In this series, we will take a look at players who have a high RAS (Relative Athletic Score) but are projected to be selected on Day 3 or go undrafted in the 2026 NFL Draft cycle.
What is a RAS?
RAS is a metric that was developed by Kent Lee Platt in 2013, which is described on his own website as—
“RAS compares a player’s testing to all players at their position from 1987 to the player’s draft year, so it locks in after the draft. The Alltime score compares a player’s testing to all players at their position from 1987 to today,
regardless of draft year.”
In short, it assesses how athletic a player is and compares him to someone who played the same position before him, then assigns him a score on a 1-10 scale, with 10 being the highest.
As an example, this was former Chiefs’ cornerback Jaylen Watson’s RAS when he was coming out of college in 2022.
Defining our rankings
Now that we know what a RAS is, we need to decide how we will decide which round a player is projected to be selected in. To do this, we will be utilizing the NFL Mock Draft Database’s 2026 Consensus Big Board. While Day 3 draft picks technically start at pick 101, we will start ours with players ranked 119th and below.
Why 119?
Because 109 is the Chiefs’ first draft pick on Day 3, and we wanted to build in a little bit of a buffer in good faith to make sure there was no cheating the system and pick guys who might slide on Day 2 of the draft.
Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s dive in.
Today, we will focus on three players across all positions who I think could be a good fit for Kansas City. But who knows, perhaps in the future we will write position-specific versions as well.
Jordan Van Den Berg – DT – Georgia Tech
I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a guy with such a high RAS be ranked so low in pre-draft consensus rankings.
First things first, let’s take a look at his RAS:
Yes, you read that right. Van Den Berg scored higher than every single defensive tackle since 1987, except for Philadelphia Eagles star Jordan Davis, who was drafted 13th overall in the 2022 Draft, based solely on the fact that he was a physical freak.
The difference here is that, based on his current consensus big board ranking of 387, he is not expected to hear his name called during the draft and instead will be an undrafted free agent who is expected to be fighting for a roster spot on a practice squad in 2026.
Still, when you turn on Van Den Berg’s tape, there is a lot to like about this guy. His strength is evident on tape in his bull rush, and he can use the swim technique effectively at times, but he needs to be more consistent. Still, he is a nice run defender, and I could easily see him making a living in the league as an early-down lineman.
Lorenzo Styles Jr. – CB – Ohio State
Being as electric an athlete as Styles Jr. is, it must be a crazy experience. But what’s even crazier is being Styles Jr. and knowing you are the second most athletic person in your family behind your little brother Sonny Styles, who is a lock to be a top-10 pick in this year’s draft.
Styles Jr. is a converted wide receiver who is still learning how to play as a defensive back. Most scouts have him pegged as a cornerback at the next level, which will be another position change for him, since he mostly split his time between playing in the slot and deep safety in 2025. He is currently ranked as the 197th player on the Consensus Big Board.
Still, there is a lot to like about Styles as a player aside from his speed. He is an aggressive player who flocks to the ball, and, in true safety fashion, he does not shy away from contact, though he could use a bit more strength and work on his tackling form.
Where Styles is going to make his money in the league is on special teams as a gunner and in kick returns, which coincidentally is something the Chiefs always seem to need.
J. Michael Sturdivant – WR – Florida
Every year, there is a guy who has all the talent in the world, and you are just waiting for them to put it all together. Sturdivant has been that player for the last three years.
Sturdivant started his college career at California, where he had 755 yards receiving as a true freshman, before transferring to UCLA, where he was expected to take the next step forward as one of the premier receivers in college football. But in two years of playing for the Bruins, that jump never happened. So Sturdivant decided to try his luck in the SEC and moved to Florida for his senior season, but the results were still underwhelming and mediocre, amassing just 406 yards receiving in 2025
Sturdivant is currently the 265th-ranked player on the Consensus Big Board, but if I’m being honest, I think he has a chance of being selected in the 190-220 range. Because even though he is wildly inconsistent, when he does make a play, it can be eye-popping. He has, on occasion, shown amazing body control and elite athleticism. He just hasn’t even put it all together.
What do you think?
Who are some RAScals you would want the Chiefs to draft or sign as undrafted free agents?
