2025 NFL Draft: Day 3 Fantasy Football Recap & Analysis

While Day 3 picks do not have the same draft capital plot armor as players selected in the first three rounds, plenty of skill players emerge from the final four rounds as legitimate fantasy assets every year.

This year could produce more than most given the running backs available, and we saw that trend with running backs making up six of the first 24 picks in the fourth round.

We also had the story of the draft with Shedeur Sanders finally ending his slide.

Let’s take a look at Sanders, those six backs, and the rest of the most interesting situations from Day 3 of the 2025 NFL Draft.

This article will be updated throughout the fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh rounds.

Find Rich Hribar's analysis of every Round 1 skill player in our 2025 NFL Draft Hub

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Shedeur Sanders' Slide Finally Ends, Browns Add Him in Fifth Round

The story of the 2025 NFL Draft, Shedeur Sanders‘ slide finally ended when the Browns selected him No. 144 overall.

Sanders had been linked with Cleveland at No. 2 overall in the pre-draft process, so there is some irony they ended up ending his fall.

Of course, Cleveland also selected Dillon Gabriel in the third round, passing on Sanders for a different quarterback.

Despite that, Sanders is landing in as good a spot as possible once he fell out of the first round.

His fifth-round draft capital gives him no room for error, and the NFL clearly has doubts about his ability on the field.

The Browns have one of the worst quarterback rooms in the league, though, with Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett ahead of the two rookies on the depth chart.

We did see Flacco shine down the stretch in this offense back in 2023, but he just turned 40 in January still had a 3.9% interception rate during that run with the Browns.

Cleveland obviously selected Gabriel ahead of Sanders in the draft, but it is possible, if not likely, something other than on field ability played a role in Cleveland's decision to pass on Sanders until the fifth round.

Sanders fits well in this offense, is better than his draft capital would suggest, and nothing on the depth chart ahead of him is locked in.

There is still every chance Sanders starts games as a rookie.

That might not matter from a fantasy perspective since Sanders does not profile as a prolific rusher, but he has a better shot than most Day 3 quarterbacks.

Bhayshul Tuten, Cam Skattebo, Trevor Etienne, Woody Marks, Jarquez Hunter, & Dylan Sampson Come Off the Board Quickly

The depth of this running back class was the story heading into the draft, so it is not surprising that six backs came off the board in the first 24 picks of the fourth round:

• Bhayshul Tuten (Jaguars, No. 104)
• Cam Skattebo (Giants, No. 105)
• Trevor Etienne (Panthers, No. 114)
• Woody Marks (Texans, No. 116)
• Jarquez Hunter (Rams, No. 117)
• Dylan Sampson (Browns, No. 126)

Tuten made waves at the Combine, running a 4.32 40 that matched the big play ability he showed in college.

The fantasy concern for Tuten is his ability to command a fantasy-relevant workload.

35% of his runs were between the tackles, the third lowest rate in this class.

22.4% of his runs failed to gain yardage, the second worst rate in the class.

When Tuten did run inside, 23.4% of his inside runs failed to gain yards, the second lowest percentage.

The Jaguars do appear ready to move on from Travis Etienne, but Tank Bigsby showed well in his second season, creating yards after contact despite the offensive line letting him down.

Tuten did not have the production in the passing game in college (0.43 yards per route run), but perhaps he could become the passing game complement for Bigsby.

Skattebo is on the other end of the spectrum.

He averaged 3.9 yards after contact per attempt last season, which was fifth in this class.

When hit at or behind the line of scrimmage, Skattebo averaged 2.4 YPC (3rd).

He was also a factor as a pass catcher, catching 45 for 605 yards and 3 touchdowns last season.

While Skattebo did well in the explosion drills, he showed his long speed concerns at his Pro Day, running a 4.65.

The Giants hit on Tyrone Tracy in the fifth round last year, and they may view Skattebo as the big bag complement for him with Devin Singletary a potential cap cut next offseason.

That said, Skattebo does have a three-down skillset if his speed concerns do not sink him, and Tracy had fumbling issues as a rookie.

Etienne, Marks, and Hunter landed on more established depth charts, but things can change very quickly in the NFL.

The Panthers brought in Rico Dowdle behind Chuba Hubbard and spent a second-round pick on Jonathon Brooks last year.

Brooks is likely to miss all of the 2025 season, though, and Etienne profiles as a great complementary back for Hubbard.

That role is unlikely to result in a ton of fantasy value, but there is certainly a path to touches.

The Rams are in an interesting situation with Kyren Williams heading into he final year of his rookie deal.

Will they get him an extension, and what will happen with 2024 third-round pick Blake Corum?

Both of those questions give Hunter some hope.

Finally, Sampson is joining a Browns backfield that added Quinshon Judkins in the second round.

Both from a draft capital and physical profile perspective, Judkins is more likely than Sampson to take on the No. 1 job, but Sampson could push Jerome Ford for that secondary role.

Chimere Dike Kicks Off Day 3, Joined by Six WRs in Fourth Round

While running backs made up two of the first three picks on Day 3, the first pick of the round was Chimere Dike out of Florida, who went to the Titans.

Tennessee added another receiver near the end of the round, selecting Elic Ayomanor with pick No. 136 overall.

Along with Dike and Ayomanor, five other wide receivers heard their name in the fourth:

• Dont'e Thornton Jr. (Raiders, No. 108)
• Arian Smith (Jets, No. 110)
• Jaylin Lane (Commanders, No. 128)
• Jalen Royals (Chiefs, No. 133)
• Jordan Watkins (49ers, No. 138)

The Titans needed help at receiver, so it is not surprising they double dipped in this round.

Behind Calvin Ridley, they currently have the recently signed Tyler Lockett, who is coming off the worst season of his career, and Van Jefferson, who struggled to earn targets in the 2024 Steelers receiver room.

That means both Dike and Ayomanor have a path to rookie playing time.

Dike is more of a developmental prospect who has great speed (4.34) and showed well both in the explosive drills and three cone, but he did not create after the catch in college.

He has the physical tools to develop into more than just a deep threat, but that is a projection.

Ayomanor is also not a finished product, but he produced more over two seasons with Stanford while also having great testing numbers for his size (4.44 at 6-foot-2, 206 pounds).

He did not create consistent separation in college, though, with 26.6% of his targets resulting in contested situations.

He has highlight catches in those situations, but he did not convert as consistently as Tetairoa McMillan and Jayden Higgins.

That is why those guys were picked a lot earlier than him, but Ayomanor could end up being a great pick for the Titans and contribute in his first season.

The rest of the fourth round group is filled with 4.3 guys who carry upside because of that speed (Thornton ran a 4.3 at 6-foot-4, 205 pounds), but Royals stands out as a step above those other prospects.

After a 71-1,080-15 line in 2023, Royals was on his way to another big season with 55 catches for 834 yards and 6 touchdowns before an injury ended his 2024 after seven games.

While he ran “just” a 4.42, his 10-yard split matched Matthew Golden‘s at the Combine.

The Chiefs have a lot of guys ahead of Royals on the depth chart, but there is also a lot of uncertainty in that group.

Royals is a better prospect than his fourth-round pedigree suggests and is one to watch in August.

Notable Late-Round Running Backs

The depth of this running back class meant we were always going to see several quality backs fall beyond Round 4, most notably:

• Jaydon Blue (Cowboys, No. 149)
• DJ Giddens (Colts, No. 151)
• Ollie Gordon (Dolphins, No. 179)
• Devin Neal (Saints, No. 184)
• Tahj Brooks (Bengals, No. 193)
• Damien Martinez (Seahawks, No. 223)
• Brashard Smith (Chiefs, No. 228)
• LeQuint Allen (Jaguars, No. 236)

I would recommend Rich Hribar's comprehensive preview of this running back class as well as his Dynasty rookie rankings for a full breakdown on this list of players, but I will hit on a few of the more interesting situations here.

Blue never was a workhorse back at Texas and does not have great size at 5-foot-9, 196 pounds, but he played bigger than that last season.

His 4.0 yards after contact per rush ranked fourth in this class, and 73.4% of his rushing yards came after contact, the highest rate.

When hit at or behind the line, Blue averaged a class-high 3.4 YPC.

He was also an upper-end weapon in the passing game, giving him a path to snaps even if Javonte Williams or Miles Sanders (or a free agent) maintains the lead job.

The Cowboys are a great landing spot for Blue.

While the draft capital is not great, Neal profiles as a bigger workhorse back who can take some of the grinding carries from Alvin Kamara, who has slowed down in recent seasons.

Kamara has also continued to miss games, playing 13 and 14 games in each of the last two years.

Neal does not have elite speed, but he may be able to carve out the big back role behind Kamara.

Finally, Smith is an interesting addition for the Chiefs given his ability as a receiver and his 4.39 speed.

Kansas City has to get more explosive, especially in the running game, and Smith theoretically can help in that regard.

Notable Late-Round Receivers

There were not as many notable receivers beyond Round 4, but there are still some interesting names, including:

• KeAndre Lambert–Smith (Chargers, No. 158)
• Tory Horton (Seahawks, No. 166)
• Jimmy Horn Jr. (Panthers, No. 208)
• Tez Johnson (Bucs, No. 235)
• Ricky White (Seahawks, No. 238)

I would recommend Rich Hribar's comprehensive preview of this wide receiver class as well as his Dynasty rookie rankings for a full breakdown on this list of players, but I will hit on a few of the more interesting situations here.

Lambert-Smith transferred to Auburn after four years at Penn State, posting a 50-981-8 line in 2024.

He ran a 4.37 at the Combine and showed that speed with multiple big plays during his time at Auburn.

The Chargers already added Tre Harris in the second round, and they have Quentin Johnston as well as Mike Williams on the roster.

Still, there is not much set behind Ladd McConkey on the Chargers' depth chart, opening a path for Lambert-Smith, who profiles as a good complement.

The top of Seattle's depth chart is set in the short term with Jaxon Smith–Njigba and Cooper Kupp, and there should be fewer three-wide sets under new OC Klint Kubiak.

Still, the Seahawks taking two receivers on Day 3 speaks to the long-term uncertainty behind Smith-Njigba on the depth chart.

Horton particularly is a better prospect than his late-fifth draft capital suggests, and White probably was a value in the seventh round.

Neither are perfect prospects, but they have a path to the No. 3 job in Seattle in the short term and perhaps better from a Dynasty perspective.