Ranking the 5 biggest steals since the 2010 NFL Draft 

Oftentimes, you'll hear about NFL franchises that swing and miss during the NFL Draft. The inverse isn't spotlighted nearly as much, but that's what we're focusing on today, just over two weeks away from the 2022 NFL Draft.

Over the years, players have defied scouts' doubts and parlayed low expectations into heroism. The league is built on these kinds of stories, making the game relatable to any given fan.

The 5 biggest steals since the 2010 NFL Draft, ranked:

Hunter Renfrow exceled at Clemson despite being undersized and was a fifth-round pick in 2019.

#5 - WR Hunter Renfrow, Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders 2019 fifth-round NFL Draft pick (149)

It's not hard to see why Hunter Renfrow was met with hesitancy from scouts in the NCAA and, eventually, the NFL. At five-foot-ten and 185 pounds, his frame didn't exactly scream 'top NFL Draft pick'.

However, his career at Clemson gave indications that he could handle life in the big leagues. Renfrew recorded 186 catches, 2,133 receiving yards, and 15 touchdowns to go along with two national championships in the 2016 and 2018 college football seasons.

NFL teams that were scared of his size (or lack thereof) missed out on an ace receiver that reached All Pro status this past season.

Michael Thomas has outperformed his second-round selection.

#4 - WR Michael Thomas, New Orleans Saints 2016 second-round NFL Draft pick (47)

Michael Thomas was taken in the second round of the 2016 Draft. His four-year career at Ohio State, like Hunter Renfrow's at Clemson, should have tipped teams off to the fact that the wideout would be a stud professional.

While being picked in the top 50 means that certain teams passed on him just once, the fact that he was passed up in the first round at all shows that 2016 was a tricky year to evaluate talent.

Though, it does make sense, considering Jared Goff and Carson Wentz were the top two picks overall in a Draft where Joey Bosa, Ezekiel Elliott, Jalen Ramsey, and Thomas were all available.

Thomas broke the record for most catches in an NFL season with 149 in 2019 and was named the NFL Offensive Player of the Year. He's a second-round steal if there ever was one.

Richard Sherman became a star DB after being drafted in the fifth round in 2011.

#3 - CB Richard Sherman, Seattle Seahawks 2011 fifth-round NFL Draft pick (154)

Richard Sherman was not the most heralded prospect coming out of the Stanford secondary in 2011. However, the Seattle Seahawks unearthed one of the greatest late-round steals in NFL history by selecting him with the 154th pick of that year's NFL Draft.

As the leader of the 'Legion of Boom' throughout the 2010s, Sherman helped spearhead the 2013 Super Bowl XLVIII winning Seahawks. Sherman recorded eight interceptions throughout their dominant 13-3 season.

His career is on hold for now, given his recent guilty plea to misdemeanor charges stemming from a drunken driving and domestic disturbance last summer. But Sherman has still had a brilliant enough career to be considered an all-time great NFL Draft steal.

Dak Prescott has been a franchise QB since the start of his career as a fourth-round pick in 2016.

#2 - QB Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys 2016 fourth-round NFL Draft pick (135)

We mentioned that Jared Goff and Carson Wentz were selected with the first and second overall picks in the 2016 NFL Draft, respectively. Mentioned along with it was the fact that several obvious top-tier talents were passed over for the underperforming QBs.

Purposely, Dak Prescott wasn't included, as to not tip any hand. But it's the Cowboys franchise signal-caller that does the best job in making those two draft picks look foolish in hindsight.

Prescott has been everything the St. Louis/Los Angeles Rams and the Philadelphia Eagles wish they could have had so far in his NFL career.

The Seattle Seahawks got the biggest Draft steal with Russell Wilson.

#1 - QB Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks 2012 third-round NFL Draft pick (75)

Russell Wilson being selected in the third round of the 2012 draft turned out to be such an egregious pick that Eminem immortalized it in his 2013 hit 'Monster':

But if one kid out of a hundred million, who are going through a struggle feels it and relates, that's great, It's payback, Russell Wilson, Falling way back in the draft, Turn nothin' into somethin', still can...

At this point, NFL fans know the extent to which Wilson defied scouts that felt he was too small to excel at the professional level. The five-foot-11, 215-pounder has reached nine Pro Bowls and led the Seahawks to a Super Bowl XLVIII in his second season under center.

What he does next with the Denver Broncos in his first season with a new team is almost irrelevant to the conversation. The Seahawks received unmatched value with their third-round selection of Wilson.