These Day 3 sleepers should entice Rams in draft

***Quarterback Haynes King – Georgia Tech  6’2” 212 lb.***

Comes out as a sixth-year senior, recently turned 25. Originally a four-star recruit and signed with Texas A&M. Played three seasons with the Aggies, before transferring to Georgia Tech. Even though he’s battled injuries, King is a veteran of 46 games with 43 starts and threw for 9486 yards at a 66% completion clip, with 65 touchdowns. A pass/run threat, he added 2427 yards rushing and 37 scores. Throwback tough-guy play style with today’s quarterback traits. Can win passing or running the football. His play style and lean frame have led to numerous injuries. As a passer, his arm talent is good, not great. Appears able to use many arm angles and throws a nice deep ball, but doesn’t have the drive of elite arms on long outs. His accuracy is good, although he has some issues with his footwork which hurts. He is also quite accurate throwing on the move. Navigates the pocket well and shows good escapability. Tendency to want to run if first read isn’t there, but does keep scanning while on the move. As a runner, he has stellar burst and long speed and shows heart to get tough yardage and near the goal line. Impressive leader with the will to keep his team in games even when over-matched. Pre and post snap reads are still a question, he played in a run-centric system, where too often passing was based on quick reads (screens, swing stops, etc.) getting the ball into playmaker hands. I was all over King before and during the season. Seeing him throw next to the other prospects at the Combine cooled me off a bit. Still, even with some mechanical problems, he checks off a lot of boxes that make NFL quarterbacks. His game really improved over his final two seasons although his usage led to constant nagging injuries. I grade him into Round 6 and while his ceiling may be as a backup, but he’s the kind of gamer that can win if QB#1 goes down for a couple games.

Haynes King #NFLDraft

Pinpoint out 27 yards from pitch with pressure in his face. pic.twitter.com/us8XkYStQi

— Matt Waldman (@MattWaldman) February 22, 2026

***Running back Chip Trayanum – Toledo  5’11” 224 lb.***

Four-star recruit with two-way versatility, chose running back over linebacker. Well-traveled prospect, in Trayanum’s six college seasons, he’s made stops at Arizona State, Ohio State, and Kentucky before finishing up at Toledo. Overall, he played in 50 games with 18 starts, recording 2272 rushing yards at 5.3 yards per carry and 25 touchdowns. Through the air, he chipped in 36 catches. Named to the Feldman’s Freak’s List for athleticism/strength and impressed at the East-West Shrine Bowl with all-around play. Small school prospect with top program pedigree and solid all-around skills. Powerful, compact build with thick thighs. Sneaky good athlete with a 9.62 RAS score. Downhill, power runner with juice. Presses the line and shows patience waiting for blocks to open things up and follows them well. Good burst through the line, but under control, and has a second gear once through. Nifty feet to navigate traffic, good stop/start ability, and contact balance. When he gets behind his pads, he can plow through tackles, but sometimes plays a little high. His long speed his good, not elite. Although he shows a nice jump cut and the burst to break runs outside, he’s more of a linear player than swivel-hipped. Even though Trayanum didn’t have a lot of pass receiving production until 2025 and ran simple routes, he snatches the ball with his hands and transitions upfield quickly. You can see his linebacker past in pass protection, he squares up well and crashes headlong into rushers, just needs to learn to also use his strong upper body and sustain. His traits, physicality, athleticism, and an innate feel for finding space, are coveted in the NFL. Trayanum’s also a strong fit for the Rams between the tackles zone/duo run game. Plenty of tread on the tires with only 463 college touches. Played a lot of special teams early in his career. I grade him as a Round 6 prospect, but think he’s got a higher ceiling/floor than most late picks.

Watching the RBs and LBs doing pass pro drills this morning on the East Squad, I thought #Toledo RB Chip Trayanum was the most impressive #TeamToledopic.twitter.com/oTb1jzGoGC

— Fran Duffy (@FDuffyNFL) January 23, 2026

***Wide receiver J. Michael Sturvidant – Florida 6’3” 207***

Well-traveled four-star high school recruit, turns 24 in September. Along with his pigskin prowess, Sturvidant was also a Texas prep track standout in sprints and jumps. First college stop was a pair of seasons at Cal, after a redshirt year he burst on the scene and was a freshman All-American. Then it was on to UCLA for two years and he closed out his career at Florida in 2025. Traits-based prospect who never fully realized his potential. Long, lean frame with a wide wingspan. Named to the Feldman’s Freak’s List for stellar athleticism/strength. Explosive burst and long speed, his track background stands out. Loose-hipped and fluid, Sturvidant has plus stop/start and change of direction abilities. Possesses the versatility to line up outside or in the slot. While he shows flashes of being a top-tier receiver, he’s been inconsistent. At this point, too often leans heavily on pure speed/athleticism to create separation. Needs work on route running and expanding his tree. Good feel for defensive spacing and finds soft spots in zones. Good body control, ball tracking, and hand/eye coordination to reel in passes that are outside his frame. Hands are good, not great, but have shown improvement over his career. Hasn’t shown a lot of creating with the ball in his hands, but his nifty feet and athletic skills hint there’s untapped potential there. Has good play strength and a willing and competitive play style. Good blocker that understands how to use his length to lock out. In a deep receiver class, Sturvidant gets lost in the numbers. I grade him into Round 6 and a team will draft him on traits and potential, rather than on-field production numbers. While his play shows improvement over college years, he has been beset by nagging injuries and mediocre quarterback play. He had a strong showing at the East-West Shrine Bowl which hints that he takes well to coaching. Profiles best as a WR#3, to a vertical passing offense.

J. Michael Sturdivant has my attention after watching his career film

6’3” 207 4.40 speed 39 inch vert Wins vs Man Coverage Good hands Excellent tracking Manipulative stemming Controls DBs hips Lackluster QB play leaving talent untapped

Possible #NFLDraft WR gem pic.twitter.com/PCncI4zoJh

— Jason DiRienzo (@allpurposescout) April 4, 2026

***Tight end Dae’Quan Wright – Ole Miss***

Mix of three and four star ratings as a tight end/running back recruit. Turns 23 in September. Began his career with Virginia Tech and spent two seasons there, before transferring to Ole Miss for his last two. Wright played a total of 47 games with 29 starts, making 113 catches for 1603 yards and nine scores. Receiver-first tight end, his past as a running back shows in his ability to run with the ball in his hands. Compact frame, good length and strong upper body, but thinnish legs. Shows good speed and body control, although he didn’t test at the Combine or Pro Day. Ole Miss lined him up all over their formations, inline, slot, wing, and even in the backfield. Good route runner, although not real crisp, sharp breaks, but did create create separation with speed and change-up pacing. Not a huge route tree at Ole Miss, but solid in the basics. Catches with his hands away from his body and transitions up-field well. Showed improvement from some early tenure drop issues. Good ball tracker, can speed/slow to fit in soft areas of zones. Needs to leverage his frame and length against smaller defenders, just okay on contested catches. Needs work as a blocker on squaring up and using his arms lock out or latch on. Too often, just throws his shoulder int opponents and doesn’t sustain. Good on down blocks, chips, and double teams. Doesn’t really fit the Rams mold of uber-long and tall tight ends, but like the others, is a receiver foremost. A tough guy who can play through bumps and bruises, Wright offers the playmaking ability to win at all three levels of the field and with the ball in his hands. I grade him Round 6, ready now as a receiver, but with work to do on his blocking.

Dae’quan Wright (6’4 246) Ole Miss

• Physicality at the point of attack as a blocker and locates and connects with his target when he is blocking out in space
• Thick frame and tough to bring down after the catch
• Straight-line speed and ran a 4.55 40-yard dash time
• 635… pic.twitter.com/vhbsMMYsqI

— Bengals & Brews (@BengalsBrews) March 25, 2026

***Interior offensive line Febechi Nwaiwu – Oklahoma 6’4” 319 lb.***

Lightly recruited prospect walked on at North Texas in 2021. After a redshirt season with the Mean Green, Nwaiwu earned a role for 24 games and 19 starts. He parlayed that into a move to Oklahoma and 26 straight starts. Stellar pass blocker that needs some work in the run game. Well-proportioned frame with good length. Slightly heavy-footed, only a fair lateral mover, best at downhill work. Can get out on short pulls and next level off of combo blocks. In pass protection, Nwaiwu shows very good form and technique, quickly sets up out his stance, generally bends at the knees, and sets a wide base. Throws a heavy punch, using both two-handed and long arm strikes accurately, and shows a powerful grip to latch on, control, and really drop an anchor. Looks for work when uncovered and recognizes stunts/loops/twists well. Run blocking is a different story, he’s not bad, just not the mauler you might expect from his build. Has a tendency to play with high pads, lean forward and duck his head, getting off balance and losing the leverage to drive defenders. Also can be late engaging his hands/punch. He shows better on down blocks and combo/double teams, when he stays low and leveraged defenders are rooted out Although inexperienced, he’s fairly advanced when you consider his growth arc and where it began. He’s shown year-to-year improvement on film and bumped uo from low level competition to high. Nwaiwu has the versatility to play all three interior positions and also played some right tackle early in his college career. He started the final two games of 2025 at center and continued working there at the East-West Shrine Bowl. I grade him into Round 6.

Oklahoma OG Febechi Nwaiwu is the most PRODUCTIVE of the group

Lowest OG Pressure Rate 🥇Nwaiwu 0.42% 🥈1%

HT: 6'4 WT: 319 Arm: 34 1/4

♦️0 sacks in ‘25; 2 pressures ♦️1st Team All-American ♦️Former N. Texas Walk-On ♦️Played C, LG/RG, & RT; 3,300+ snaps pic.twitter.com/KNBN72sZkn

— Clint Goss (@NFLDraftDome) March 12, 2026

***Swing tackle Diego Pounds – Ole Miss 6’6” 325 lb.***

Three-star prospect, moved to the offensive line late in high school. Originally signed with North Carolina and spent two years there. Transferred to Ole Miss and SEC play as a junior, taking over as starting left tackle at the mid-point of the season and holding it through his senior year. Total of 33 starts of 46 games. Long-legged tackle prospect showing good size and athleticism. Even though he plays an upright style, Pounds plays fluidly and balanced. As of now, he’s better at pass protection than opening things up in the run game. He uses his light feet and good lateral move skills to stay squared up on rushers and reportedly has an 86” wingspan, making it a chore just get around him. Makes very good use of his long arms. Solid grip strength to lock on and control rushers and does a good job of hand fighting and resetting against swipes and chops. Recognizes defensive line games and has the nifty feet to adapt and pick up switch offs. Sets a wide base and anchors well. As a run blocker, he is seems content to latch on and lock up opposition, screening  them off rather than driving them. While he will certainly need play strength work as a pro, when he lowers his pad level and gets behind them, he flashes good power. He can also use angles on penetration by defenders and ride them out of the play or to the ground. Sustains his blocks well and again, shows his smooth move skills to the second level and on pulls. While his pass rushing chops give Pounds a pretty high floor, his ceiling depends on how fast he can clean up his high pads play style. He won’t be able to get by on sheer size and length in the pro game. He’s only played at left tackle and has shown year-to-year improvement at two high-end programs. I grade him in Round 5, because he has a solid base to build on, but most of the draft experts have him going later.

Diego Pounds is a massive offensive line prospect with outstanding measurables (6055 337 83" wing) and excellent play strength to match @chaboiidiego neutralizes defenders level with devastating punch and extension and finishes blocks with hard charging motor #HottyToddypic.twitter.com/Dcz4TEpWNy

— Shane Coughlin (@Shane\_\_Coughlin) January 7, 2026

Roster help at picks 207, 232, 251, 252?

Going into the draft, the Rams still have some particular needs on offense., QB#2, WR#2, and OT#3. After that, it’s more a a matter of building up special teams and solid depth with an eye to the future. The Rams pressing positions of need will likely need serious capital investment. The players in this profile, although having traits, will need development. Chip Trayanum strikes me as the most pro ready. Although the Rams running back room is quite full (six under contract), they will likely add one more body and lack a power/short yardage guy. J. Michael Sturvidant has the tools and potential to be a playmaker, but must translate them into on-field production. Both the offensive linemen, Febechi Nwaiwu and Diego Pounds have shown to be upper-tier pass blockers. Nwaiwu adds three-position versatility on the interior, while Pounds gives off Alaric Jackson vibes. Haynes King may not have a starter’s ceiling, but checks off most the boxes of backup NFL quarterback needs. A strong-armed version of Bryce Perkins. In today’s NFL, Dae’Quan Wright fits the role of “big slot receiver” tight ends. He clearly brings playmaker potential. Tell us about your favorite late-round sleepers.