The final day of the 2025 NFL Draft is here, and plenty of talented players are still waiting to hear their names called. While sliding into Day 3 can feel like a disappointment, it’s far from a career-ender. Some of the league’s biggest stars were once late-round picks, showing that the opportunity is what matters most, not when you’re selected.
Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby, a former Day 3 pick himself, shared a reminder on social media, posting a photo to encourage players still waiting for their shot. With four rounds left to go, there’s still a lot of talent on the board, and history says more than a few of today’s picks could go on to become impact players right away.
Maxx Crosby and Other Stars Who Were Selected on Day 3
There is still a lot of talent on the draft board as Day 3 of the NFL Draft begins, so it will be interesting to track which players are able to step up in the NFL as rookies this season.
There have been some notable names that had to wait until Day 3 of the NFL Draft to find out where they will be playing over the last handful of years. One of them is Crosby, who was selected with the 106th pick in the 2019 NFL Draft and was one of three players chosen in the third round by the Raiders.
It’s Not About Where You Get Drafted… It’s About What You Do When You Get There. #Day3 🦅💎🏴☠️ pic.twitter.com/zaDO4lqEB8
— Maxx Crosby (@CrosbyMaxx) April 26, 2025
In the 2023 NFL Draft, the Los Angeles Rams selected wide receiver Puka Nacua in the fifth round. He stepped up and immediately became a reliable target for quarterback Matthew Stafford and the Rams as he set the record for receiving yards by a rookie (1,486).
The year before saw one of the most successful stories of a late-round pick elevating into a star in the NFL — Mr. Irrelevant in the 2022 NFL Draft — with the San Francisco 49ers selecting quarterback Brock Purdy.
READ MORE: Biggest Steals and Snubs From Day 2 of the 2025 NFL Draft
He has become one of the premier quarterbacks in the NFL already and helped lead the team to an NFC Championship Game as a rookie; now he is in line to potentially sign a massive contract extension before the season officially starts.
Just because a player is not selected in the first two days of the draft does not mean he is going to be a bust. Shedeur Sanders and other players still waiting for the call from a team need to use this as motivation for themselves when they step on the field.