The 2026 NFL Draft has already come and gone, so it's time to start looking at one of everyone's favorite topics: Potential steals in the later rounds.
The AFC West has dominated a lot of the major offseason headlines in 2026 with the Raiders picking Fernando Mendoza #1 overall, the Chargers bringing in Mike McDaniel, the Chiefs having multiple 1st-rounders after the Trent McDuffie trade, and the Broncos making a blockbuster trade for Jaylen Waddle.
But what players did each of these teams steal on Day 3 of the 2026 NFL Draft? What even qualifies as a draft "steal" anymore? We'll pick one player for each team who, at a baseline level, could vastly outplay their draft status as a Day 3 pick. It's possible some of these players were ranked higher on draft boards than they were picked, but the most important factor here is player-team fit, alongside the potential to play well above draft slot.
2026 NFL Draft: Brenen Thompson leads top potential steals in the AFC West
Los Angeles Chargers: Brenen Thompson, WR, Mississippi State (4th round)
"if you're not fired up, you're dead" - mike mcdaniel pic.twitter.com/8oUsYZlJ5a
— Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) April 25, 2026
Nobody saw Mike McDaniel actually remove his shirt, but the Chargers did go out and get him Mississippi State wide receiver Brenen Thompson, who could be an immediate downfield threat for the Los Angeles offense.
With McDaniel coming in this offseaosn, the Chargers' run scheme is going to change dramatically, and everyone assumes it will be for the better. Their running game has been underwhelming under Jim Harbaugh, so McDaniel's expertise there should open a lot of things up. One thing we know from his time in San Francisco and Miami is that the run scheme he creates gives his teams a ton of opportunities to push the ball vertically, and Thompson can take advantage of those opportunities.
He's smaller, but think about how the Dolphins used both Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle together and dream up a similar role for Thompson. It's not a direct comparison, but the vision could be similar in McDaniel's eyes.
Kansas City Chiefs: Emmett Johnson, RB, Nebraska (5th round)
This was such a fun pick by the Kansas City Chiefs on Day 3.
Eric Bieniemy is back with the Chiefs this offseason, which hopefully means a huge boost to the running game. They went out and spent a bunch of money on Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker to upgrade that position, but a running game is only as strong as its stable of backs. Emmett Johnson is a huge addition for depth in Kansas City.
Johnson is the first Nebraska running back to run for 100 yards and rack up 100 receiving yards in the same game. He's got three-down abilities, he's tough between the tackles, and he's an excellent receiver out of the backfield.
It wouldn't be shocking if Johnson ended up as the Chiefs' RB2 before too long. He could have gone as high as the 3rd round and nobody would have batted an eye.
Las Vegas Raiders: Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee (4th round)
When looking over the Raiders' draft class, it feels like a couple of Day 3 picks are low-hanging fruit for the "steals" department. The most obvious has to be Tennessee cornerback Jermod McCoy, a top-10 talent whose fall to Day 3 was one of the biggest stories of this draft.
The issue with McCoy is not his current recovery from an ACL injury. He was running sub-4.4 in the 40-yard dash at his pro day. It's the possibility of a second surgery he might need in order to get his knee in full working order down the line, and that was enough for some teams to take him off their board entirely.
But if the Raiders can get the best-case scenario out of McCoy, this fourth-round investment will basically be like getting an extra 1st-round pick in the draft for free. McCoy has elite man coverage skills and tremendous speed and length at the position.
Denver Broncos: Justin Joly, TE, North Carolina State (5th round)
The Denver Broncos came into the 2026 NFL Draft absolutely needing to upgrade their tight end position, both for now and into the future. Justin Joly out of North Carolina State would have been a great pick for any team in the 3rd-4th rounds, but for the Broncos to get him in the 5th is bordering on highway robbery.
Joly was one of the most productive receivers at the tight end position in this draft class. He had 166 receptions at the college level between his time at UConn and North Carolina State, and is one of the most sure-handed skill players in this class.
The Broncos like Joly's potential as a move around "F" in their offense, and he could provide a significant boost for quarterback Bo Nix right away.
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