College Coaches Are Already Spotting Next Level Talent and Luke Altmyer Is on the Radar

The first night of the NFL draft is pure electricity. All those household names getting called, the tears, the celebrations. But here's the thing: the real draft evaluation starts after that initial rush fades. Day 2 and Day 3 are where the great talent evaluators separate themselves from the rest of the pack, because that's where the value lives.

Every NFL team in the league is hunting for sleepers. You know the type: under-the-radar guys slotted outside the top 50 or 60 picks who end up becoming key contributors, sometimes even legitimate starters. The league is stacked with productive players who got overlooked for one reason or another and had to wait longer for that life-changing phone call. So we decided to ask the people who actually coach against these guys year in and year out: what am I missing?

What the Coaches Are Saying

Adam Rittenberg polled over 30 college coaches to identify sleeper candidates for the upcoming NFL draft in Pittsburgh. Some talked about their own players, naturally. Others called out under-the-radar prospects they faced on the field and broke down exactly why those guys are going to make noise at the next level.

You'll recognize some of these names. Diego Pavia from Vanderbilt was a Heisman Trophy runner-up, and Texas defensive mainstay Michael Taaffe is someone scouts have been tracking. But plenty of these guys? They won't ring a bell. That's the whole point. These are names worth studying before the end of the month when teams are digging deep into the draft.

Luke Altmyer: The Illinois Signal Caller Making Noise

Take Luke Altmyer from Illinois. Last season he put up 3,007 passing yards, 22 touchdowns, and just five interceptions while completing 67.4% of his passes. Over three seasons at Illinois, he's thrown for 7,607 yards and 57 touchdowns, plus added 741 rushing yards and 12 scores on the ground.

As a senior, Altmyer set career highs in completion percentage (67.4%) and passing yards while ranking 14th nationally in QBR at 78.5. He also set Illinois team records for career passer rating (144.31) and completion percentage (64.36). The 6-foot-2, 210-pound quarterback made 35 starts and helped the Illini earn their first consecutive seasons with nine or more wins. He ranked second in program history in quarterback wins (23) and touchdown passes (57).

Scouts Inc. has him graded as the No. 8 quarterback prospect overall at No. 191 on their board. At the combine, Altmyer clocked the sixth-best 40-yard dash time among quarterbacks at 4.72 seconds and stood out during Senior Bowl practices.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.