When rated by PFF, basically one third of all top 10 players at every position were drafted in the 4th round or later:
There are lots of good players through round 7 and even UDFA.
Get as many of them as we can.
You never know which ones are going to develop and contribute.
Look at all the 5th/6th/7th/UDFA round picks that "star" in the league.
QB - 4th, 6th, 9th of 38 PFF highest rated were picked in the 4th, 7th and 4th rounds (30% of top 10, 4th round or later)
WR - 1st, 4th, 8th of 128 PFF highest rated were picked in the 5th, 4th and 5th rounds (30% of top 10)
RB - 5th, 7th, 9th, 10th, 11th of 59 PFF highest rated were picked in the UDFA, 5th, 5th. 5th and 7th rounds (45% of top 11)
TE - 1st, 8th, 10th of 72 PFF highest rated were picked in the 5th, UDFA and 4th rounds (30%)
C - 3rd, 6th, 9th of 36 PFF highest rated were picked in the 4th, 6th and UDFA rounds (30%)
G - 2nd, 5th, 7th, 10th of 79 PFF highest rated were picked in the 4th, 4th, UDFA and 6th rounds (40%)
T - 3rd, 11th of 81 PFF highest rated were picked in the 7th and 7th rounds (18%)
CB - 2nd, 5th, 8th of 127 PFF highest rated were picked in the 5th, UDFA and 6th rounds (30%)
S - 7th, 11th, 12th of 95 PFF highest rated were picked in the 6th, 4th and 6th rounds (25% of top 12)
LB - 1st, 10th, 11th of 82 PFF highest rated were all UDFA (27% of top 11)
DI - 9th, 11th, 13th of 130 PFF highest rated were picked in the 4th, 5th and 5th rounds (23% of top 13)
ED - 4th, 7th, 14th, 16th of 112 PFF highest rated were picked in the 4th, 5th, 4th and 4th rounds (25% of top 16)
These numbers, while maybe boring, are quite amazing.
At most every position, 3 or 4 of the highest rated players were drafted in the 4th round or later !
Accumulate late round picks / increase your chances of hitting in the NFL lottery.
Look at the numbers for RBs and Gs. Always draft some of them late.
