ArticlesFeaturedNFLOriginalsBy The Comeback Staff on

The blue-chip prospects get most of the attention, but NFL stars have been found all over the draft. Who are under-the-radar future stars in the 2024 NFL Draft?

The Comeback’s Matt Clapp, Michael Dixon, Sam Neumann, and Reice Shipley teamed up to recognize prospects that we think are very underrated, from each portion of the draft (Days 1, 2, and 3).

Let’s a take look at our biggest sleepers of the 2024 NFL Draft:

Day 1 Sleepers

Matt Clapp: Brian Thomas Jr., WR, LSU

Thomas is a potential top-15 pick, and I still think he’s being underrated.

It’s largely because of how special this draft is at wide receiver, with Marvin Harrison Jr., Malik Nabers, and Rome Odunze all likely top-10 picks (arguably all top-five prospects in general), to go with potentially a dozen-plus wide receivers going in the first two rounds. Additionally, Thomas was part of an LSU offense that featured Nabers and quarterback Jayden Daniels (the potential No. 2 overall pick).

So, Thomas has been overshadowed, but he wouldn’t be in most years; he’d be WR1 or 2 in many drafts. He led the entire country in touchdown receptions (17) last season and averaged 17.3 yards per catch. He ran a 4.33 40-yard dash and showed off tremendous overall athleticism in a 6’3″ frame at the NFL Scouting Combine.

Thomas, 21, is a bit raw and will need to get better at the nuances of the wide receiver position in the NFL, but he has an enormous ceiling. And at the very least, he should be an effective deep threat and big-play receiver early in his career.

Michael Dixon: Graham Barton, OL, Duke

Most projections generally have Barton going somewhere in the 20s. In all likelihood, that means he’s going to a team that was competitive in 2023 and expects to be again in 2024. And if you’re looking to compete for a championship in 2024, having a first-round pick ready to step in and make an immediate impact is a tremendous advantage.

That’s what Barton is. 

This is a great draft for offensive linemen, which means it’s a great draft for offensive coaches. If it wasn’t, Barton would probably project as a top-20 pick, at least. Also hurting his projection is that he’s generally expected to be an interior lineman in the NFL. But while guard and especially center may be where his best projections are, Barton was a starting left tackle at Duke. He has the size and athleticism needed to be a tackle in the NFL. 

Reice Shipley: Chop Robinson, EDGE, Penn State

Robinson is currently projected on most mock drafts to be selected near the end of the first round. But there’s some real buzz that he could go even earlier based on some of his measurables, which are simply hard to ignore.

At the NFL Combine, Robinson ran a 4.48-second 40-yard dash, the fastest 10-yard split time at 1.54 seconds, and the second-fastest 20-yard shuttle time at 4.25 seconds. In each of these categories, he finished either first or second in the entire class of edge rushers.

All of these drills are indicators of an edge rusher’s ability to quickly get off the ball, one of the top skills of any top-tier pass rusher. Robinson shows this skill in spades. And while his production in college doesn’t exactly pop off the stat sheet, he certainly has some highlights that show that his game could translate well to the NFL level.

Any team that plans on selecting Robinson has to realize that he’s a bit of a project at this point and may not translate to the NFL as quickly as some others. But the physical traits are certainly there to be an excellent selection in the back end of the first round.

Day 2 Sleepers

Clapp: Ricky Pearsall, WR, Florida

Like Thomas, Pearsall is getting overshadowed by an excellent wide receiver class. He’s a versatile receiver that can be lined up in the slot or outside at 6’1″.

After already being known for his sure hands, route-running prowess, and ability to get open, Pearsall put together elite testing numbers at the NFL Combine.

There could be a dozen or so receivers selected ahead of Pearsall, but I think he’ll have a more productive NFL career than at least a few of them.

Dixon: Ben Sinnott, TE, Kansas State

Travis Kelce has played in four of the last five Super Bowls. The opposing tight ends in those four Super Bowls? George Kittle twice, Rob Gronkowski, and Dallas Goedert. These tight ends are all dangerous in short-pass situations but can also stretch the field and make plays deep in the secondary. 

That’s what Ben Sinnott brought to Kansas State. He’s got the speed to get past linebackers and the combined strength and athleticism to be a complete nightmare for defensive backs to tackle down the field. And he’s not exactly a liability as a blocker. 

It would not be at all surprising if Sinnott ended up being a better pro than any tight end in this class, excluding Brock Bowers. If he went to more of a true powerhouse football school, Sinnott would have a chance to be a first-round pick. 

A recent Pro Football Focus mock draft projected Sinnott going late in the third round. That would be an absolute steal. In fact, I think anything after the mid-second round would be an absolute steal.

Sam Neumann: Roman Wilson, WR, Michigan

In a draft class that wasn’t loaded with wide receivers, Wilson, with his exceptional speed and agility, could’ve found himself as a first-round pick. This has him as a Day 2 pick, and likely an early one at that. Personally, I would take a gamble on the 22-year-old Michigan product in the back end of the first round. Some people like Ladd McConkey. Others like Troy Franklin. But for me, Wilson’s consistent performance and potential for growth make him a standout.

And when evaluating his game, you have to remember that he played for a run-heavy team. No, the Wolverines weren’t running the triple option, but we have yet to see Wilson in a wide-open passing game, especially one where he’s a bigger part of the scheme. He has rare speed and is an electrifying athlete. He’ll need to improve his route running at the next level, but with good coaching and the right passing offense, he could emerge as one of the better receivers in this class.

Shipley: Devontez Walker, WR, North Carolina

The 2024 NFL Draft features a pretty top-heavy wide receiver class at the top of the board in Marvin Harrison Jr., Malik Nabers, and Rome Odunze, just to name a few. But one player who could be a great mid-round target for teams in need of a true game-breaker is Devontez Walker.

Walker notably missed the first four games of the season in 2023 due to an eligibility issue since he was a second-time transfer. But when he did get on the field, he made the most of his opportunities, recording 100-yard games in three of his eight games at UNC.

There are obvious concerns with just how polished his route running is. But his physical traits are hard to ignore, standing at 6’3” and running a 4.36-second 40-yard dash.

That kind of athleticism at his height is hard to come by in a Day 2 pick. Most projections have Walker slipping to the third round of the draft, which should certainly intrigue NFL front offices.

Day 3 Sleepers

Clapp: Mohamed Kamara, EDGE, Colorado State

Kamara is the best CSU pass-rushing prospect since Shaquil Barrett in 2014. Barrett went undrafted that year, and he’s since put together a fantastic NFL career that features two Super Bowl titles, two Pro Bowl nods, and 59 sacks.

NFL teams shouldn’t let Kamara fall too far in this draft. He’s currently viewed as a likely fourth or fifth-round selection, but I think he should be getting strong consideration by certain teams in the third round.

Yes, he’s undersized for an NFL edge defender at 6’1″, 248 pounds. But Kamara plays bigger than his size, with tremendous burst, and he flat-out knows how to get to the quarterback. He had 13 sacks and 17 tackles for loss in 12 games at CSU in 2023 (he also had 16 tackles for loss in 2022).

Kamara will have to show his size and run-stopping abilities can hold up to be an every-down EDGE, but he should immediately be a pass-rushing dynamo- and that can be an extremely valuable player in today’s NFL.

Dixon: Kamren Kinchens, S, Miami

To a certain degree, any NFL draft pick is a roll of the dice. That’s certainly true as you get deeper into the draft. But if you’re going to roll the dice on someone, you can do a lot worse than a guy who intercepted 11 passes over the 2022 and 2023 seasons. 

Kinchens did just that at Miami. 

Of course, interceptions aren’t the only thing that matters with a defensive back. But a high interception total does show that a player has a nose for the ball, which is precisely what you want from a safety. 

Physically, Kinchens is similar to what Talanoa Hufanga was when the San Francisco 49ers selected him in the fifth round of the 2021 NFL Draft. That worked out well for San Francisco. If you can get a safety with similar traits and measurables on Day 3, that’s a risk worth taking.

Neumann: Michael Pratt, QB, Tulane 

There are two versions of Pratt. And somehow, the version we saw of Pratt this past season actually put up better numbers and earned first-team All-American Athletic Conference and AAC Offensive Player of the Year honors despite dealing with a knee injury.

If you have doubts about Pratt, I highly recommend watching his 2022 tape. It showcases his exceptional skills and performance, even in the face of adversity. The tape could very well change your perspective on whether he should be a Day 2 or Day 3 pick, but this league is a “what have you done for me lately” type for a reason.

This past season, the four-year starter and three-year team captain started 11 games and passed for 2,406 yards, 22 touchdowns, five interceptions, and a 65.4 completion percentage. Despite a bum knee, he ran for 286 yards on 98 carries and five rushing touchdowns.

For a team like the New York Jets, for example, Pratt makes perfect sense to sit behind an established quarterback in Aaron Rodgers and have the chance to mold him into a backup or a potential starter for the next few years.

Neumann: Jordan Magee, LB, Temple

This may be a bit biased because I know Jordan personally, but his Relative Athletic Score (RAS) points to him being an elite athlete at the linebacker position. This gives NFL defensive coordinators the chance to use him as a versatile chess piece, especially when considering his speed in the backend, and his ability to make plays at the line of scrimmage.

Despite his average size, Magee plays with surprising strength and tenacity, often finding ways to tackle ball-carriers even from difficult angles. And while he may not be a sideline-to-sideline backer at the next level, there’s a good chance he can make a name for himself on special teams — like former Temple linebackers before him — and become a rotational player.

Shipley: Isaac Guerendo, RB, Louisville

We have seen for the better part of the last decade that fewer NFL teams than ever are willing to select running backs with top picks in the NFL Draft. And with that in mind, Guerendo could certainly garner some serious interest from NFL teams due to his supreme athletic ability.

Guerendo put on a show at the NFL Combine, running a 4.33-second 40-yard dash, the fastest of any player at his position. In nearly every athletic testing measure except for bench press, Guerendo tested as an elite-level athlete in comparison to the rest of the draft class.

It’s not like he’s a small running back either at 221 pounds. So, he could very well find himself be a multiple-down back if put in the right situation to succeed in the NFL.

Most mock drafts have Guerendo being selected in the fourth or fifth round, largely due to a lack of opportunities at the collegiate level. But based on his athletic profile alone, he sure has the potential to be a better NFL player than collegiate player.