sacks in 2019. That part of his game is a work in progress, but teams are going to love the way he fires off the ball quickly. He has inconsistent leverage in run defense and will be an older rookie (24) in 2020, but Davis is worth taking a look at even if he falls out of the draft and to the ranks of the college free agents.

Cameron Clark | OT | Charlotte – Usually, small-school prospects are projects when they make the leap to the NFL. That’s not the case with Clark. He played left tackle all four years for the 49ers and logged over 2,700 snaps at the position during that time. He has huge hands (11 inches) and does a good job of controlling his man at the point of attack. Clark played in a run-heavy offense, but when pass-blocking in 2019 he only allowed five pressures and no sacks.

Solomon Kindley | G | Georgia – I have a soft spot for Georgia players and that’s a small reason why Kindley is one of my sleepers at guard in this draft class. It also helps that he is 330 pounds and knows how to use leverage to win as a blocker. He is seen as a late-round pick and is a guard only at the pro level as he lacks the athleticism to move to the outside as a swing player. Kindley showed well against likely first-round pick Javon Kinlaw (South Carolina) in 2019 and does a good job of playing to the echo of the whistle. He’s big, wide, tough and powerful. I’d take a chance on that late in the draft.

Luke Juriga | C | Western Michigan – The best part of a practice at an all-star game is what scouts call “the pit.” This is the one-on-one blocking drill between the offensive line and the defensive line. It’s the closest thing we get to real football during the practice period and Juriga was flat-out dominant and incredibly fun to watch when working in this drill. Juriga was throwing around defenders on multiple days. Not only was he throwing around defensive tackles, Juriga would land on guys sometimes to add that extra bit of ferocity to his block. Juriga did a good job of moving well when going up against defensive ends, too. His technique needs to improve when it comes to hand placement and proper footwork. However, he’s got the upside to be a quality starter if developed correctly. I’d love to see what Mike Munchak could do with talent like that.

Zach Shackelford | C | Texas – Shackelford was not as dominant as Juriga at the Shrine Bowl, but he did turn in a solid week. He needs to put on some weight but the main thing I appreciate about his game is that he’s incredibly smart and rarely fooled by stunts or twists from defensive linemen. His toughness is unquestioned as he dealt with a foot injury during his last season with the Longhorns. Shackelford is a late-round prospect with intriguing upside.

Dalton Keene | TE | Virginia Tech – My favorite sleeper tight end in this draft class is Keene, who played high school football here in Colorado for the Chatfield Chargers where he began his prep career as a quarterback. Keene and my son Liam were the freshmen quarterbacks for the Chargers and Keene was an outstanding athlete who as a sophomore converted to play running back and became the centerpiece of the offense. In college, Keene showed off a skill set where he could run the ball as an H-back, catch the ball as a tight end, or be used in the backfield to block as a fullback. Knowing his ability as a passer well, I believe that Keene could even be used as a gadget quarterback if called upon. Keene is fluid with his movement, weighing in around 250 pounds. He is a hard-nosed player who thrives on contact and does not shy away from the toughest parts of the game. Keene has good contact balance and a nose for the end zone. His position versatility allows him to line up all over the field and that should be something teams covet at the pro level. Keene had a really good performance at the Scouting Combine earlier this year and he stood out in multiple drills. I’d love to see this homegrown product in a Broncos jersey.

Antonio Gandy-Golden | WR | Liberty – Gandy-Golden proved at the Reese’s Senior Bowl that he could get open against some of the top defenders in the country. A small-school prospect from Liberty, Gandy-Golden has a fine size/speed combination. Gandy-Golden can play “above the rim” and has a huge wingspan which gives him a catch radius that few can match. He attacks the ball in the air, but needs to work on his route-running. With pro coaching and his strong work ethic, that shouldn’t be a problem.

Aaron Parker | WR | Rhode Island – Parker from Rhode Island is one of my favorite sleepers in this draft class. He was a standout player on the first day of the East-West Shrine Bowl practices and he kept making more plays each day of the week. The Patriots have interest in him as a day-three pick and that’s likely where he should go. Parker has a basketball background and knows how to use his frame to box out smaller defenders. Like most small-school players, Parker needs to learn the nuances of the position. The raw talent is there for him to be a strong slot receiver with separation quickness.

Tony Jones Jr. | RB | Notre Dame – When I was at the East-West Shrine Bowl, I saw Jones. He was a standout player during the week of practice at that game. Jones has good vision as a runner and rarely takes false steps. He’s not a fast running back, but he’s disciplined and plays with good pad speed. Jones is strong and that helps him in pass protection, as well.

Antonio Gibson | RB | Memphis – The next week at the Reese’s Senior Bowl, I was able to see one of my favorite running backs in this draft class when watching Gibson. He is an excellent receiver who can line up in the slot and run routes if tasked to do that. Gibson doesn’t have much wear on his body as he was rarely used as a runner in college. In fact, he had more catches (38) than he did rushes (33) in 2019. Gibson even worked out as a receiver at the Scouting Combine but there are several teams I talk to that believe his best fit is at the running back position.

Brian Lewerke | QB | Michigan State – Lewerke is athletic and has the ability to pick up first downs with his legs. Lewerke needs to work on his downfield accuracy, but I like his desire to make throws to challenge a defense vertically. He can already hurt a defense on short-to-intermediate routes.

Khalil Tate | QB | Arizona – If you want a Taysom Hill-like quarterback, then Tate could be your guy. He’s super raw as a passer, but he’s tremendously athletic and can make plays as a runner. In fact, I wouldn’t mind throwing him some passes much in the way the Saints have used Hill over the last couple of years.

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