The 2017 NFL Draft was one of the most rewarding in recent NFL history. Who were the biggest steals from the stellar draft class?
The 2017 NFL Draft should be reflected upon as one of the greatest in league history. Rookies became overnight stars this past season, earning significant accolades and helping teams experience an immediate turnaround.
What’s been too often overlooked during the 2017 campaign, however, is that some of the most prominent rookies were genuine late-round steals.
The first round of the 2017 NFL Draft was one of the more rewarding in recent memory. Between the likes of Derek Barnett, Leonard Fournette, Myles Garrett, Marshon Lattimore, Deshaun Watson, and Tre’Davious White, a vast number of selections panned out early.
Thus, it’s entirely understandable for fans to not look past what was a first round that produced prospects who are already emerging as star-caliber players.
What the later rounds provided, however, was an influx of talent unlike any in recent memory. Steals are found in every NFL Draft, but the 2017 class was a special breed—and the All-Pro and Pro Bowl nods only begin to reflect that truth.
The question is: Now that we’ve had a season to reflect, who were the biggest steals from the 2017 NFL Draft class?
5. Keelan Cole, Jacksonville Jaguars
Drafted: Undrafted
Position: Wide Receiver
Season Statistics: 16 games played, 42 receptions, 748 yards, 3 touchdowns, 32 first downs
Pro Football Focus Grade: 78.4
There may be other options worth considering here, but it’s hard to overlook the undrafted rookie who became a prominent receiving option on a contending team. That’s exactly what transpired with Keelan Cole, who became a significant threat for the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Considering the Jaguars experienced significant inconsistency under center, the former Kentucky Wesleyan star was even more of a bargain.
Cole ranked No. 10 amongst rookie wide receivers in both receptions and receiving yards. He checked in at No. 3 amongst rookies in both 20-yard and 40-yard receptions, and accumulated an insane average of 17.8 yards per reception.
Amongst the wide receivers who pulled in at least 40 receptions during the 2017 regular season, only Marvin Jones averaged more yards per reception than Cole.
Cole received at least 47 receiving yards in seven of the final 10 games of the season, including five with at least 60 yards. He recorded at least 99 receiving yards in three of the final four weeks, including a 186-yard eruption against the Houston Texans in Week 15.
Despite being an undrafted player who had to fight to simply get on the roster, Cole turned in an explosive rookie campaign—with Blake Bortles under center.
4. Marcus Williams, New Orleans Saints
Drafted: Round 2, Pick 42
Position: Safety
Season Statistics: 15 games played, 73 tackles, 4 interceptions, 7 passes defended
Pro Football Focus Grade: 86.8
If all you know about Marcus Williams is what transpired during the NFC Championship Game, then you missed out on an excellent rookie season. Joining Marshon Lattimore as rookies in a previously dreadful secondary, Williams helped turn the New Orleans Saints around on defense.
As a second-round draft pick who was overlooked 41 separate times, Williams was an unequivocal steal of a selection at the 2017 NFL Draft.
Pro Football Focus graded Williams as the No. 11 safety in the NFL—just barely behind Seattle Seahawks star Earl Thomas. He missed just two of a possible 22 tackles in run defense, and ranked fifth amongst safeties in tackles in the passing game.
What made Williams one of the best defensive rookies in recent memory, however, was his legitimate dominance in coverage.
Williams allowed one reception per 114.4 cover snaps—the second-best mark amongst any NFL safety. He ranked third amongst safeties in cover snaps per target and third in yards per cover snap at a downright absurd 0.13.
Perhaps most impressive of all: Williams allowed zero passing touchdowns and pulled down four interceptions during an under-appreciated rookie season.
3. Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints
Drafted: Round 3, Pick 67
Position: Running Back
Season Statistics: 16 games played, 120 attempts, 728 yards, 8 touchdowns; 81 receptions, 826 yards, 5 touchdowns
Pro Football Focus Grade: 86.8
The New Orleans Saints pieced together one of the best rookie classes in NFL history. They swept the Rookie of the Year awards, Ryan Ramczyk is already a borderline star at offensive tackle, and Marcus Williams had an excellent season at safety.
One could make a fair case that the most explosive player of the group was running back Alvin Kamara—the 2017 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Much like fellow breakout running back Kareem Hunt, Kamara was drafted in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft. He produced less than 1,000 yards from scrimmage for the Tennessee Volunteers during the 2015 and 2016 seasons, and was thus overlooked off of production alone.
Whether or not you believe he was the best rookie in 2017, most would agree that he would be a top-10 draft pick if teams could do it over again.
Kamara produced 1,554 yards and 13 touchdowns from scrimmage during his remarkable rookie season. He split carries with Mark Ingram, but even with just one 100-yard game on the ground and one 100-yard game as a receiver, his production was prolific.
Kamara ran for 6.1 yards per carry, had seven games with 100-plus yards from scrimmage, and was the ultimate change-of-pace player for an 11-win team.
2. Kareem Hunt, Kansas City Chiefs
Drafted: Round 3, Pick 86
Position: Running Back
Season Statistics: 16 games played, 272 attempts, 1,327 yards, 8 touchdowns; 53 receptions, 455 yards, 3 touchdowns
Alvin Kamara won Rookie of the Year, but no rookie running back was better on the ground than Kareem Hunt. In fact, no running back was more productive on the ground during the 2017 season than Hunt—whether rookie or otherwise.
Thus, while Kamara may have received the hardware, Hunt has a stellar case for being the true steal of the 2017 NFL Draft.
Hunt won the rushing title in 2017, amassing 1,327 yards on an average of 4.9 yards per carry. He tied for the league lead with 12 runs of 20 yards or more, and ranked fourth to Le’Veon Bell, Todd Gurley, and Jordan Howard in first downs via runs (60).
Kamara ran for the most yards per carry in the NFL, but Hunt’s 4.9 may be equally impressive considering he ran the ball 152 more times than his fellow rookie in 2017.
It’s also worth noting that Hunt was sixth amongst rookies in receptions and 10th in receiving yards. He had six games with at least 100 rushing yards, two games with at least 150 rushing yards, and 10 games with at least 100 yards from scrimmage.
Throw in the fact that Hunt committed just one fumble all season as a runner, and he has a strong case for being robbed of the Rookie of the Year award.
1. Desmond King, Los Angeles Chargers
Drafted: Round 5, Pick 151
Position: Cornerback
Season Statistics: 16 games played, 76 tackles, 4.0 sacks, 1 interceptions, 5 passes defended, 1 defensive touchdown
Pro Football Focus Grade: 86.5
If you’re looking for pure bang for your back, then the Los Angeles Chargers found the biggest steal of the 2017 NFL Draft. Five cornerbacks were selected in the first round, and another five were drafted at some point during Round 2.
In total, 20 different cornerbacks were drafted before Desmond King at the 2017 NFL Draft—and that’s what makes him the biggest steal of the event.
Hunt and Kamara are better players, but King pieced together a borderline elite season as a fifth-round draft pick. It’s not just that he and other players at his position fell down the board; cornerbacks were a hot commodity, and he still fell to No. 151.
The former Jim Thorpe Award winner made teams pay for that gaffe, as he put together one of the best rookie seasons by a cornerback in quite some time.
Amongst cornerbacks, King ranked fifth in tackles in the run game, third in stops, and No. 1 in stop percentage. He ranked in the top 15 amongst cornerbacks in slot cover snaps per target (7.0) and yards per cover snap (0.98), and ranked No. 17 in cover snaps per reception.
Throw in the fact that King didn’t allow a single touchdown in slot coverage, and he’s as great of value as one could ask for in the fifth round.
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From a 2017 NFL Draft to remember, the steals were some of the best players in this class.