NFL Draft
3/21/25
6 min read
2025 NFL Draft: Five Day 3 Prospects Who Can Contribute As Core Special Teamers
Projecting roles for the top of the NFL Draft board is a challenge. Still, things get particularly hairy when you start trying to forecast roles, roster spots, and playing time for developmental players who will wait until Saturday to hear their names called.
It is easy to see the long-term potential of plenty of raw or skill-specific talents. But the NFL is called “Not For Long” for a reason — players need to find impact and value quickly or risk seeing their playing time and, potentially, roster spot go to someone else.
Who are some Day 3 talents who can afford their future teams' immediate value, even if they may take some time to fulfill their full potential as later draft choices?
TE Jackson Hawes, Georgia Tech
Offensive upside: Blocking Inline Y-Tight End
Of the names included in this piece, none have a more direct pathway to playing time contributions on their respective unit than Jackson Hawes.
This former Yale tight end transferred to Georgia Tech and became a destroyer of worlds as a blocker in the ACC. Teams that want to run the football out of 11 personnel or are willing to live in 12 personnel will find his physicality and in-line play highly appealing. He’s ready for those opportunities, too. He could be an offensive role player quickly upon entering the league.
However, as a freshman, he was a four-core special team member at Yale. He logged more than 300 snaps on special teams in his first two seasons, including on kickoff return, kickoff coverage, punt coverage, and punt return.
He’s a good enough athlete to be out there in space, but he has an opportunity as a TE2 player to be a particularly impactful player on the return units, where his blocking can shine as it does on offense.
SAF Kitan Crawford, Nevada
Defensive upside: Developmental Safety
One Thousand Snaps. You read that right. Kitan Crawford has logged more than 1,000 snaps on special teams throughout his college career. He started at Texas and served as a core teams player while trying to crack the starting lineup. It never happened.
So Crawford transferred to Nevada and was promptly given a starting role. The flashes are so great that a team may be enticed to draft him and try to develop him as a safety. When you consider his dominant NFL Combine performance, the sales job of Crawford as a project is even easier:
4.41s 40-yard dash
41.5” vertical jump
10’08” standing broad jump
6.81s 3-cone drill
4.03s short shuttle
This is an elite athlete. And, with those 1,000 career snaps under his belt, you’re guaranteed a fair return on investment even if the light never fully comes on at safety — provided you’re securing his services on Day 3. He’ll dress on game days and has a chance to be one of the league's marquee special teamers someday.
LB Kain Medrano, UCLA
Defensive upside: Dime Coverage Linebacker
Kain Medrano has enjoyed one of the best offseasons of Day 3 prospects. He had a great showcase at the East-West Shrine Bowl and then added a great showing at the NFL Combine when he ran a 4.46 40-yard dash. That was the fastest among linebackers at the event.
The problem? He’s barely cracking 220 pounds, and his play against the run is underwhelming on film — as you’d expect for an undersized linebacker.
Still, Medrano’s passing down skill set offers appeal as a dime linebacker. He can run like crazy, has excellent range in coverage, and has showcased the ability to pressure from depth or up on the line of scrimmage.
His trump card is the 600+ snaps of special teams reps he’s collected with the Bruins. Linebackers who can get down the field like this on kick and punt coverage will almost assuredly secure themselves a roster spot despite their wants at their primary position.
WR Jackson Meeks, Syracuse
Offensive Upside: Depth Wide Receiver
Jackson Meeks, a former Georgia Bulldog, kept his SEC physicality when he transfered to the ACC for his final season of college ball.
There are rightful questions about his separation ability and how well-prepared he is to contribute to an NFL passing offense. And, in all honesty, he probably isn’t going to catch a lot of footballs in his first few seasons. The separation ability is not great, and Meeks clicked with QB Kyle McCord, thanks mainly to the good chemistry on ball placement.
But that doesn’t mean he can’t see the field. Meeks has pathways on special teams and as a run blocker on offense who could see some game plan-specific opportunities at wide receiver. With 416 career special teams snaps on his resume, he may end up logging more playing time as a youngster than some of the more promising receiving profiles that project to Day 3.
WR Ricky White III, UNLV
Offensive Upside: Primary Special Teamer
Anyone who blocks four punts in a single season has got to make a special teams checklist, right? Ricky White III is challenging because he doesn’t profile with a big-time ceiling on offense. He’s a wiry talent at 184 pounds and ran a 4.61s 40-yard dash. So, what is the ceiling?
Special teams!
White is only scratching the surface of his role here — with 96 snaps in 2024 on the kick and punt return units. However, with four punt blocks this season, he’s got a little magic here worth exploring.
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