Every season, a few Day 3 NFL Draft selections become consistent starters.
Players like Joshua Watson (fourth-round selection), Jaylen Watson (seventh-round), and Isaiah Pachecho (seventh-round) were key contributors to the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl-winning roster.
Whether a player drafted on Saturday’s session is a consistent starter or a role player, the team that drafted him is likely happy. Finding reliable pieces on Day 3 isn’t guaranteed, so earning any production is a positive.
Touchdown Wire’s Doug Farrar recently named a “draft steal” for all 32 teams. According to Farrar, a player had to be selected on Day 2 or 3 of the NFL Draft to be eligible.
The Minnesota Vikings had five players eligible based on this criteria and chose LSU iDL Jaquelin Roy as their steal.
I had Roy as my seventh-ranked interior defensive lineman in this class, so I was surprised that the Vikings were able to grab him with the 141st overall pick in the fifth round. … At 6-foot-3 and 305 pounds, Roy has excellent strength to knife through double teams, and as he develops his counters to first blocks, he could be an outstanding interior disruptor in a Brian Flores-led defense in need of such things.
Roy seems like a likely option with the Vikings’ lack of defensive line depth. Without any consistent starters, Roy will be in a prime position for immediate playing time and could earn a starting spot with a strong preseason.
