Sports

The 8 Best Player/Team Scheme Fits from Day 3 of the 2026 NFL Draft

By Doug Farrar Athlon Sports

Legendary head coach Bill Walsh used to say that championship teams were really built with the bottom third of the roster, and of course, he was absolutely right. Most ot the smarter personnel people throughout pro football history have said the same thing. The best rosters are never the top-heaviest ones; you need your surprise stars, second- and third-team essentials, and special teams demons, too.

In just the last number of years, the guys who have ascended to unexpected heights despite being selected in the third days of their drafts (between rounds 4-7) include Dak Prescott, Tyreek Hill, Puka Nacua, Maxx Crosby, Amon-Ra St. Brown, George Kittle, Jordan Mailata, and and Mr. Irrelevant himself, Brock Purdy.

Based on prospect talent, scheme fit, and team needs, here are eight prospects from the 2026 draft who had to wait too long to hear their names called, but could make up for it now that they're in the right NFL homes.

Arizona Cardinals: Kaleb Proctor, DI, Southeastern Louisiana

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Last season, the Arizona Cardinals attempted 38 tackle/tackle stunts, and the results were... okay. On those plays in which two interior defensive linemen changed gaps post-snap on the way to the ball, opposing offenses completed 22 of 33 passes for three explosive plays and two touchdowns. So, if defensive coordinator Nick Rallis is going to try those interior games again in 2026, it would help to have an interior dominator who can jump gaps like a giant tarantula.

That's where Southeastern Louisiana DI Kaleb Proctor comes in. Last season, the 6-foot-2, 291-pound Proctor had nine sacks and 39 total pressures, and if you're questioning strength of competition, I refer you to Proctor's Week 4 tape against LSU, when he had two sacks and three total pressures.

"I use my arm length," Proctor said in his post-draft press conference when asked how he compensates for his lack of prototypical size. "I think I have 33-inch arms. I use my length and my quickness and my speed to beat offensive guards and tackles. I feel like I bring a twitchiness to the table. An explosiveness. I'm quick out of my stance, and [I have] a quick first step."

The tape doesn't lie, and Proctor will bring all of that first-step explosiveness to an Arizona interior defensive line that already has 2025 first-round pick Walter Nolen and veteran Roy Lopez. As a pure gap-mover, Proctor has the tools to be the best of the group.

Los Angeles Chargers: Brenen Thompson, WR, Mississippi State

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When the Chargers hired former Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel to be their offensive coordinator, you knew that one thing would happen, and that's an addition of pure speed to the receiver corps. In Miami, McDaniel had running back Devon Achane, as well as receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, and so much of his offensive philosophy is built on pure downfield acceleration.

So, it should have come as no surprise when the Chargers selected Mississippi State receiver Brenen Thompson with the 105th overall pick in the fourth round. The 5-foot-9, 164-pound Thompson ran a 4.26-second 40-yard dash at the scouting combine, the fastest time at the 2026 event, and one of the fastest times run by a receiver since 1999.

Thompson isn't just a straight-line fast guy, either. In 2025, he caught 57 passes on 87 targets for 1,084 yards and six touchdowns. And it's highly interesting that such a diminutive receiver spent so much time on the outside in an offense when you'd expect him to be a pure slot receiver. 83% of Thompson's snaps, and 72 of his 87 targets, came when he was aligned outside. Moreover, Thompson brings a complete route tree to the Chargers, and real receiver skills that take time to develop.

Last season, Justin Herbert completed 27 passes of 20 or more air yards for 816 yards, eight touchdowns, two interceptions, and a passer rating of 109.0. Thompson, who caught 11 deep passes on 26 targets last season for 478 yards and five touchdowns last season, could put that passing game into an entirely new stratosphere.

"Just a dynamic, explosive playmaker that Mike [McDaniel] loved, and the scouts loved," general manager Joe Hortiz said of his newest receiver.

Denver Broncos: Jonah Coleman, RB, Washington

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Throughout his time as the New Orleans Saints' head coach and offensive mastermind from 2006-2021, Sean Payton always loved to build running back rooms filled with guys who had different and complementary skill sets. Generally speaking, Payton has always had at least one smaller, quicker, satellite back to pair with a bigger bruiser. That has not changed since Payton became the Denver Broncos' head coach in 2023, but it cam take time to pair the right kinds of backs with each other.

In 2025, the Broncos selected the 5-foot-9, 208-pound RJ Harvey out of UCF with the 60th overall pick in the second round as the smaller hybrid guy who could smoke defenses as a runner and as a receiver. What Payton didn't yet have was the true bomber who could add a pure power profile to his ground game.

That is no longer an issue, because the Broncos selected Washington's Jonah Coleman with the 108th overall pick in the fourth round. I was a bit surprised to see Coleman still available in the third day, and I can imagine that Payton and general manager George Paton were doing backflips when they knew that they had their new power back.

In 2025, the 5-foot-8, 220-pound Coleman ran the ball 157 times for 758 yards and 15 touchdowns in a season where he missed some time due to knee issues. Coleman still forced 37 missed tackles, and had 11 runs of 15 or more yards. He also caught 31 passes on 34 targets for 346 yards and two touchdowns, which matters, because if you play running back for Sean Payton, you'd better catch the ball.

I've seen Coleman denigrated as a downfield running threat; people seem to have put him in that first- and second-down role more built for sustainers than accelerators. Coleman doesn't have next-level speed, but when you watch him bounce off tacklers with outstanding forward momentum, you start to understand where the 18 explosive runs and six explosive catches came from in 2025.

And as far as Coleman's pass protection... well... it's a fit.

"It's really important," Coleman said in his inaugural Broncos press conference. "Now,I get to go protect [quarterback] Bo Nix, and I take pride in that. I may not have all the exciting plays and all of that, but I do the dirty work. I do those things that not a lot of people pay attention to. Just being able to be well-rounded. When I was a freshman, [former Arizona assistant coach/running backs] Coach [Scottie] Graham said, ‘The only way you're going to get on this field is if you're able to pick up blitzes.' Just being able to be well-rounded and not have to come off the field on third downs is what I bring. [It's] something I take pride in. I can catch the ball, obviously, but pass pro is the big thing in my game, and running the ball is what I do."

Sounds like a potential franchise back to me.

Kansas City Chiefs: Jadon Canady, DB, Oregon

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"[I like that it provides] the ability to cover, read, and react on certain plays – a pass or run. That spot allows you to play free and fast."

That's what Oregon defensive back Jadon Canady said about being a slot defender in his press conference after the Chiefs selected him with the 109th overall pick in the fourth round. The 5-foot-10 1/2, 181-pound Canady was great in the slot for the Ducks in 2025, but he played pure slot on 19% of his snaps in 2025. He also excelled in the box, and as an overhang defender who could, as he intimated, make things difficult for opposing offenses against the pass and the run.

In 2025, Canady allowed 17 catches on 37 targets for 104 yards, 61 yards after the catch, one touchdown, two interceptions, four pass breakups, and an opponent passer rating of 39.4. He also totaled 30 solo tackles, 12 stops, five quarterback pressures, one tackle for loss, and two forced fumbles.

Last season, Steve Spagnuolo's Chiefs defense had Chamarri Conner as the primary slot defender, and Conner has also been a deep-third defender at times. That slot/overhang/safety role is a very important one in Spagnuolo's defense - it's one way he ties things together from the front to the back - and Canady's addition could not only solidify the slot, but also free Conner to do what he does best, which may be to stick closer to the line of scrimmage.

The Chiefs scored over and over in this draft on the defensive side of the ball with cornerback Mansoor Delane, interior defensive lineman Peter Woods, and edge defender R Mason Thomas. Don't be surprised if Canady turns out to be just as important as the rest of the group over time.

Baltimore Ravens: Elijah Sarratt, WR, Indiana

© Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
© Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images © Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The 2025 Baltimore Ravens had a red zone problem when it came to their receivers. Between Zay Flowers, Devontez Walker, DeAndre Hopkins, Rashod Bateman, and Tylan Wallace, Ravens receivers broke the plane for just 13 touchdowns. That's not enough for any NFL offense, and it's exactly why the team selected Indiana pass-catcher Elijah Sarratt with the 115th overall pick in the fourth round.

Because when you can get a guy who helped his team win the national championship with the FBS's most receiving touchdowns at 15, it would seem to be a natural (and necessary) fit. Overall, the 6-foot-2 1/2, 210-pound Surratt caught 64 passes on 84 targets for 824 yards, but it was the 15 touchdowns that stood out, and illustrated his primary value to Curt Cignetti's offense.

What Surratt also brings to the Ravens is an outstanding ability to win contested-catch battles, and when you combine that with his short-area movement skills in and around paydirt, and his knack for coming down with back-shoulder fade throws, it's not hard to project Surratt as the team's No. 1 receiver sooner than later.

The mentality is already there.

"My mindset is that any time the ball is in the air, it's mine," Surratt told Baltimore media after he was picked. "It doesn't matter if I'm uncovered, if I have one person on me or two people on me - just as a receiver, if you want to be great, you have to have that mindset. So, whatever pass it is, I feel like I can make it. The back-shoulder throws – they're something that is a big strength of my game. I've been able to do it just about every year in college. Thankfully, I've had lots of great quarterbacks.

"Fernando [Mendoza] has done a great job of putting it where I need it to be. My thing with the back-shoulder throws is just, you're always trying to win over top. It's a feel thing and then it's just a trust between you and the quarterback. And that just happens. It doesn't happen overnight; it just happens with reps throughout camp and practices. That's all it is."

Well, Surratt makes his particular skill set sound easy, but it really isn't. What it is, is mandatory for a passing game that always seems to be trying to find its way when it comes to receivers.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Keionte Scott, DB, Miami

Few coaches are better at designing plays in which their defensive backs get to the quarterback via the blitz than Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles. This has been a Bowles specialty throughout his coaching career, and it's why, in the 2025 season, Bucs DBs had six sacks, 23 quarterback hits, 24 quarterback hurries, and four forced fumbles when they were going after those QBs. Tykee Smith and Jacob Parrish were Tampa Bay's most productive blitzers in 2025, and now, Bowles and general manager Jason Licht have added another blitz bomber in Miami's Keionte Scott.

In 2025, Scott's first season at Miami after three at Auburn, he had five sacks and 20 total pressures in just 87 pass-rushing reps, so it's easy to see why Bowles in particular would find him an attractive addition to the defense. It also doesn't hurt that all of Scott's takedowns came when he was blitzing to the same side as edge-rusher Rueben Bain Jr., who the Bucs of course selected with the 15th overall pick in the first round.

"Yeah, I think you've got to shout out Rueben Bain there, being on the same side," Scott said after he was drafted. "You've got to kind of worry about him a little bit, so that allowed me to kind of be freed up. We work with each other, and that's why this is so special to me and so special to him, because we've built something already, so getting to build on that…

"But then, ultimately, I would just say understanding that at the end of the day when you get sent on a blitz, your brothers are [back there]. I play defensive back, so I understand how it is when you're blitzing and you're waiting, [like] 'Somebody better get home.' So, I just take that in mind that I've got my brothers back there, and when I get that call to go, I take that with me on the way."

Not that the 5-foot-11, 193-pound Scott is just a blitzer - last season, he also had 51 solo tackles, 36 stops, eight tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, and in coverage, he allowed 39 catches on 56 targets for 332 yards, 214 yards after the catch, no touchdowns, two interceptions, four pass breakups, and an opponent passer rating of 69.9.

Running a 4.33-second 40-yard dash at his pro day was the proverbial icing on the cake.

Overall, Scott is the most complete defensive backs the Buccaneers have added since they took Antoine Winfield Jr. with the 45th overall pick in the second round of the 2020 draft. Quite frankly, based on performance, I'm shocked that Scott lasted as long as he did, but the reward is that he went to the perfect team that will allow him to maximize his skills.

Chicago Bears: Malik Muhammad, CB, Texas

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No matter what coverage Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen calls, and he's pretty coverage-agnostic when it comes to what he does, Allen requires his cornerbacks to be aggressive but smart through to the route. Even when in off coverage, and especially in press-match, those cornerbacks can't shy away from any receiver, any route, and any opportunity for targeted aggression. Allen and pass game coordinator/defensive backs coach Al Harris work in lockstep when it comes to all of this, and with the offseason departure of Nahshon Wright, who signed a one-year, $3.5 million contract with the New York Jets, Allen and Harris needed another alpha dog to define their cornerback group.

Texas' Malik Muhammad, who Chicago selected with the 124th overall pick in the fourth round, appears to be a perfect fit with what Chicago's defensive brain trust wants to achieve. In 2025, the 6-foot-0, 182-pound Muhammad allowed 21 catches on 35 targets for 168 yards, 87 yards after the catch, one touchdown, two interceptions, two pass breakups, and an opponent passer rating of 57.8.

"Yeah, for sure," Bears national scout John Syty said on Saturday, when asked if Muhammad fits the Allen/Harris ideal when it comes to a cornerback. "The speed, and you factor in a little bit of length with that. From a coverage standpoint, obviously that translates to athleticism. So for him, the ability to play man and stick at top of routes is one of his strengths. And then continuing with instincts and zone coverage too, is also a strength of this player. He's definitely a combo guy that can do a couple different things for us on defense."

Muhammad also played some slot and overhang for the Longhorns, so yes, that is part of the equation. But it's the combination of playing personality and coverage efficiency that makes Malik Muhammad a great fit as the newest Monster of the Midway.

New Orleans Saints: Bryce Lance, WR, North Dakota State

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The Saints have unexpectedly found their quarterback of the future in 2025 second-round pick Tyler Shough; now Mission Critical is to surround Shough with as much skill position talent as possible. That was an issue last season, especially among New Orleans' receivers, and specifically after the Saints traded Rashid Shaheed to the Seattle Seahawks on November 4.

Overall, that receiver group was basically Chris Olave and the Pips, a situation the team did its level best to correct in this draft. Taking Arizona State's Jordyn Tyson with the eighth overall pick is a calculated risk given Tyson's injury history, and a lead-pipe lock for future success if he can stay healthy at the next level.

A more intriguing pick came with the 136th overall selection in the fourth round, and that was North Dakota State's Bryce Lance. In the 2025 season, the 6-foot-3, 204-pound Lance, who ran a 4.34-second 40-yard dash at the scouting combine and is the younger brother of former third overall pick Trey Lance, caught 51 passes on 69 targets for 1,079 yards, an astonishing 21.2 yards per reception, and eight touchdowns.

The real big deal for head coach Kellen Moore's passing game is what Lance can do as a deep target, especially in comparison with what Shough's targets were able to achieve last season. His 16 catches on passes of 20 or more air yards outdoes New Orleans' entire 2025 receiver corps, and Lance amassed 641 yards and three touchdowns on those deep throws.

"I think I have elite ball skills - when the ball is in the air, it's mine or nobody's," Lance said on Saturday. "I think I play the game at a really fast pace. I think I learn pretty quickly, I can read defenses and things like that. The receiver position is a super-technical position, so I think I can get better at the technical aspects of that."

Over time, Lance can be more than just a deep threat at the NFL level, but if that's all he is at the start, that's going to be more than enough.

Copyright 2026 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved

This story was originally published April 26, 2026 at 12:23 AM.

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