Sleepers

The Cowboys surprisingly didn't devote significant resources to their backfield in the 2025 Draft, waiting until the fifth round to select Blue, who ran a 4.38 40 at the combine. His small frame (5-foot-9, 196 pounds) and tendency to get caught in traffic may limit Blue's rushing volume in the NFL, but there's also plenty of cause for optimism, including a 42-368-6 receiving line in his final season at the University of Texas. He also took 134 carries for 730 yards and eight touchdowns last year, splitting work with Tre Wisner after being stuck behind Bijan Robinson and Jonathon Brooks earlier in his college career. Blue now finds himself in a wide-open backfield, competing with free-agent additions Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders to earn carries behind what should be a strong offensive line. It's about the best situation a fifth-round pick could hope for in terms of earning immediate playing time and making an impact.

Although he began 2024 as an off-the-bench complement to Zack Moss, it didn't take long for Brown to prove he was the top running back in Cincinnati. It was probably in Week 4 that the Bengals coaching staff got the hint, when Brown ran for 80 yards and two TDs against Carolina. He went on to out-touch Moss in the next four games, at which point Moss suffered a season-ending neck injury. Brown demonstrated immense receiving upside over eight subsequent games, catching 38 passes, confirming that he has the ability to claim standout volume as both a runner and receiver. The Bengals expect Moss to return healthy and signed accomplished passing-down back Samaje Perine in free agency, but Brown (4.43-second 40-yard dash) is their best rushing threat and also their most dangerous RB after the catch. Brown withstood massive usage in college at Illinois without breaking down, and he made it through last season healthy until suffering a freak ankle sprain Week 17 when he intentionally went down to run out clock. He might have returned to action if Cincinnati had reached the playoffs, and he's now in excellent position for large 2025 workloads after the team waited until Round 6 to draft a running back (Tahj Brooks).

The Texans double-dipped on Iowa State wide receivers in April, taking Higgins at No. 34 and Jaylin Noel at No. 79. A two-star recruit and FCS transfer, Higgins exploded for 53-983-6 and 87-1,183-9 in his two seasons at ISU, before cementing his draft stock with a 4.47 40, 39-inch vertical and 128-inch broad jump at 6-foot-4, 214 pounds. His last name isn't the only similarity to Tee Higgins, who also was taken 34th overall (2020) and quickly found himself playing alongside both a franchise QB and a wide receiver even more talented than himself. For Jayden Higgins, the presence of Nico Collins in Houston is perhaps a limiting factor for upside scenarios, but it may not be long before Higgins moves ahead of offseason trade acquisition Christian Kirk for No. 2 billing. With Kirk in a contract year and Tank Dell rehabbing a major injury again, Houston's WR depth chart isn't as crowded as it might look at first glance, giving Higgins a good chance to emerge as QB CJ Stroud's second-favorite target at some point in 2025 or 2026.