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Matt Miller
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Matt Miller
NFL draft analyst
- Matt Miller is an NFL draft analyst for ESPN, providing in-depth scouting on the nation’s top pro prospects. A Missouri native, Matt joined ESPN in 2022 and also contributes to SportsCenter, NFL Live and ESPN Radio. You can follow Matt on Twitter via @nfldraftscout.
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Jordan Reid
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Jordan Reid
NFL draft analyst
- Jordan Reid is an NFL draft analyst for ESPN, providing in-depth scouting on the nation’s top pro prospects. Jordan joined ESPN in 2021 and also contributes to SportsCenter and ESPN Radio. He played quarterback at North Carolina Central University and then went on to coach there from 2014-18. You can follow Jordan on Twitter via @Jordan_Reid.
Finding a future star in the first round of the NFL draft is key to every team’s roster-building success, but front office executives, coaches and scouts really love when they can land a premier talent in the later rounds. Look around the league today, and many of the best players waited until at least Day 2 of draft weekend to hear their names.
We set out to find the NFL’s top draft steals of the past decade. Draft analysts Matt Miller and Jordan Reid each ranked their personal top 75, which we combined to form a final top 50 list. We had a few rules when considering players:
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First-rounders weren’t included, even if they were taken late on Day 1. Undrafted free agents were also excluded since the list would skew in that direction.
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To qualify, a player must have been drafted at least 15 spots — roughly half a round — later than he should have been, and that’s just the floor for the exercise.
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There aren’t any 2023 draft picks here — they haven’t even played a game yet! Only players drafted between 2013 and 2022 were eligible for our ranking.
Who ranks among the best value picks in recent years? Which teams tend to find top talent further down the board? And which pass-catcher ended up as the No. 1 draft steal of the past 10 years?