With The First Pick
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Super Bowl LII: Top five players who weren’t first-round NFL Draft picks

By Maxwell Ogden

EDEN PRAIRIE, MN - FEBRUARY 01: Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots warms up during the New England Patriots practice on February 1, 2018 at Winter Park in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. The New England Patriots will play the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LII on February 4. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
EDEN PRAIRIE, MN - FEBRUARY 01: Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots warms up during the New England Patriots practice on February 1, 2018 at Winter Park in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. The New England Patriots will play the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LII on February 4. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /
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MINNEAPOLIS, MN – FEBRUARY 01: Nick Foles #9 of the Philadelphia Eagles passes the ball during Super Bowl LII practice on February 1, 2018 at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Philadelphia Eagles will face the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII on February 4th. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – FEBRUARY 01: Nick Foles #9 of the Philadelphia Eagles passes the ball during Super Bowl LII practice on February 1, 2018 at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Philadelphia Eagles will face the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII on February 4th. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) /

Offensive Honorable Mentions

Jay Ajayi, Philadelphia Eagles

  • Jay Ajayi was selected at No. 149 overall in the 2015 NFL Draft. A fifth-round draft pick, Ajayi has since gone on to become one of the better grind-it-out runners in the NFL. He ran for 1,272 yards in 2016, and picked up 408 yards on 5.8 yards per carry in seven games with the Eagles in 2017. He struggled in Miami to start the season, but Ajayi is now a dark horse candidate for Super Bowl MVP.

David Andrews, New England Patriots

  • The New England Patriots have found a gem of a center in David Andrews. Undrafted in 2015, Andrews finished the 2017 season as the No. 6 rated center on Pro Football Focus. He does an excellent job in run protection, and is reliable when protecting Tom Brady, as well. Despite being overlooked by 32 teams at the 2015 NFL Draft, Andrews has emerged as one of the best linemen in football.

Zach Ertz, Philadelphia Eagles

  • When Carson Wentz was healthy, Zach Ertz was making a case for an All-Pro selection. Despite the injury to Wentz, Ertz finished the 2017 season with 74 receptions for 824 yards and a career-high eight touchdowns. It was his third consecutive season with at least 70 catches and 800 yards. Chances are, teams would’ve viewed him as a first-round lock if they could’ve seen what was to come.

Nick Foles, Philadelphia Eagles

  • If you don’t think that Nick Foles can make his recent success last, that’s a fine stance to take. A former third-round draft pick, however, Foles earned his place on this list by winning two playoff games against high-quality opponents. That includes going off for 352 yards and three touchdowns against the Minnesota Vikings—the team with the best defense in the NFL. On the cusp of 10,000 career passing yards, Foles deserves this spot. He also has 61 career touchdowns to 29 interceptions.

Shaq Mason, New England Patriots

  • The New England Patriots have done the unthinkable by building a strong offensive line with two players who were written off as virtual non-factors. David Andrews was undrafted and Shaq Mason was a fourth-round draft pick. All Mason has done is develop into a borderline elite run protector for the Patriots. He finished 2017 as the No. 9 rated guard on Pro Football Focus. He seems to be here to stay.
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