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2027 NFL Draft: 3 Underrated Prospects Flying Under the Radar
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- 2027 NFL Draft: 3 Underrated Prospects Flying Under the Radar
Ty Benefield ©IMAGO/Newscom World
It's hard to give every single draft prospect the time and attention they deserve. Players are shifting through rankings week to week, and there are really so many players to keep track of. We all know the stars every week who dominate the competition and will hear their names called on Day 1 of the draft.
But what about the ones who don't get that weekly love? The ones who are dominating in silence and stacking solid performances on top of each other?
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Here are three names that have been playing at an elite level, but haven't been getting the national hype they deserve.
Ty Benefield, S, LSU
Sep 20, 2025; Colorado Springs, Colorado, elUSA; Boise State Broncos defensive back Ty Benefield (0) runs the ball back on an interception as Air Force Falcons fullback Terrence Gist (12) and wide receiver Cade Harris (21) defend in the fourth quarter at Falcon Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
You want a safety who is gonna fly around the field for 60 minutes? Well, Benefield is your guy. He's 6-foot-3 and 216 pounds and one of the standouts from this LSU secondary.
The LSU defense is filled with athletes like Benefield, edge rusher Princewill Umanmielen, and defensive back Tamarcus Cooley. Still, Benefield stands out every single week with his tracking ability.
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Benefield transferred in from Boise State this offseason, and through eight games he has 33 tackles, two pass breakups, and two sacks.
His biggest limitation is his ability to cover in the back end, but he still has room to improve. Even with some rough matchups on tape, Benefield is still allowing a passer rating of 36.5 when targeted this season.
Benefield thrives in the box and around the line of scrimmage. He got a sack this past weekend against Auburn, showing the type of plays he can make around the line of scrimmage. In the open field, he looks like a rocket tracking players across the field. He's a fun watch and a player who no doubt deserves more attention.
Kwabena Asamoah, OG, Rutgers
NFL teams value offensive linemen who have experience, and Asamoah has it. He's been with Rutgers for five seasons and has played over 2,700 snaps in his college career. In that time, Asamoah has given up five sacks, according to PFF.
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At 6-foot-2 and 310 pounds, Asamoah is in the 7th percentile for height, which could limit his draft stock, but his sturdy, thick build could hold up in the NFL. Watching his tape, he's a pure power-profile type of guard. Very confident in his pass sets and knows how to sink in the chair to keep his chest up facing rushers. His balance is special to watch in pass pro, and he stays calm throughout reps.
So far this season, Asamoah has given up zero sacks in over 450 snaps for the Scarlet Knights. With five years of experience, Asamoah understands blitzes and reads stunts. There were a couple reps against Northwestern this past weekend where he passed off a TE stunt effortlessly.
The limiting factor to Asamoah's game is his ability to operate in zone schemes. He had a nice block that burst Rutgers running back Antwan Raymondfor a touchdown in a zone scheme , but he struggles multiple times when moving laterally. Asamoah will thrive in a more downhill, man-running scheme, where he can use his size to overpower defenders.
While guards typically get drafted later in the draft, expect Asamoah to go on Day 2 or even Day 3 of the draft. Whoever gets him gets a player with experience and filthy pass protection.
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Sebastian Cheeks, LB, Wisconsin
When you put up two sacks against USC , you'll get some love. Cheeks has gotten more attention for his performance against Wisconsin's win over the Trojans this past week and for good reason. He's been on an absolute tear for the Badgers this season.
Cheeks has 34 pressures this season, which is the fourth most in the entire country. What's most exciting about his game is the answer he has for every situation. He can stem his rushes towards the inside, win with quick hands, or get around the edge with his bend. Not only did he dominate USC, but he dominated Michigan State earlier this season with nine pressures in that game alone.
He'll be an older prospect, with this being his fifth year in college football, with his first two seasons being at North Carolina. But in the past two seasons for Wisconsin, Cheeks is up to 61 pressures and counting.
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At 6-foot-3 and 243 pounds, the one limiting factor in his game is being a three-down edge player. Cheeks has 18 run-stop tackles on the season, but it's mostly due to him just being the quicker athlete than some of these college tackles. Need to see him set a true edge more and stack and shed to rise up draft boards. Even with the concern, Cheeks can find his way in the NFL with his pass-rushing ability. Whether that be on third downs strictly or an NFL team finds packages for him. It'll be hard for an NFL general manager to see how he rushes the passer and pass up on him.
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