Top 10 Biggest NFL Draft Steals of the 2010s
Every team dreams of landing that one player who turns the franchise around. But sometimes the scouts don't see it, the analysts miss it, and the fans are too busy groaning about who didn't get picked. And then that so-called afterthought ends up breaking records, lighting up the scoreboard, or locking down elite talent on defense for the next decade.
These aren't just solid players. These are the steals. The kind of picks that make other teams quietly fire people.
This list is for the ones who slipped through the cracks and made everyone else regret it.
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Russell Wilson
Russell Carrington Wilson (born November 29, 1988) is an American football quarterback. He played for the Seattle Seahawks before being traded to the Denver Broncos in 2022. After two seasons, he signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers and then joined the New York Giants for the 2025 season.
Russell Wilson came out of Wisconsin and was selected in the 3rd round, 75th overall, in 2012 by the Seattle Seahawks. The highlight of his career so far is the 2013 Super Bowl season.
He's had a passer rating of 100 or more in five out of seven seasons, including two over 110. In 2015, he led the league with the highest passer rating and had a career-best 110.9 rating in 2018.
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Tyreek Hill
Tyreek Hill (born March 1, 1994) is an American professional football wide receiver for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL).
He played college football for the Garden City Broncbusters, Oklahoma State Cowboys, and West Alabama Tigers before being selected by the Kansas City... read more
Originally projected to be undrafted due to a domestic violence arrest, the Chiefs selected Tyreek Hill in the 5th round with the 165th pick in 2016. Many fans were critical of this pick because of the domestic violence incident.
Hill became one of the most electrifying weapons on offense. He's been to four Pro Bowls, and 2018 was a career year with 87 receptions, 1,479 yards, a 17.0-yard average, and 12 touchdowns. Without a doubt, he would have likely matched or exceeded those numbers in 2019 had he not missed some time early in the season.
It's safe to say that Kansas City really got a gem here.
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Dak Prescott
Rayne Dakota "Dak" Prescott, born July 29, 1993, is an American football quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League. He played college football at Mississippi State, where he set several school records. Prescott has been the Cowboys' starting quarterback since 2016.
Say what you will about the Cowboys and Dak Prescott, but with Ezekiel Elliott and Amari Cooper, he has been solid for a 4th-round pick. Sure, he has had his ups and downs, but 2019 has been his best season yet, as he set multiple career highs, including completions, yards, attempts, and touchdowns.
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Richard Sherman
Richard Kevin Sherman is a former American football cornerback who played for the San Francisco 49ers in the National Football League. He is best known for his time with the Seattle Seahawks, where he was a key member of the Legion of Boom defense. Sherman is a five-time Pro Bowl selection and led the... read more
Richard Sherman was selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the 5th round, 154th overall, in the 2011 draft. He became a key part of their Legion of Boom defense, which won Super Bowl 48.
He has been very productive on the field when healthy. The highlight so far is his 2012 season, where he had 64 tackles (53 solo) and eight interceptions.
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Travis Kelce
Travis Michael Kelce is an American football tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League. He has played for the Chiefs since being drafted in 2013. Kelce is considered one of the top tight ends in NFL history and has been selected to multiple Pro Bowls.
Kelce was drafted in the 3rd round, 63rd overall, by the Kansas City Chiefs. The five-time Pro Bowl tight end started off roughly, but since 2015, he has posted four consecutive 1,000-yard seasons, becoming the first tight end to do so.
He's also had 80 or more receptions every year since 2016. He's truly one of the best tight ends in the league.
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George Kittle
Kittle has had a short career so far, being selected in the 5th round, 146th overall, in 2017. Since then, he has been one of the best tight ends in the league.
He had a solid 2018 campaign and followed that up with another great season and a chance for a Super Bowl ring. The two-time Pro Bowl nominee and 2019 PFF Player of the Year has shown he's worth it.
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Antonio Brown
Antonio Brown (born July 10, 1988) is a former NFL wide receiver who played nine seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers before brief stints with the Oakland Raiders, New England Patriots, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He earned seven Pro Bowl selections and led the league in receptions, receiving yards, and... read more
Sure, you may argue that his career went downhill over the past year, but before this downward spiral, he was without a doubt one of the best receivers in the league, making seven Pro Bowls. He was drafted in the 6th round, 195th overall, by the Pittsburgh Steelers.
In nine years with Pittsburgh, he led the league in receptions in 2014 and 2015 and had the most yards in 2014 and 2017. He also led the league in touchdowns in 2018. His best season was 2015, with 136 receptions for over 1,800 yards and 10 touchdowns.
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Justin Houston
Justin Donovan Houston is an American football outside linebacker for the Indianapolis Colts. He signed a two-year, $24 million contract with the Colts on March 21, 2019. Houston has been recognized for his impactful defensive play, including earning AFC Defensive Player of the Week honors during his... read more
Houston was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the 3rd round, 70th overall, in 2011. He had the potential to be a late first-round pick, but he failed a drug test, causing him to fall in the draft.
He had nine or more sacks in five of his eight seasons in Kansas City, though he did miss some time due to injury. Nevertheless, he has been very productive so far in his career.
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Kevin Byard
Selected 64th overall in the 2016 NFL Draft, the Titans found a hidden gem in Kevin Byard. Since his rookie year, he has quietly been one of the better safeties that nobody really talks about.
He has steadily improved and has had at least 80 tackles and 60 solo tackles every year since 2016.
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Chris Godwin
Selected in the 3rd round with the 84th overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, Chris Godwin has been fairly productive in his career. He started off slowly due to being overshadowed by Mike Evans and DeSean Jackson. However, he has steadily improved in each of his three years, with 2019 being his best season yet.
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Danielle Hunter
Danielle Hunter (born October 29, 1994) is a Jamaican-American professional football defensive end for the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the LSU Tigers and was selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the third round of the 2015 NFL Draft. Hunter was... read more
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Alvin Kamara
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Lamar Jackson
Lamar Demeatrice Jackson Jr. (born January 7, 1997) is an American football quarterback for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL)... read more
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Patrick Mahomes
Patrick Lavon Mahomes II (born September 17, 1995) is an American football player who is currently the quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League. He has led the team to multiple Super Bowl appearances, winning MVP honors for Super Bowl LIV and Super Bowl LVII. Mahomes is... read more
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Jason Kelce
