Sleepers to Obsess Over in the 2023 NFL Draft

Liam Blutman

Shhhhh, don’t be too loud. There’s a lot of people sleeping right now and it’d be rude to wake them up. Unfortunately I can not estimate when these people will finally wake up. I can only speak to who will be waking them up. These are the slept on, the under-the-radar, the overlooked, the doubted. Welcome to the mind of Liam Blutman. I hope you enjoy these 2023 NFL Draft sleepers…

Keaton Mitchell RB — East Carolina

Keaton Mitchell
Photo Credit: East Carolina Athletics

The 21-year-older burner out of East Carolina has been on my radar for quite a while. He’s 5-foot-8 and 179 pounds and wins with SPEED! We saw his speed on full display at the combine with a 4.37 40, 1.5 10-yard split, and a 2.52 20-yard split. His explosiveness was proven with a 38-inch vertical and a 10-foot-6 broad jump. I think he’s faster than his 40 suggests as he clocked in at a wild 22.6 mph during a game against Old Dominion last fall. I’m a massive fan of how Keaton Mitchell navigates around a football field. He’s always taking brilliant routes to carve through a defense. I trust his navigation skills a whole lot more than the GPS in a car. With slick lateral movement and extremely powerful burst, he’ll find himself on the field in his rookie campaign. Do you like a RB who works with all that pure speed and explosiveness but can hit a sudden cut with violence too? Keaton can! In 2022 he led the FBS with 54 runs of 10+ yards, per PFF. It’s impossible to neglect this kid’s speed, burst, acceleration, explosiveness, vision, and once again speed. He’ll be drafted on Day 3 and provide immediate value to a team despite being on the smaller and lighter side. I like the added value that he brings as a pass catcher as evidenced by 580 receiving yards on 60 grabs in three seasons at ECU. If you’ve got a linebacker matched up with him… good luck. Keaton Mitchell will be zoomin’ past defenders in the NFL. You best believe that and draft him on your fantasy team. You’re welcome.

Chris Smith RB — Louisiana

Chris Smith
Photo Credit: Charlie Neibergall/AP

Flying well under the radar is Louisiana’s Chris Smith. The 5-foot-8, 194-pound back posted elite speed grades with a 4.46 40, 2.51 20-yard split, and a near perfect 1.4 10-yard split. On the field he produced at Louisiana for four seasons as he ran for 2,167 yards and 16 touchdowns on 373 carries while adding 52 catches for 410 yards. Smith often displays nifty footwork and does a marvelous job at cutting and juking defenders out of their cleats. The underrated back is very patient, using his eyes to dissect the defense in front of him and bursts through the offensive line as he accelerates to his top speed and breaks off a solid run. He’s physical too, tough to tackle. Of course he is though… that’s the Louisiana brand. You’ll see special teams upside as well. Smith returned 66 kicks in his career for 1,556 yards and two touchdowns. That’s an average of 23.6 yards per return. With the addition of kick return value, the 23-year-old rookie will find himself on a team who wants to use him in that role. If he impresses, there will be an opportunity to touch the ball on offense and he can run with that chance. Chris Smith projects as a late Day 3 pick or a UDFA. Either way, he should be on your radar. This is a fantasy football sleeper waiting to happen.

Grant DuBose WR — Charlotte

grant dubose
Photo Credit: Charlotte Observer

The entire world should be rooting Grant DuBose on. Why? At Miles College in 2019, he played in 10 games and had just eight catches for 104 yards. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic hit and plenty of lives were affected, including Grant’s. Miles College didn’t play football in 2020, so DuBose was without football and ended up working three jobs, including one at Walmart in 2020. He was just a 19-year-old kid… Fast forward to the summer of 2021 and DuBose is trying out for Charlotte because backup QB James Foster encouraged him to do so. Charlotte was so impressed with Grant that he not only made the team but got the opportunity to play right off the bat. DuBose torched Duke for 118 yards and two touchdowns on just four catches in his debut! The 6-foot-2, 201-pound receiver is super strong and plays with a ton of physicality. DuBose is passionate and determined. He plays with so much JUICE! He wins over the middle often and makes for a tough tackle after the catch due to that impressive frame and the ability to play through contact. DuBose never fails to amaze in the vertical passing game. He’s prolific in this area of the game. With a slick release package and supreme confidence in his abilities, DuBose wins deep with excellent athleticism, big-time ball skills, and elite tracking ability. Don’t be surprised if DuBose makes a diving catch as a rookie. I think the tape speaks for itself. You can spot that he’s a crisp route-runner, smooth, and makes outrageous grabs. DuBose will be a late Day 3 selection, and he’ll be a major success story right when his name is announced in Kansas City. You’ll know the name Grant DuBose sooner or later…

Colby Sorsdal OL — William & Mary

Colby Sorsdal
Photo Credit: @WMTribeFootball on Twitter

Time and time again, I have warned people that Colby Sorsdal will be a stud in the NFL. Sorsdal is a 6-foot-5, 304-pounder that plays tackle and guard. His profile is incredibly attractive thanks to a 2.93 20-yard split, 9-foot-4 broad jump, and a 4.7 shuttle. The 23-year-old has super strong legs and displays such good footwork regardless of his size. One of his top traits is his ability to recover at a high level. The guy moves with such grace and bends like a straw. If he played his college ball at a Power Five program, he’d be a top 50 pick without a doubt in my mind. Another thing that Sorsdal does at a prolific level has to be his hand placement. It’s terrific. He packs quite the punch too! I think he’s going to be a strong piece in the run game as well, even as a rookie seeing his first reps in the pros. In William & Mary’s run game, Sorsdal did a stellar job of getting downfield and paving the way for his runners. As the years go by, Sorsdal projects to become an even better pass protector as he continues to pay attention to detail and put in the work. Colby Sorsdal even got the Brian Baldinger seal of approval this month! Sorsdal is so intriguing and is going to be a phenomenal Day 3 pick.

Jon Gaines II OL — UCLA

Jon Gaines II
Photo Credit: UCLA Athletics

We’re looking at a pro here. Jon Gaines II is a 6-foot-4, 303-pounder with the ability to play every spot on the offensive line. In his UCLA career, he started 25 games at right guard, three at center, one at left guard, one at right tackle, and has played each of those positions in game while moving around in addition to getting snaps at left tackle. Versatility is valuable. The 23-year-old rookie had an outstanding pre-draft process in which he posted an Athleticism Score of 84, per NFL’s Next Gen Stats. Not too shabby. This score was fueled by a slick 7.31 three-cone and a monster 4.45 short shuttle — both scores were best among all offensive linemen at the combine. The short shuttle time really sticks out; Underdog Fantasy’s Josh Norris did a deep dive on short shuttle times and shared that players who have met the mark of 4.47 or better at the combine end up having really dang good NFL careers. Jon Gaines II became just the 29th OL to achieve this feat. 24 of the previous 28 were drafted, and those 24 went on to start 84% of their NFL games. A few names that stick out are Jason Kelce, Ali Marpet, Jake Matthews, and Anthony Castonzo. I was already in on Gaines II, but posting this short shuttle score made me an even bigger believer. Oh, and he posted a RAS of 9.65… he’s dominated the pre-draft process and he’s winning in interviews. This genius is poised for success on and off the field. I think Jon Gaines II is a no-brainer selection on Day 3, and his future is super bright. His versatility will help him stick around for a very long time. And the short shuttle score is a glitch in the system. We know he’s going to thrive.

BJ Thompson EDGE — Stephen F. Austin

BJ Thompson
Photo Credit: Sports Illustrated

I’m a big fan of Stephen F. Austin’s BJ Thompson. He’s a 6-foot-5, 243-pound speed rusher. He scored a 9.03 RAS which was highlighted by a 4.58 40, 1.57 10-yard split, 37.5-inch vertical, and a 10-foot-5 broad jump. Just a few testing scores that speak to his speed and explosiveness off the edge. He told me that he wants to be known for being a freak athlete, and it’s easy to see why. In addition to remarkable testing scores, Thompson flashes his athleticism with a crazy background. In high school he played cornerback, safety, wideout, and was an all-state tight end. He was even a stud on the baseball field and basketball court as well. Back to the football field we go where BJ exclaims that his top trait is his speed. It should be no surprise that he’s got a wicked get-off and boasts extreme closing speed. The big thing here is to add more weight and power. With a year in NFL facilities and getting developed by the best in the business, it’s easy to get excited about what BJ Thompson could be in 2024 and beyond. I project Thompson as a pure pass rushing specialist and think he’s well worth a selection on late Day 3.

Steven Gilmore CB — Marshall

Steven Gilmore
Photo Credit: Michael Reaves/Getty Images

The complete lack of attention being shown to Steven Gilmore is crazy to me. Stephon Gilmore’s younger brother is a baller and needs some respect on his name. All Steven did at Marshall was thrive. Quarterbacks couldn’t throw his way as evidenced by a 47.2 Passer Rating when throwing toward Steven. The 5-foot-8, 174-pound corner plays a lot bigger than his size suggests, and he plays with plenty of physicality. Think about what Steven has picked up from Stephon and the things he’s learned from his bigger brother… He’s been watching every game of his dating back to his rookie season en route to clamping fools and winning the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2019. Steven has been able to pick his brain and learn A LOT from one of the best corners in this game! Steven’s best trait is his innate closing speed and his ability to make a play on the ball when a QB least expects it. He’s got strong ball skills as well. While he has shorter arms, he does an excellent job of timing his pass breakups. He’s a very intelligent player with major upside. Y’all need to recognize that Steven Gilmore is a dog! He’ll be selected late Day 3 or be a UDFA… what a mistake.

HONORABLE MENTION: Michael Jefferson WR — Louisiana

Michael Jefferson
Photo Credit: Chris Graythen/Getty Images

I feel it’s only right to at least name Michael Jefferson as an honorable mention. This kid was one of my favorite sleepers during the entire cycle. On April 9, 2023, he was hit by a drunk driver and needed multiple surgeries. Jefferson was going to be drafted on Day 3 but now it’s extremely unlikely as he’ll miss the entire 2023 season while rehabbing. The optimistic wideout is certain he’ll still play in the NFL and I believe him. One day we’ll see the physical receiver with great length and ball skills catch a touchdown on a Sunday in the fall, and we’ll all marvel at the incredible story that is Michael Jefferson’s comeback.

About the author

Liam Blutman
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I am a diehard UCLA fan that has enjoyed (?) mediocrity year after year. My favorite CFB moment was witnessing UCLA comeback from 34 down against Texas A&M. Being at the Rose Bowl for that historic moment is something I’ll never forget. I have written about CFB since I was 14 and my favorite thing to do is give under-the-radar athletes the recognition they deserve. You might know me from @NoContextCFB !

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