Ranking NFL Teams That Draft Best in Late Rounds

Identifying NFL teams that routinely win the NFL Draft.

Jan 17, 2026; Seattle, WA, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (13) warms up before the start of the second half against the Seattle Seahawks in an NFC Divisional Round game at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Ng-Imagn Images | Kevin Ng-Imagn Images

Winning the NFL Draft extends well beyond the opening round. While the mock-draft frenzy generally has fans focusing on the first 32 picks, the teams that actually win the draft are the ones that thrive in the mid-and-late rounds. Finding keynote contributors and developmental starters from the third round-onward keeps rosters healthy.

Annual Super Bowl contenders routinely maximize the value of late-round opportunities. We've identified five franchises that typically find success stories with their late-round picks.

NFL Draft: Five Teams That Always Find Late-Round Value

Green Bay Packers

Oct 26, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Green Bay Packers tight end Tucker Kraft (85) celebrates his touchdown against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the fourth quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images | Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

The Green Bay Packers are arguably the prototype when it comes to being a "draft and develop" team. General manager Brian Gutekunst believes in replacing aging talent with young, cheap developmental talent. Doing so with success has allowed the Packers to find yearly success.

Nickel safety Evan Williams played 80% of defensive snaps this past season after being a fourth-round selection in 2024. The 2023 NFL Draft brought the Packers exceptional mid-and-late-round success. Elite tight end Tucker Kraft was a third rounder, and defensive linemen Colby Wooden (traded for starting LB Zaire Franklin this offseason) became a priority contributor. Dontayvion Wicks (fifth round) and Carrington Valentine (seventh round) have also provided quality snaps. The 2022 draft was equally impressive, bringing the Packers Romeo Doubs, Zach Tom, Sean Rhyan, Kingsley Enagbare, and Rasheed Walker.

Seattle Seahawks

Feb 8, 2026; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Seattle Seahawks tight end AJ Barner (88) after defeating the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Unsurprisingly, the Super Bowl-defending champion Seattle Seahawks have drafted excellently in recent years. Not only has general manager John Schneider nailed first-round picks like Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Grey Zabel, and Devon Witherspoon. He's also found late-round value that kept his roster healthy and competitive.

The Seahawks drafted linebacker Tyrice Knight and tight end AJ Barner in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Both players have provided them with starting-caliber snaps. Elsewhere, Anthony Bradford has been a multi-year starter since being a fourth-round pick in 2023 and is coming off his best season. In 2022, Schneider drafted Coby Bryant and Riq Woolen on Day 3, both of whom signed lucrative contracts in free agency that should net the Seahawks future comp picks.

Baltimore Ravens

Sep 5, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Baltimore Ravens defensive tackle Travis Jones (98) on field against the Kansas City Chiefs prior to a game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

The Baltimore Ravens have been among the more consistently successful franchises. Transitioning from Ozzie Newsome to Eric DeCosta as general manager has been a big proponent why. The Ravens have far more NFL Draft hits than misses.

The 2022 NFL Draft was a foundational one to the Ravens' sustained success. Third-round pick Travis Jones has been a stellar starter who signed a $40 million extension in December. Fourth-round offensive lineman Daniel Faalele has made a successful move from tackle to starting guard. Tight ends Charlie Kolar and Isaiah Likely were both drafted in the fourth round, and have since signed extensions. In 2024, the Ravens drafted a starting offensive tackle in Roger Rosengarten at No. 62 overall.

San Francisco 49ers

Jan 11, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle before action against the Philadelphia Eagles in an NFC Wild Card Round game at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

There's no better late-round NFL Draft success story in recent memory than San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy. The infamous Mr. Irrelevant pick (No. 262) in 2022, Purdy has since played in a Super Bowl and signed a $265 million extension. It doesn't get better than that.

Elsewhere, 2024 third-round pick Dominick Puni has developed into a high-level starter at guard. This past season, the 49ers' six most-snapped defenders were all in-house draft picks, including Deommodore Lenoir (2021 5th-round), Dee Winters (2023 6th-round), Malik Mustapha (2024 4th-round), and Upton Stout (2025 3rd-round). And how about this run of late- round picks? George Kittle (2017), Dre Greenlaw (2019), Jauan Jennings (2020), Talanoa Hufanga (2021).

Los Angeles Rams

Jan 25, 2026; Seattle, WA, USA; Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua (12) looks on before the 2026 NFC Championship Game against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images | Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

Incredible results in the 2022 and 2023 drafts helped the Los Angeles Rams survive losing Aaron Donald, the greatest defensive player of all time, to retirement. The 2022 iteration brought studs like Cobie Durant, Kyren Williams, and Quentin Lake in round four or later. The 2023 NFL Draft arguably featured a historic haul for general manager Les Snead.

Third-round picks Byron Young and Kobie Turner became keynote contributors on the defensive line. In the fifth round, the Rams found a top-five steal of the decade in superstar wide receiver Puka Nacua. Even recent second-rounders Braden Fiske and Steve Avila, though not quite fitting the definition of late-round picks, deserve shouts for massively outperforming their draft slots.