Biggest NFL Draft Steals So Far This Season
Kareem Hunt- 3rd Round (86 Overall)
The Kansas City Chiefs entered the season with Spencer Ware as their lead RB but since his injury, Kareem Hunt has taken his place and I not looking back. The 3rd round pick from Toledo has over 700 rushing yards so far this season and close to 1000 total yards while amassing 6 TDs as well. Not only has Hunt been one of the more impressive rookies this year but right now he may be one of the more impressive RBs in the league and looks to be the Chiefs next star RB.
Alvin Kamara- 3rd Round (67 Overall)
Much like Hunt in Kansas City, the Saints had a stable of RBs including Mark Ingram and veteran Adrian Peterson but it seemed like they wanted to add versatility to the position when they drafted Alvin Kamara. The former Tennessee Volunteer is a quick RB who has turned into a pass catching threat for QB Drew Brees and with Peterson now in Arizona, Kamara and Ingram can now split the carries evenly but in the end, Kamara seems to be the future lead back in New Orleans.
Eddie Jackson- 4th Round (112 Overall) / Tarik Cohen- 4th Round (119 Overall)
Not only have the Bears found a great weapon on offense in Tarik Cohen but now they may have a versatile defender in the secondary in Eddie Jackson. Jackson was once considered a high draft target before suffering a season ending injury at Alabama and since being drafted in the 4th round, Jackson is looked impressive for the Bears including a record setting day vs the Panthers where Jackson returned two 50+ yard defensive TDs. Cohen, the 5-6 playmaker from North Carolina A&T, has the skills to be a great weapon for fellow rookie Mitchell Trubisky and may be the NFL’s next Darren Sproles.
Jordan Willis- 3rd Round (73 Overall) / Carl Lawson- 4th Round (116 Overall)
The Bengals wanted to add some pass rush this off-season and it certainly looks like they did so when they drafted pass rushers in back-to-back rounds with Jordan Willis and Carl Lawson. Willis, 3rd round pick from Kansas State, and Lawson, a 4th round pick from Auburn, have demonstrated they been be starting defenders in the NFL by combining for 4.5 sacks this season and pressuring the QB every time they step on the field. Even though other Bengals defenders like Geno Atkins and Carlos Dunlap get more attention, don’t forget about these two young pass rushers who look to be the future of the Bengals’ defensive line.
Aaron Jones- 5th Round (182 Overall)
Now if anyone has followed me through the draft process this year knows that one of my favorite underrated prospects was BYU’s Jamaal Williams and when he was drafted by Green Bay I thought he would be their next starting RB. Over the last few weeks though it’s clear that another rookie RB is getting the majority of the carries for the Packers and that’s 5ht round pick Aaron Jones. Even though Jones has only started two games for the Packers, he has already rushed for close to 400 yards and while Ty Montgomery may be considered the starting RB on the depth chart, don’t be shocked if Jones continues to get the majority of the touches in Green Bay’s backfield.