2021 NFL Draft: 10 Day 3 sleepers who could be pro studs
By Randy Gurzi
1. Jaelon Darden, WR, North Texas
Words such as dynamic and explosive are used constantly when describing North Texas wide receiver Jaelon Darden who was a big play waiting to happen for the Mean Green.
In four seasons, he had 230 receptions for 2,782 yards and 38 touchdowns. His best campaign came in 2020, when he played just nine games but still had 74 receptions for 1,190 yards (16.1 yards per catch) and 19 touchdowns.
He’s also a pro when it comes to making players miss as he’s proven to be a yard-after-catch machine. If that’s not enough, he has experience as a punt and kick returner, meaning there’s no shortage of ways to get him on the field.
So how is such a player likely to be around on day three of the 2021 NFL Draft? Two reasons. One, he played against average competition for much of his career. And two, he’s listed at just 5-foot-9 and 170-pounds.
His smaller stature will scare teams off but he’s a player who can really make defenses look silly — especially in the screen game.
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As long as he can hold up in the NFL, and other short receivers have done so, Darden could end up being a playmaker. He could also make some GM look very smart for adding him late in the draft.