One of the most exciting storylines for a fan base to follow throughout the course of the offseason is a potential NFL Draft steal. For some teams, there are more than one.
The offseason program is a time for optimism, and a time for young players to make a great first impression.
As we continue to evaluate and inspect every aspect of every roster around the league, we thought it would be fun to take a look at some of the biggest potential NFL Draft steals for every team in the AFC. We're going to take a division-by-division look at our official predictions for Day 3 draft picks that could end up starting at some point or another in 2026.
2026 NFL predictions: Day 3 draft picks that could end up starting for AFC teams
Las Vegas Raiders: Jermod McCoy, cornerback (4th round)
We start off in the AFC West with some of the lowest of low-hanging fruit in this entire post. Jermod McCoy was supposed to be a 1st-round pick, but every team seemingly had a different evaluation of what the future could be with his knee. If further operations are needed, it could complicate his NFL future, but McCoy has legitimate 1st-round talent, maybe CB1 of his class type of talent.
He is already practicing with the Raiders and is expected to play this season. If that's the case, I would almost be more shocked if he's not starting at some point in 2026, especially with the Raiders' cornerback group.
Kansas City Chiefs: Jadon Canady, cornerback (4th round)
The Chiefs took a shot in NFL free agency on veteran Kader Kohou, who played really well out of the slot for the Dolphins back in 2024. He missed all of last year with an injury, however, and could end up in a true competition for playing time with a rookie like Jadon Canady.
Canady has experience all over the secondary from his time at the college level, but what he showed this past season at Oregon is that he has an NFL future as a nickel corner. The higher profile selection is obviously 1st-round pick Mansoor Delane, but Canady could be a steal right away for the Chiefs.
Los Angeles Chargers: Brenen Thompson, wide receiver (4th round)
Anytime you have a coach banging the table for a player, you have to start paying attention to that guy. Going into Day 3 of the 2026 NFL Draft, Mike McDaniel was quite literally saying to Chargers GM Joe Hortiz, "Brenen Thompson, no matter what."
The Chargers didn't really address their wide receiver position, but considering the way explosive receivers have played in McDaniel's offense in the past, the fact that he wanted Thompson so bad speaks volumes. He could be an immediate vertical threat for the Chargers and starter in 11 personnel.
Denver Broncos: Justin Joly, tight end (5th round)
Even though the Broncos only had one selection on the first two days of the NFL Draft (3rd-round pick Tyler Onyedim) due to the Jaylen Waddle trade, they landed some serious steals on Day 3. One of their best picks was 5th-round tight end Justin Joly, who could start for them sooner rather than later.
Joly has big, strong hands and could bring a presence to the tight end position that has been missing for the Broncos since Sean Payton came aboard.
The Broncos might have a couple of candidates for this particular category, including Mr. Irrelevant pick Red Murdock, who might open the season as LB3 on their depth chart.
Miami Dolphins: Michael Taaffe, safety (5th round)
If you look across the board at Miami's overall draft class for this season, you'll find one player after another on Day 3 who could make a legitimate case to start for the 2026 season.
With the Dolphins reloading almost everywhere on the roster, one area to pay close attention to is the secondary. This is new head coach Jeff Hafley's bread and butter. He's a secondary coach by trade, so the selection of Michael Taaffe in the 5th round is not something to take lightly.
The former walk-on turned into one of the most dependable starters in the Longhorns' secondary, and could quickly earn the trust of Miami's staff.
New York Jets: Cade Klubnik, quarterback (4th round)
The New York Jets, at some point this season, will probably want to get a look at Cade Klubnik. Unless Geno Smith has them in playoff contention down to the wire this season, there will likely come a time where the Jets have been eliminated from contention, and it will make sense to get Klubnik a look.
And frankly, the early returns on what he's showing at rookie minicamp and OTAs have been pretty positive. Klubnik is a really good athlete, he's got a lot of time on task from his time at Clemson, and the Jets' situation is a pretty good one for him to step into late in the season.
Buffalo Bills: Kaleb Elarms-Orr, linebacker (4th round)
A couple of AFC East teams got steals on the 3rd day of the 2026 NFL Draft at the linebacker position, but that was to be expected in a class like this. It's been a while since we evaluated a class of incoming linebacker prospects as good as this one, so a player like Kaleb Elarms-Orr lasted maybe a round or two longer than he should have.
He's a fantastic blitzer from the off-ball linebacker position, he has elite athletic traits, and he's someone you can rely on all three downs.
New England Patriots: Namdi Obiazor, linebacker (6th round)
Not only are there multiple Day 3 linebackers on this list for AFC East teams, but we have multiple potential NFL Draft steals at linebacker from the same college. Namdi Obiazor was teammates last year at TCU with Kaleb Elarms-Orr, our pick for the Bills, and both guys have a real shot to start this coming season.
The Patriots don't have the deepest group of linebackers in the league. Robert Spillane and Christian Elliss are the projected starters, so it's not out of the question that even a 6th-rounder like Obiazor could crack the lineup at some point this season.
Tennessee Titans: Fernando Carmona Jr., offensive guard (5th round)
The Tennessee Titans took a bit of a risk this offseason by signing former Bengals starting guard Cordell Volson to play the right guard position for them. Peter Skoronski is holding things down on the left side, which is where Carmona played for Arkansas last year, but he has a chance to win that starting right guard job if the Titans open up competition.
Either that, or if Volson is unable to stay on the field, Carmona could come in and take that job away from him. As the son of a coach, Carmona has football in his DNA. He's got a chance to be a quick starter for a Titans offensive line that has a need on the interior.
Indianapolis Colts: Bryce Boettcher, linebacker (4th round)
Just like you'll see throughout this list, there are a lot of linebackers who were probably picked a round or two later than they should have been. The Colts might have gotten two of them.
They stole CJ Allen in the 2nd round, and they landed Bryce Boettcher in the 4th. That could be this team's starting linebacker duo of the future, and that's perhaps the thinking even from the ownership on down. Boettcher was a tremendous value for them in the 4th round, a tackling machine who played baseball at Oregon (drafted by the Houston Astros) and will immediately make an impact on special teams.
Houston Texans: Kamari Ramsey, defensive back (5th round)
If the Houston Texans are taking a defensive back, it's probably worth paying attention to. This is one of the NFL's most loaded secondary groups already, and they added playmakers like Reed Blankenship (free agency) and Kamari Ramsey to it.
Ramsey was a big-time steal for a defense like this in the 5th round. He played safety prior to the 2025 season at USC, where he shifted to the slot out of necessity. That positional versatility, plus his toughness, will immediately endear him to DeMeco Ryans and his staff. Even with a loaded defense already, Ramsey should be in the mix from the jump.
Jacksonville Jaguars: Wesley Williams, defensive end (4th round)
This might be a cop-out, but Wesley Williams might not start for the Jacksonville Jaguars' defense in 2026. However, I think we're going to see him be one of the biggest immediate contributors as a core-four special teams aces.
The Jaguars will probably want to line him up all over the defensive line formation, but he brings tremendous value on special teams with five blocked kicks in his college career. Because of his versatility, we could see him playing extensive snaps on the Jags' defensive front quickly.
Cleveland Browns: Parker Brailsford, center (5th round)
It might not be immediately, but NFL teams rarely go through a full season with the same starting five on the offensive line. It just never works out that way. The Browns revamped their offensive line this offseason, bringing in veterans like Elgton Jenkins, Tytus Howard, and Zion Johnson. They also used a 1st-round pick on Caleb Lomu.
But getting Parker Brailsford in the 5th round was a ridiculous value. Some people considered him arguably the best center in this draft class. As the Browns sort out their 'best five' throughout the course of the season, if Brailsford gets a shot to start at center, I'm not sure he's going to give it up.
Cincinnati Bengals: Jack Endries, tight end (7th round)
Jack Endries is the lowest-drafted player we have on this entire list, but he was part of another one of the deepest position groups in the entire draft.
This was a really good tight end class overall, and Endries could have gone in the 4th round and no one would have batted an eye at it. He was a favorite at Cal of Fernando Mendoza, then became a favorite of Arch Manning at Texas last season.
He has three straight years of starting experience and should be able to carve out a role with the Bengals right away. They've struggled to figure out the tight end position, so don't be shocked if he earns a role quickly just like Gunnar Helm did for the Titans last year coming out of Texas.
Baltimore Ravens: Elijah Sarratt, wide receiver (4th round)
Elijah Sarratt was one of the best picks any team made on Day 3 of the 2026 NFL Draft, period. Sarratt was one of the top targets this past season at Indiana with Fernando Mendoza carving up defenses, and this was a guy they could trust all over the offensive formation.
Sarratt can play the traditional "X" position, but he's also capable of being a big slot. The Ravens drafted a couple of receivers this year, but when they open in 11 personnel, it would surprise me if Sarratt is not in the mix at some point this season with the starters. He was one of Mendoza's most reliable targets, and he could soon be that for Lamar Jackson.
Pittsburgh Steelers: Kaden Wetjen, wide receiver/return specialist (4th round)
This is another "cop out" on this list because Kaden Wetjen is not likely going to start for the Pittsburgh Steelers as a wide receiver. But he could immediately become an All-Pro return specialist.
He had six return scores at Iowa and was one of the most dangerous weapons we've seen in recent memory at the college level in the return game. I wouldn't be shocked if he has more of a role in the NFL offensively than he did in college, but if this guy is a one-trick pony, his one trick is really good.
He will return kicks and punts in the NFL right away, and immediately be great at it.