I firmly believe the best general managers and front offices in the NFL make their bread and butter on day three of the draft. They make the right choices in the first round that do not bust,sure, but they also find quality starters in the 4th round and beyond to fill out their rosters. Here are some of our favorite day 3 picks for the 2022 nfl draft.

Cade Otton, Round 4- Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Otton, at the least, is insurance for Gronk’s awaited decision. Otton does everything, and has a ton of upside as an athlete. If Gronk were to retire, Otton could push for starting time immediately. If Gronk comes back, Otton can be a really good number two for a year until he is asked to start.

Dameon Pierce, Round 4 /Thomas Booker, Round 5- Houston Texans

Houston nailed the draft as a whole, but they found some massive value picks on day three. Pierce adds fire and a nasty streak that the running back room and offense as a whole needs. He was underutilized at Florida, so it can be suggested that he has a ton of upside. After Pierce, they got a starting defensive tackle in Thomas Booker. Booker was gaining steam heading into the draft and, while I did not love his potential as a day two pick, getting him in the 5th was great value.

Perrion Winfrey, Round 4, Cleveland Browns

Winfrey was a massive riser in the pre draft process due to a very strong Senior Bowl. He offers upside as a pass rusher (not as much in the run) and curiously fell to the fourth round. The Browns snatched him up and picked up another pass rusher to pair with Myles Garrett as they try to get that ever elusive running mate with Garrett.

Daniel Faalele, Round 4/ Charlie Kolar, Round 4- Baltimore Ravens

Faalele was talked about as a potential day two pick, and the Ravens got him in the 4th. He is a massive tackle that may need a year to get acclimated, but can pay off in massive amounts. The Ravens double dipped at tight end on day three. While both were good picks, Kolar sticks out. He was one of our top tight ends in this draft. The Ravens have always been lucky to have Mark Andrews healthy, as they never had a great backup to fill his role. Kolar can do just that, but also allow them to play two tight end or even three tight end sets with all three being receiving threats. 

Daniel Bellinger, Round 4- New York Giants

Bellinger was either 1A or 1B in blocking from this tight end class (along with McBride) in our eyes. He was asked to do it a ton in college and did just that. What was surprising, though, was his testing at his pro day. His athletic results, combined with sure hands in the limited time he was targeted, suggest he has a ton of upside. He also should not have much competition and can be a day one starter potentially. 

Isaiah Spiller, Round 4 / Jamaree Salyer, Round 6- Los Angeles Chargers

Spiller’s athletic testing caused him to fall. While it is understandable, he still offers some power and is very good out of the backfield running routes. He is a great backup to Eckler and can get some reps split with him as time goes on. The Chargers then got a potential starting guard in the sixth right off the bat with Salyer. 

Sam Howell, Round 5- Washington Commanders

Anyone that has looked at our content knows how high we are on Howell. We had him at the top of the quarterback class. For some reason he, as well as all of the other quarterbacks not named Pickett, fell pretty far. Yet, Howell fell further than the others. It is head scratching, but it was revealed he has never had steak before so when teams took him out to steak dinner and he did not order one, that could have rubbed them the wrong way. All jokes aside, the Commanders had him fall into their lap in the 5th. We believe in Wentz and hope he succeeds, but Howell offers immense upside as a backup who could push for starting reps should Wentz fail, perhaps even this season.

Kyle Phillips, Round 5- Tennessee Titans

Slot receiver specialists going in the 5th feels like a right of passage of every draft. This year’s is Kyle Phillips. Phillips is an elite route runner who rarely dropped passes in college (although uses his body too much). The Titans do not hae a ton of depth at wide receiver beyond Burks and Woods, and Phillips could potentially get early targets as a rookie.

Kyren Williams, Round 5- Los Angeles Rams

If Spiller’s testing made him fall, Kyren’s really hurt him. Despite the shockingly bad 40 time and the below average jumps, Williams still shows the potential to be an every down back at the NFL. On the Rams, with two backs ahead of him that are hurt all the time, Kyren finds himself the potential to make an impact as a rookie sooner rather than later.

Trestan Ebner, Round 6- Chicago Bears

Ebner is a player that showed up while watching film on the other Baylor back. When watching Smith’s film, it was Trestan Ebner who shined. He looked really good catching passes out of the backfield, with great speed and decent wiggle. On a Bears team without a ton of depth beyond Montgomery and Herbert, Ebner could be a pass catching option immediately and used in a gadgety way.