7 NFL draft hidden gems: Offense

NFL Draft sleepers outside of the first round, offense edition

Which offensive players in this year’s NFL Draft could be taken outside of the first round and potentially make an impact with the team that chooses them? Let’s take a look at a handful of prospects from the lens of the Los Angeles Rams.

I put together a list of eight defensive sleepers for 2025 that you can find here.

Tre Harris, WR; Ole Miss

Harris is quickly becoming my favorite receiver in the 2025 class.

While this receiver class is fairly deep, there are a limited number of prospects with the true potential to grow into number one receiving options. This is what makes Harris appealing, because at 6-2, 205 lbs. with a 4.54 40-yard dash he has a floor as a large, one-dimensional deep threat with the ceiling to be a a formidable, well-rounded star.

Chris Simms had Harris as his fifth-best receiver. Here’s what he had to say:

When you’re running for 70 and 80-yard touchdowns in the SEC, which is littered with NFL secondary talent, you’re fast, and he does it consistently…It’s not about suddenness and twitchiness, but he is a good route-runner. He does have build-up speed and when he opens up, watch out.

Quinn Ewers, QB; Texas

Coaches will be higher on Quinn Ewers than most media analysts. You have to take the hype of being a top high school recruit out of the equation, because it’s tough to judge fairly with the idea that Ewers’ college career was disappointing in the back of your mind.

There’s a good possibility that coaches look at the flaws in Ewers’ game—sometimes poor mechanics and footwork and a lack of consistently throwing deep—and view those as fixable issues. This is a quarterback that has all the talent in the world and progressively improved over his college career. Injuries stunted his development and kept him off the field more than you would like.

These are the reasons that Ewers is visiting more teams than possibly any other QB prospect. He’s getting his frequent flyer miles in this spring.

Don’t be surprised when Ewers goes much earlier than you are expecting draft weekend.

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Aireontae Ersery, OT; Minnesota

In a class where some of the top prospects might fit better at guard or have only experience at right tackle, Aireontae Ersery is becoming one of the most passed over players. He had over 2,300 LT snaps at Minnesota. He’s 6-6, 330 pounds. Sure, his 2023 season was better than the one he put together in 2024, but he doesn’t feel like a prospect with much risk.

For the Rams, they need to future proof the right tackle position for life after Rob Havenstein. That would require a position change for Ersery, though I think generally speaking it is easier to move to the right than going the opposite direction. That shift happens often from the college game to the NFL, based on scarcity of open jobs.

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Tory Horton, WR; Colorado State

Horton has a complicated draft profile. He missed most of the 2024 season with a knee injury, and that will cloud his projection into the NFL.

Still, there’s a lot to like about the talented receiver. He’s 6-2, 196 pounds and ran a 4.41 40-yard dash. You almost never see him drop a pass. Horton is a natural route runner with adept quickness and smooth change of direction.

The knock on Horton is that he doesn’t always play like he’s 6-2. He can be slowed down by press corners and doesn’t always play aggressively through the catch point.

Does the good outweigh the bad? Is there enough to work with? I think so.

Horton will likely wait until day three to hear his name called.

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Kyle Williams, WR; Washington State

Someone who could be taken much higher than currently expected in NFL media is Kyle Williams. He was Simms second-ranked receiver while according to consensus boards is closer to 100 overall.

Travis Hunter is the only guy you can say is a better route runner than him, and I’m not even sure if that’s true. That’s how good this guy is. He has the quickest feet in the draft. On top of that, he can really accelerate. He plays bigger than his size, he’s smooth, and runs easy…There’s no doubt that after the catch, [he and Hunter] are the best in the draft. I think he’s a first-round pick. The modern-day NFL fits this kind of player right now.

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Kaleb Johnson, RB; Iowa

Johnson ranked fourth in 2024 after limiting the pool to the 2025 draft class in breakaway percentage, according to Pro Football Focus (PFF) at 56.1%. He had 28 designed runs that gained over 15 yards which ranked behind only Ashton Jeanty (36) and RJ Harvey (32).

The good notes don’t stop there.

Johnson also ranked 17th using the same parameters in yards after catch as a receiver with 261. He can get the job done both through the air and on the ground. He averaged 11.9 YAC per reception (long of 72) and lined up as a receiver on 4.3% of plays.

Johnson is currently projected to go around pick 60, though he’s peaked at 42 overall at one point.

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DJ Giddens, RB; Kansas State

Giddens has a similar analytical profile to Johnson. His breakaway percentage was 54.9% which ranked fifth and he had 25 designed runs of more than 15 yards (seventh).

Giddens also averaged 11.9 YAC per reception with a long of 53. He had 238 yards after the catch point which ranked 20th.

Keep an eye on Giddens for day three. He’s expected to go in the fourth round. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.43 seconds.

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