The NFL draft room is supposed to be a place of pure joy where the life-long dreams of a handful of young men are realized.
Unfortunately, not every player can be a winner come April 26. Draft-day slides are commonplace and some seem to come out of the blue. Prospects who have been lauded for months find themselves staring at their phones, praying for a call.
Here are three top prospects who could wait longer to hear Roger Goodell call their names than most people expect.
Minkah Fitzpatrick, DB, Alabama
Earlier in the offseason, Fitzpatrick appeared to have a shot at being the first defensive player off the board after a standout career under Nick Saban at Alabama.
The NFL usually loves Saban's well-coached, technically sound defensive backs, but the issue with Fitzpatrick is his lack of a defined position.
While he played mainly as a safety in college, he also has the size and athleticism to play full-time cornerback at the pro level. Unfortunately for him, Fitzpatrick lacks the coverage skills to play corner anywhere other than the slot. Without the potential to move him outside, teams could be hesitant to select him in the top 10.
Fitzpatrick's draft-day wait shouldn't last too long, but he could slip to the middle of the first round - like Malik Hooker last year - as teams target players with higher upsides, such as fellow safety Derwin James.
Derrius Guice, RB, LSU
(Photo courtesy: Action Images)
Saquon Barkley is the only running back that's a lock to be taken in the first round, but if another one goes that high, most would guess it would be the bruising Guice.
The 20-year-old is an astonishingly physical runner. However, he looked far from his dominant 2016 self in the 2017 campaign due to recurring injuries, and teams should be concerned about his long-term viability.
Making matters worse for Guice, the likes of Ronald Jones II, Sony Michel, Rashaad Penny, and Nick Chubb will all be fighting to be taken on Day 2.
Guice's 2016 tape should ensure he's taken in the second or third round, but Jones and Michel could easily be selected before him, since both possess more well-rounded skill sets better suited to the modern requirements for an NFL running back.
Josh Rosen, QB, UCLA
Rosen was once thought to be in a battle with Sam Darnold to be the quarterback selected No. 1 overall by the Cleveland Browns, but concerns about his unconventional personality have somewhat diminished the hype.
Related - Jim Mora: Josh Rosen 'needs to be challenged intellectually' to be great
Rosen is also a much more traditional pocket passer than the other three top quarterback prospects, and his lack of physical upside could hurt his stock.
While he's still in the mix to be taken by a number of other QB-needy teams in the top 10, it's not inconceivable that the league's apparent distaste for his character could see him tumble lower than not only Darnold, but Baker Mayfield and Josh Allen.
If, for example, the Browns take Darnold at the top spot, the Buffalo Bills trade up for Allen at No. 2, and the New York Jets snag Baker next, Rosen's only remaining landing spot in the top 10 - barring a trade - would be the Denver Broncos at No. 5.
It would be this year's big shock if Rosen got past the Broncos and slipped out of the top 10, but that scenario isn't as unrealistic as it sounds.
