2025 NFL Draft: What We Expect from Day Three

Cam Skattebo | Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Lewis Wood Posted On April 26, 2025

Once again, day two of the draft was dominated by Shedeur Sanders – and this article is a little bit too. But the second and third rounds were also dominated by fantasy football assets in a way that round one really wasn’t. There’s been some great landing spots, but loads still to go as we get into the weeds for day three.

Quarterback

The first QB off the board was a huge shock, as the Saints took Tyler Shough at 40 overall. Everyone presumed Sanders would go to Cleveland right away, but he kept slipping. And slipping. And slipping.

The next QB off the board still wasn’t Sanders. Jalen Milroe headed to Seattle at 92nd overall – definitely one worth keeping an eye on once Sam Darnold turns back into a pumpkin.

The next QB off the board would surely be Sanders. Nope. Dillon Gabriel headed to Cleveland.

There will be an array of QBs drafted on day three, but don’t kid yourself into their fantasy value. These will be backups who may have a chance to start in the event of an injury or somehow winning a camp battle. That includes Shedeur.

The most intriguing names are Will Howard, Quinn Ewers and Kyle McCord, with Riley Leonard also picking up some buzz. Regardless of landing spot, they’ll likely never land a starting job.

Quarterbacks to watch on day three:

Shedeur Sanders
Will Howard
Quinn Ewers
Kyle McCord
Riley Leonard

Running back

We saw a fair few running backs go on day two, but not as many as expected.

We kicked off in style with the Ohio State duo finding workhorse spots, with Quinshon Judkins heading to Cleveland and TreVeyon Henderson landing in New England. The next RB off the board was a little bit of a surprise, as RJ Harvey headed to Denver in round two, landing in one of the best spots for a rookie RB. Kaleb Johnson was taken by the Pittsburgh Steelers, replacing Najee Harris with younger Najee Harris.

However, we didn’t see the huge run we thought we’d see on day two. That means there’s going to be a landslide of running backs on day three, all of whom have the chance to compete for starting jobs on day one. Cam Skattebo, Dylan Sampson, Damien Martinez and Bhayshul Tuten will highlight that group, but you can basically pick your poison here. I wouldn’t be surprised to see 20 RBs taken on day three, with only six taken so far. This class is incredibly deep and most teams will want a piece of that pie. The draft capital isn’t great for statistical models, but there’s so many fun running backs yet to be drafted.

Running backs to watch on day three:

Cam Skattebo
Dylan Sampson
Bhayshul Tuten
Damien Martinez
DJ Giddens
Ollie Gordon
Raheim Sanders
Brashard Smith
Devin Neal
Trevor Etienne
Woody Marks
LeQuint Allen
Tahj Brooks
Jaydon Blue
Marcus Yarns

Wide receivers

We saw a solid wide receiver run on day two, particularly in the third round. The day kicked off with Jayden Higgins taken by the Texans – prompting a couple of teams behind them to trade back – but it wasn’t long until Luther Burden head to the Bears, which was a surprising landing spot and one which might be better for real life than fantasy. The other round two receivers were Tre Harris finding a perfect spot with the Chargers, and Jack Bech landing on an open depth chart in Vegas.

There was a real run in round three, but maybe not with the players you’d expect. Kyle Williams to New England was a fantastic landing spot, but the next few picks saw the Lions with one of the biggest reaches of the draft when they traded up for Isaac TeSlaa, followed by the Broncos deciding to take Pat Bryant, who fits their needs on the outside very well. Jaylin Noel finally found a home, reuniting with Jayden Higgins in Houston, before Savion Williams landed in Green Bay, seemingly to back up Josh Jacobs at running back. Finally, my guy Tai Felton was taken as the final pick of the third round to Minnesota, looking to be their starting slot.

The most interesting name left on the board is Elic Ayomanor out of Stanford, who had seen some early day two buzz, but now finds himself as the priority target at wide receiver on day three. Jalen Royals is surprising to still be here, but there’s others out there who could still contribute early – Isaiah Bond will be taken quickly due to his speed, Tory Horton as a developmental X, but there will be a lot of prospects taken for special teams value.

Wide receivers to watch on day three:

Elic Ayomanor
Jalen Royals
Isaiah Bond
Tory Horton
Tez Johnson
Isaiah Bond
Xavier Restrepo
Donte Thornton
Nick Nash
Chimere Dike

Tight end

There was a huge run on tight ends at the top of day two. The moment one started going, they all started going. Mason Taylor led the group heading to the Jets, but was swiftly followed by Terrance Ferguson to my Rams (reach), Elijah Arroyo to the Seahawks, and Harold Fannin Jr to the Browns.

The main name to watch for fantasy football is Gunnar Helm, who’s slipped down draft boards after a poor combine. But there’s some nice developmental pieces available too, like Jackson Hawes, Thomas Fidone and Oronde Gadsden. Pay attention to athleticism here, as that’ll be the biggest indicator of success.

Tight ends to watch on day three:

Gunnar Helm
Jackson Hawes
Thomas Fidone
Oronde Gadsden
Jake Briningstool
Luke Lachey
Mitchell Evans

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Lewis Wood

Contributor at Dynasty League Football

Lewis is a Rams fan from the UK who is obsessive over dynasty leagues. League mates have accused him of being way too trade happy but it works out when you bring home titles!

You can hear more from Lewis on his YouTube channel 'Fantasy Pancake' https://youtube.com/@fantasypancake?si=U7BLlUCqY38dTsEv