Now that the NFL Draft is over, we can call it mock draft season, right? Right. After doing 50 mock drafts over the last five days, I’ve found some absolute gems in the later rounds of your rookie draft. Here are three must-draft rookies in the 3rd round.

3. Chase Brown

This is a steal for someone who had approximately the same amount of scrimmage yards as Bijan Robinson (gasp). Furthermore, Chase Brown had 1,005 rushing yards in 2021 and 1,643 rushing yards in his final year at Illinois. He lands in a perfect spot on the Cincinnati Bengals, and thanks to Samaje Perine signing with the Broncos this offseason, Brown is the number running back behind soon-to-be-27-year-old Joe Mixon. Brown is a shifty athlete who could see himself as the RB1 not just by the end of the season, but by the beginning. The Bengals can save $10 Million if they cut Joe Mixon after June 1st. Chase Brown has been available towards the mid to late third rounds in my most recent mock drafts. If he’s available in yours, he’s an automatic smash.

Chase Brown Highlight Reel 🔥 #Bengals pic.twitter.com/YlSPwvdbNN

— Faux Joey Brrr (@FauxJeaux) April 29, 2023

2. Zach Evans

Zach Evans had his best year in the SEC which is a selling point on its own. He had over 1,000 scrimmage yards in his final year at Ole Miss. What I particularly love about drafting Zach Evans is you’d have an all-around athlete who does a little bit of everything. This is a perfect recipe for a rookie who finds himself as the RB2 on the Rams behind oft-injured Cam Akers. The Rams traded up to grab Evans in the sixth round (steal), rightfully so, as he ran for 936 yards while having 12 receptions for 119 yards in his final year in college. Again, a little bit of everything. On top of that, he found the endzone 10 times. When it comes to drafting rookies in the third round, I’m looking for the safest dart throw to make. Zach Evans would be the safest running back to draft in the third round.

Zach Evans has so many highlight reel runs. One of the best running backs in the stacked 23 class
pic.twitter.com/AvMAGgbTqD

— 𝗡𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝗦𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶 (@NickSarnelli) June 28, 2022

1. Sam LaPorta

Ah, yes. The deep tight-end class everyone’s been raving about since the 2018 NFL Draft. The good news? This TE draft class is even more profound. I’ve had plenty of mock drafts so far where Dalton Kincaid is getting drafted at the tail end of the first round (excluding tight-end premium leagues). Good for him, but not good for you. We rarely see tight ends succeed immediately after getting drafted. Which is why you should wait for the third round and grab Sam LaPorta. They are comparable in size and play style – both like to perform in the slot. On top of that, LaPorta finds himself on a high-powered offense just like Kincaid does. Wait, more good news? Yes, LaPorta doesn’t need to compete for a TE1 role on his team like Kincaid does (even though I don’t think it will be that hard for him to beat out Dawson Knox).

This is the only Sam LaPorta highlight I needed to see to buy in. This guy is tough and refuses to go down. Great pick by Holmes. pic.twitter.com/spUH6YxBgB

— Chim (@ChimRitchels) May 3, 2023

It’s a Marathon, Not a Sprint

During rookie drafts, everyone is focused on who they can get in the first round. What they forget, or often give up, is the later rounds in their draft. The chances that a first-round rookie fails are the same chances that a third-round rookie succeeds. It is vital to grab the safest rookie in these later rounds. Brian Robinson Jr. and Isaiah Pachecho were two great third-round rookie picks last year. You can do the same by drafting these three rookies in your third round. Good luck!

About the Author

Jon is the host of The Eye Test: A Fantasy Football Podcast and in 2023 became a writer for Belly Up Fantasy Sports. Jon loves to cover both dynasty and redraft leagues and the various conversations that come along with them. If you’re looking to take advantage of this year’s deep running back class, check out his most recent article on running backs you need to draft this year. Stay up to date on all things fantasy by following his podcast on Twitter.