Many of the names called during the opening round of the NFL draft will be familiar to recruiting fans, as they belong to former five-star and ESPN 300 prospects.
Big things were expected from and delivered by the likes of Kayvon Thibodeaux, who was the No. 1 overall player in the 2019 class, and Nakobe Dean, a top-three linebacker and Butkus Award winner in high school.
A few players selected early in the draft, though, will be prospects who garnered little buzz and had lower rankings. It serves as proof that there is not just one singular path from high school to the NFL.
Several players have greatly exceeded expectations and developed into top NFL prospects. Below are five players that went from under-the-radar recruits to top draft targets.
CB Ahmad Gardner
Cincinnati Bearcats
Class of 2019 rating: Three stars
A consensus low three-star prospect, there were over 150 defensive backs rated ahead of Gardner, who now looks poised to be the first cornerback selected, even ahead of that class’ No. 1 cornerback, Derek Stingley Jr.
Hindsight clearly indicates he was ranked far too low, but there were indicators that warranted some of the trepidation that led to a lower ranking. Gardner had a lean build and did not post ideal testing numbers, weighing in at 159 pounds and running a 4.74 40-yard dash at a Nike event back in spring of 2018.
He has since filled out his frame, gaining roughly 30 pounds and is an example of how certain key factors can be overlooked or tough to measure. He may have lacked in measurables, but was a highly productive high school player, with length and a confident passion for the game that can’t be measured.
There were some areas of concern, but ultimately, his strengths as a prospect and physical development won out and allowed him to become a quick contributor for the Bearcats — and a projected Day 1 draft selection.
OT Trevor Penning
Northern Iowa Panthers
Class of 2017 rating: Not rated
Strength in numbers? That is the case here, as many are included in the club of missing on Penning. A tall and lean developmental prospect out of Iowa, Penning garnered little attention, which is a bit surprising since the Iowa Hawkeyes have a reputation for developing unheralded offensive linemen like Penning.
While the Hawkeyes, Iowa State and many other FBS programs passed on the big man from a small high school program, Northern Iowa was rewarded for coveting the underrecruited lineman. A strong finisher, he transitioned from D-line to O-line his senior year of high school, which was a position of higher upside.
Time for development was necessary in college, as Penning played sparingly his first two seasons. He eventually filled out his big frame, adding great power and functional strength, and combined it with naturally good body quickness to become one of the premier offensive line prospects in this year’s draft.
QB Malik Willis
Liberty Flames
Class of 2017 rating: Three stars
Sure, a case could be made for Pittsburgh’s Kenny Pickett as well, but we gave the Flames’ Willis the edge as the slightly more unheralded prospect, as he wasn’t even a lock to play quarterback in college.
Ranked as a high three-star athlete, it was clear he was a talented FBS prospect, but raw at quarterback as a passer. Some felt his quickness, elusiveness and ball skills all made him a better fit as a playmaking target at receiver. He initially signed at Auburn before transferring to Liberty in 2019, sticking at quarterback and developing his mechanics.
A strong arm coupled with his outstanding mobility allowed him to become a big-play presence under center. Had Willis became a wide receiver, he would likely still be a draft target, but the consensus athlete prospect proved that he has the tools to not just be a very good college player, but a coveted NFL quarterback target.
LB Devin Lloyd
Utah Utes
Class of 2017 rating: Three stars
Utah was the only Power 5 program to offer the underrecruited Lloyd, a slender two-way prospect ranked as our No. 89 athlete. We projected he would play safety, as we saw great hands, range and instincts around the ball. He was a tweener safety/linebacker projection with a big 6-foot-3 frame but underdeveloped physically.
At Utah, he attacked the weight room, packed on 20 pounds of muscle, increased his speed and retained his polished ball skills while making the move down to linebacker. The result? In 2021, he posted 111 total tackles, 22 tackles for loss, seven sacks, four interceptions and six passes defensed.
In high school, he could run with tight ends, but now he’s strong enough to play in the box, stuff the run and even come off the edge as a rusher. His once-overshadowed versatility will make him a three-down linebacker in the NFL.
OG Zion Johnson
Boston College Eagles
Class of 2017 rating: Not rated
While 2019 five-star Evan Neal will be among the first players chosen, the offensive line as a group will also be well-represented early in the draft, with Johnson likely serving as another example of an unheralded prospect who is drafted high.
Coming out of Maryland, Johnson was unranked and barely recruited. FCS program Davidson was the initial landing spot for Johnson, who did not have eye-popping size (6-3, 260 pounds). The Wildcats deserve credit for seeing the potential in Johnson, particularly his long arms and lateral agility. He was their top lineman for two seasons before transferring to Boston College.
He’s over 300 pounds at this stage and is a powerful, big body who can be a people-mover. Johnson is under no one’s radar now as he exits college as one of the top interior-line draft prospects.