When was the last time we found a draft "diamond"?

[BritCard]

It seems to me that teams around the league seem to find themselves surprisingly great players at lower draft positions at much greater frequency than we do.

When was the last time we found a Travis Kelce, Antonio Brown, George Kittle or Richard Sherman in later rounds? I can't think of any in the Keim era.

Jalen Thompson may go that way but he's played nowhere near enough games or shown enough yet.

(Badger doesn't count, he was a 1st round talent that dropped due to off field stuff)

 

[gamebird98]

Jay Novacek

 

[TheCardFan]

I think you have to count Honey Badger. David Johnson before the injuries. Both 3rd round picks.

Outside of that...can't think of anyone.

 

[GatorAZ]

Some solid role guys in the 5th rd or later but not stars by any means...

Breaston
Ellington
Bethel
Hightower
LS-H

 

[Garthshort]

I'll go with David Johnson for two reasons:
1. He had a couple of VG seasons with us.
2. He helped us get a superstar WR.

 

[Chopper0080]

It is fair to argue that Mathieu and David Johnson meet this criteria. These guys were one of the best players at their respective positions for at least one year.

To your point, it has been awhile.

 

[MadCardDisease]

Tony Jefferson

 

[MadCardDisease]

Jim Dray for the win.

@kerouac9

 

[Chopper0080]

Tony Jefferson

UDFA count too.

 

[Dr. Jones]

Anytime u find an all-pro player after round 3 you have done something. Bethel comes to mind.

HoneyBadger & David Johnson also qualify here.

I think Lawrence is separating himself also.

Tony Jefferson was a good name but we didn't draft him.

 

[Bkbobo]

Pat Tillman

 

[BritCard]

I think you have to count Honey Badger. David Johnson before the injuries. Both 3rd round picks.

Outside of that...can't think of anyone.

I don't think they are valid. DJ had one good season and everyone knew Badgers talent. They didn't find a diamond he just fell into their laps.

 

[BritCard]

Tony Jefferson is it. UDFAs count. I'd say they count more.

Very rare for the Cards though.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Pat Tillman

tillman was a stellar human being, but if everyone’s being honest, he wasn’t a very good football player.

 

[Chris_Sanders]

Tim Hightower
Antonio Smith

 

[Brian in Mesa]

A few that come to mind:

Kwamie Lassiter (UDFA)
Larry Centers (5th)
Adrian Wilson (3rd)
Darnell Dockett (3rd)
Aeneas Williams (3rd)

 

[football karma]

It is fair to argue that Mathieu and David Johnson meet this criteria. These guys were one of the best players at their respective positions for at least one year.

To your point, it has been awhile.

agree here

also add, to a lesser degree-- John Brown, WR


there has been some bad luck / bad decisions on all those

 

[Garthshort]

tillman was a stellar human being, but if everyone’s being honest, he wasn’t a very good football player.

Disagree about Tillman not being a VG FB player. Not saying he was great but he was good. Drafted and had to change his college position (remind you of anyone), and became a starting NFL player.

 

[Krangodnzr]

Pat Tillman

Meh. He was a good special teams player, but horrible safety.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Disagree about Tillman not being a VG FB player. Not saying he was great but he was good. Drafted and had to change his college position (remind you of anyone), and became a starting NFL player.

no he wasn’t. He was a below average safety, too small to tackle and too slow to cover.

 

[SoonerLou]

We're seriously trying to make it Keesean Johnson. Lets see how it goes.

 

[Finito]

Lol

when was the last time we found talent in the mid rounds

these guys

oh well those guys don’t count.

wtf

what happens if Honey Badger, John Brown and David Johnson never get hurt?

finding these guys in the mid-late draft is really rare to begin with.

 

[Finito]

Tony Jefferson is it. UDFAs count. I'd say they count more.

Very rare for the Cards though.

very rare for every team

 

[football karma]

just out of curiosity -- i went back and looked at the drafts from 2015- 2018, rounds 3 and later to see how many really good players came from those rounds. "Really good" is subjective, but generally means a player who would start at his position for nearly any team in the league. I probably missed a couple players, but i dont think many.


a few observations (BTW: I ignored the Cardinals and their picks in this look).

20 players from the four years made the cut out of ~748 drafted. A success rate of about 2.5%.

Most of these players came in round 3 -- 12 players.
Nearly all of the rest came in round 4 -- 7.



if you look at just rounds 3 and 4 -- the success rate becomes 7.5% of finding a top player in rounds 3 or 4.


the annoying thing on this look: Rams, Seahawks and 49ers all had 2 each over that period. so in the relative drafting game, the Cards fell behind

 

[Cbus cardsfan]

Bobby Massie was a pretty good 4th round pick.