Many of the names called during the opening round of the NFL draft will be familiar to recruiting fans, as they belong to former five-star and ESPN 300 prospects.
Big things were expected from and delivered by the likes of Kayvon Thibodeaux, who was the No. 1 overall player in the 2019 class, and Nakobe Dean, a top-three linebacker and Butkus Award winner in high school.
A few players selected early in the draft, though, will be prospects who garnered little buzz and had lower rankings. It serves as proof that there is not just one singular path from high school to the NFL.
Several players have greatly exceeded expectations and developed into top NFL prospects. Below are five players that went from under-the-radar recruits to top draft targets.
