Steals, sleepers, hidden gems, diamonds in the rough — whatever you want to call them, every NFL Draft produces players that go on to exceed expectations. For some athletes, being snubbed on draft-day can be a catalyst to an All-Pro career.

With this year’s NFL Draft set to take place virtually April 23-25, future seasons will determine who the steals of this year’s draft will be. But Maryland football has had its fair share of draft-day steals in the past, and TSR has ranked the top five.

1. Stefon Diggs - 5th Rnd (146th overall) - 2015 - WR - Minnesota Vikings

Diggs is only five years into his NFL career, but he has already become one of the game’s most dynamic wideouts — made evident by the five-year, $72 million contract he signed prior to the 2018 season. The Gaithersburg, Maryland, native slipped to the Minnesota Vikings in the fifth round of the 2015 draft after three years of being a playmaker in College Park. Diggs was traded to the Buffalo Bills this offseason and has averaged 73 receptions and 6 touchdowns per year in his first five seasons including 102 receptions in 2018. Riding back-to-back 1,000-yard receiving seasons, the sky's the limit for Diggs as the No. 1 wideout in Buffalo, but he has already far exceeded the expectations of a fifth-round pick.

2. Frank Wycheck - 6th Rnd (160th overall) - 1993 - TE - Washington Redskins

Drafted by the Washington Redskins in the 1993 draft, Wycheck spent just two seasons in the nation’s capital before going on to have a stellar career as the tight end for the Houston Oilers and Tennessee Titans. The Redskins may not have been able to groom their draft pick from the university in their own backyard, but they did identify Wycheck’s talent out of college and brought him into the league at a sixth-round value. Wycheck played 11 seasons in the NFL and was a three-time Pro Bowler (1998-2000). He recorded 60+ receptions for five straight seasons (1997-2001) and is one of six tight ends in NFL history to have more than 500 career receptions.

3. Yannick Ngakoue - 3rd Rnd (69th overall) - 2016 - DE - Jacksonville Jaguars

Since being drafted in the third round in 2016, Ngakoue has 37.5 sacks, which is second in his draft class only to Joey Bosa of the Los Angeles Chargers (40). Maryland’s single-season sack leader made the Pro Bowl in his second season after recording 12 sacks and a league-leading six forced fumbles. Ngakoue has shown a knack for dislodging the ball throughout his career, forcing 14 fumbles in just four years. He also is one of the best at getting to the quarterback with eight or more sacks in every season since he’s become a pro. Currently displeased with the franchise tag placed on him by the Jacksonville Jaguars, Ngakoue is seeking to be traded to a team he can sign a long-term contract with. Regardless of how that situation pans out, he is looking at becoming one of the highest-paid edge rushers in the league.

4. Jermaine Lewis - 5th Rnd (153rd overall) - 1996 - WR - Baltimore Ravens

Lewis was a heck of a wideout for the Terps, breaking several ACC records during his career in College Park. While he was never quite the same game-breaking receiver in the NFL, Lewis did make his mark as one of the game’s best return men of his era. The electrifying specialist was a nice find by Baltimore in the fifth round of the 1996 draft. He paid dividends for the Ravens, making two Pro Bowls and two All-Pro teams as a returner. Perhaps the most memorable moment of his career, Lewis had a 84-yard kickoff return for a touchdown against the New York Giants in Super Bowl XXXV.

5. Boomer Esiason - 2nd Rnd (38th overall) - 1984 - QB - Cincinnati Bengals

While Esiason is the highest draft pick on this list and it’s hard to outplay the expectations of an early second-round pick, most had the Maryland product pegged as a first rounder and his impressive credentials still make him a draft-day steal for the Cincinnati Bengals. Following a great career in College Park, Esiason went on to have a 14-year pro career with the Bengals, Jets, and Cardinals. He was the 1988 NFL MVP, a four-time Pro Bowler, and the 1995 Walter Payton Man of The Year. Boomer is considered one of the greatest lefty quarterbacks in NFL history and almost won Cincinnati its first Super Bowl, narrowly losing to Joe Montana’s San Francisco 49ers in 1988.