4 Underrated Sun Devils in this NFL Draft Class
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When it comes to Sun Devil players in the mock draft scene, common names are discussed such as Wide Recevier Jorydn Tyson, Cornerback Keith Abney II and Tackle Max Iheanachor. However, the Sun Devils have some other players in this draft that are getting underrated and desevere more recognition.
Keyshaun Elliott, Linebacker
The first player on the list, Keyshaun Elliott is the one that could land the most impactful at the NFL level. Elliott is coming off an amazing season, where he lead the Sun Devils defense in both tackles and sacks, a pretty outstanding stat. In an NFL World that has seen coverage linebackers covert into pass rushing linebackers and have great success, such as Green Bay Packers, Micah Parsons, Elliott could do the same.
So what is Elliott's Range
Best case for Elliott it seems like he could be a pick in Round 4, but most see him going later than that, even undrafted. However, as shown in Brian Wards's defense, Elliott has the talent to be a Round 1-2 player. Elliott's past season compares very well to Ohio State Linebacker, Sonny Styles, who is projected to be a top player in this years class. In 2024 Styles had 6 sacks and 100 total tackles where as in 2025 Elliott had 98 total tackles and 7 sacks. Now, Styles is better in coverage, however the fact that Styles their draft projection is so far off when they are quite similar shows how underrated Elliott is.
Chamon Metayer, Tight End
When it comes to weapons at ASU, Metayer is one who did not get a ton of recognition. Metayer had great route running and fludity to his game for being a tight end. He was very reliable throughout the season for Marcus Arroyo's offense. With receivers such as Jalen Moss and Derek Eusebio having up and down years, Metayer proved to be a good security blanket for ASU's quarterbacks.
So what is Metayer's Range
Metayer has the talent to be a Round 3-4 pick and that is where is projected. So, where does the underrated aspect come in? Well, it seems like that Metayer is not getting talked about as much in terms of being a piece for a lot of offenses. He has the potential to be a very solid tight end number 1 in the NFL, however he is not getting discussed that way. Hopefully more teams can see Metayer's true potential.
Clayton Smith, Edge Rusher
Going from the offensive side to the defensive side, Smith is a player that could be a big piece for a team, especially a contender. When Smith plays great, he is really fun to watch. He has excellent speed and some pretty solid strength for the edge rushing position.
Smith is projected to go underrated which is a bit unfair to Smith. Sure, Smith has some raw elements to his game and does need refining. However, he still has a lot of upside and could go in Round 4 or 5 in the drat.
Overall, these are some Sun Devils that deserve more recognition for what they can accomplish at the NFL level.
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Tanner Cappellini holds a mass communications degree from Arizona State University and is pursuing his dream of being the person at the games, practices, and events who takes others inside the team they love.