Special teams players to know ahead of the draft

Wetjen brings a lot to the table; however, there are multiple reasons why teams may not be in a hurry to take him in the draft. He’s a sixth-year and already 24 years old. Wetjen has just a single year of starting experience on offense as slot-versatile receiver. According to Dane Brugler’s “The Beast”, 22 of his 23 career receptions came within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage. But you aren’t buying Wetjen because of his upside on offense—he might not bring much to the table. With that said, Wetjen was arguably the most efficient returner in college football. He has six career touchdowns as a returner and average a whopping 26.8 yards on punt returns this past season. Can the Rams use a player of this mold? For sure. Wetjen would be an immediate upgrade at returner over Xavier Smith.

Lorenzo Styles, Ohio State, CB

Styles is the *older* brother of top linebacker prospect Sonny Styles. He’ll be 24 in time for the upcoming season and spent five years in college. Like his brother, Styles is an impressively explosive athlete and would ideally fill a role as a plus gunner on special teams. At 6-0, 200 lbs. he’s far from small by corner standards. He ran the 40-yard dash in a blazingly fast 4.27 seconds. Styles posted an 82.2 Pro Football Focus (PFF) grade on 244 snaps two seasons ago. His special teams usage decreased as he took on a more regular defensive role for Ohio State in his final year. Styles is a hybrid safety and slot corner. Only seven of his 570 defensive snaps in college came at outside corner. He has basically zero experience in this regard.

Wesley Williams, Duke, EDGE/DL

Before you get your hopes up on Williams, Brugler has him as a projected fourth or fifth round pick. The Rams could end up with mid-round picks in trades down or package together some of their later picks in order to move up. The dream isn’t entirely dead. Still, Williams had five career blocks at Duke. He’s a penetrating pass rusher that sustains his rush with motor. Can Williams be as productive at the NFL level in terms of blocked kicks and punts?

Karson Sharar, Iowa, LB

Sharar was PFF”s fifth-highest graded special teams in 2024. Across his entire career at Iowa he played 571 special teams snaps dating back to 2021. As is the case with prospects on the draft radar, his role diminished in favor of more defensive snaps in his final season. There isn’t a ton to like about Sharar as a linebacker. He has good straight line speed to track ball carriers, but he doesn’t seem instinctual or disciplined in coverage. But there is a path on special teams. At 6-1, 232 lbs., Sharar ran a 4.56 40-yard dash. Not bad at all for his size. He can be useful in the third phase.

Josh Cuevas, Alabama, TE

There aren’t many spectacular traits about Cuevas’ game. He’s simply a well-rounded player that could be too limited physically at the NFL level. That may mean he’s best-suited for special teams. Cuevas is a solid blocker in both the run and pass game. He could be a fullback at the professional level. Cuevas was PFF’s 13th ranked special teams player during the 2023 season before taking over as a starting offensive player in 2025 with Ty Simpson under center.

Michael Taaffe, Texas, DB

Taaffe was PFF’s 26th ranked special teams player in 2023. He played 844 snaps in the third phase in four years at Texas. He recorded 12 tackles and blocked a single punt. The Rams are adept at finding safeties in the later rounds of the draft that can contribute on special teams while they carve out a role on defense. Is Taaffe the next example?