With the level of coverage and analysis surrounding the NFL Draft, fantasy football, and the sport as a whole, it’s become increasingly difficult to define and identify a “sleeper.” Just when you think you have a sleeper pegged at running back, he goes out and runs a 4.44 40-yard dash at 216 pounds and shoots up draft boards.
Spoiler alert: I’m referring to Israel Abanikanda, who will not be featured on this list after going from sleeper status to a draft darling since his Pro Day. The good news is that there are always prospects who slip through the cracks and out-produce their draft status.
Let’s look at some players who fit the mold.
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Sleeper NFL Draft Prospects (2023 Fantasy Football)
Jonathan Mingo (WR – Mississippi)
Turn on the tape, and you just might mistake Jonathan Mingo for another former Runnin’ Rebel who donned the number one on his jersey. Of course, nobody is anticipating Mingo to become the next AJ Brown, and his production at Ole Miss doesn’t come close to matching that of Brown’s. Even so, the two are virtually the exact same size and possess a similar play style. Mingo is faster and fared better in the speed and burst categories, posting a relative athletic score (RAS) of 9.86. His overall college production leaves a bit to be desired, and he’s entering the NFL Draft after a four-year collegiate career, unlike Brown and other top prospects.
These can be categorized as red flags, as Mingo topped out at just 861 yards which came in his senior season. It’s worth noting, however, that Mingo was on his way to a breakout season in 2021 before suffering an injury that cost him seven games. Perhaps it’s a different story if he stays healthy and declares early. Regardless, he plays with the toughness and physicality to win through contact and fight off press coverage, while his best skill is the ability to make plays with the ball in his hands.
Admittedly, it’s somewhat irresponsible to compare him to AJ Brown, but he excels with quick targets, playing physically in short areas but showing the long speed when he breaks away. He might not get drafted until day three, but he could make an early impact as a team’s WR3, with the potential to move up the pecking order.
You can question if Roschon Johnson is a sleeper or not, but the mock draft database has him going in the fourth round of the NFL Draft. Not to mention, he was a backup running back at Texas. Coming into the NFL after his senior year, Johnson entered Texas as a quarterback but found his success on the ground and quickly shifted positions. Despite being a career backup with limited production and lacking the early declare status, Johnson possesses many qualities that NFL coaches will love. He does all the little things, such as blocking and playing special teams, but he’s more than capable as a ball carrier.
While he’s not the most fluid back, he’s a punishing runner who doesn’t go down easy and flashes a quick burst in short areas. His long speed may not present many home run opportunities, but he can pick up the short yards and wear a defense down. He’s an above-average route runner with very good hands for a back his size. If there’s a knock-on Johnson, it’s that he runs slightly upright. Even so, he does everything well and will be difficult to take off the field.
A 6-foot-3, 206-pound cornerback out of Purdue, Cory Trice has the makeup to be a player at the next level. His elite size and length are coveted at the position, along with his ability to play press coverage and reroute receivers off the line. His biggest limitation is the lack of top-end speed, but his 3.7 three-cone and 4.06 short shuttle times prove his twitch and change-of-pace abilities. There are risks with Trice, however, including his recovery from a torn ACL. As a bigger corner, he doesn’t play the run particularly well and lacks fluidity at times. He will require some development with his technique but can play situationally early on, and with the right coaching and development, he can become a very good corner.
YaYa Diaby (EDGE – Louisville)
Outside of an elite NFL name, YaYa Diaby boasts many qualities that will translate from Saturday to Sunday. Diaby is a big man, standing 6-foot-3 and weighing in at 263 pounds, but his athleticism is second to none. His RAS of 9.86 sits at the top of the list among all defensive ends in the class. RAS is not everything, despite multiple references to it in this piece, but it can be telling, especially when it comes to a defensive end with elite size and strength who compliments that with the length of an 8-foot-1 wingspan.
Diaby possesses strong hands at the point of attack, allowing him to drive his opponent off balance or shed blocks en route to making a play on the ball. In addition to the power, Diaby has the quickness to put linemen through the spin cycle or fill gaps with urgency. His lack of a secondary move is limiting, and he can get caught in no man’s land at times. Those can be learned and improved upon, especially for a player who started his collegiate career at a junior college and improved every season. If I were a defensive line coach in the NFL, Diaby is the type of player I’d be dying to work with.
Tucker Kraft (TE – South Dakota)
Tight end is a difficult position to project at the next level, and sometimes it takes many years for prospects to find success in the NFL. That is especially true for the smaller school prospects, like Tucker Kraft, out of South Dakota State. Although he hails from a small school, put on the film and watch Kraft bully the competition. Kraft is faster than he looks, running a 4.69 40-yard dash, but he plays with physicality. What I love most about prospects like Kraft is that he can get on the field early with his ability to block.
He spent a lot of time playing out wide in college and can block in space, but he should become a reliable inline blocking tight end in the NFL. He has sure hands, subtle speed and quickness when going from receiver to runner. He sheds arm tackles with ease, and even when he’s not hitting home runs, he’s picking up extra yardage. He will be a three-down player and a trustworthy outlet for a quarterback at the next level.
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