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Best available prospects from Missouri football who could go on Day 3 of 2024 NFL Draft

Three Missouri football players are now NFL rookies.

Darius Robinson became the first Missouri player to be picked in the first round of the NFL Draft since 2017, when the Arizona Cardinals used the 27th pick of the draft to take the defensive end on Day 1.

Missouri cornerback Ennis Rakestraw Jr. went to the Detroit Lions in the second round with the 61st overall pick in the NFL Draft on Friday evening in Detroit. Legendary running back Barry Sanders joined Detroit mayor Mike Duggan on stage to announce Rakestraw’s pick.

And in somewhat of a surprise, linebacker Ty’Ron Hopper was a third-round selection for the Green Bay Packers, who took the hard-hitting Tiger with the 91st pick of the draft.

How many more Mizzou players will follow their teammates to the league?

Four Missouri players stand either a realistic or an outside chance of hearing their name called on Saturday at the draft. If all four are drafted, the Tigers will tie their program-high with seven picks in the same draft.

Here are the best remaining Tigers on the board, and where they might end up hearing their names called on the final day in Detroit:

More: Missouri football lands state’s No. 1-ranked prospect in Class of 2025

How quickly will Missouri football cornerback Kris Abrams-Draine come off the board?

Oct 14, 2023; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Missouri Tigers defensive back Kris Abrams-Draine (7) celebrates during the third quarter against the Kentucky Wildcats at Kroger Field. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 14, 2023; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Missouri Tigers defensive back Kris Abrams-Draine (7) celebrates during the third quarter against the Kentucky Wildcats at Kroger Field. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports

Missouri football cornerback Kris Abrams-Draine not coming off the board on Day 2 of the draft was somewhat of a surprise.

The good news is he likely won’t have to wait too long on Day 3.

Abrams-Draine led the SEC in passes defended last season with 16. He had four interceptions, all coming midseason over a period of five games.

Atlanta at No. 109 and Indianapolis at No. 117 seem like potential landing spots for the corner. ESPN rates Abrams-Draine as the 15th-best available player, and the third-best remaining corner. Size concerns are more than likely what have kept him from going in the opening three rounds, but his ball-hawking ability should make him a Round 4 selection.

More: Kris Abrams-Draine returned to Mizzou football for a purpose. He can achieve it vs. UGA

Javon Foster, offensive tackle

Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz shows his elation at senior offensive tackle Javon Foster during the senior day festivities before a college football game at Memorial Stadium on Nov. 18, 2023, in Columbia, Mo.
Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz shows his elation at senior offensive tackle Javon Foster during the senior day festivities before a college football game at Memorial Stadium on Nov. 18, 2023, in Columbia, Mo.

After Abrams-Draine goes, Foster should keep his phone on.

Foster was a mainstay along the Missouri offensive line for the past three seasons, but the first-team All-SEC selection is still looking for a home in the pros.

Foster has 50 games under his belt from his six seasons at Missouri. He was a first-team All-SEC selection in the coaches poll last season, as he led a rejuvenated MU offensive line that was a semifinalist for the Joe Moore Award, given to the top O-Line in the nation.

ESPN rates the tackle as the 23rd-best available player in the draft, and as the second-best remaining offensive lineman. The Ravens, Patriots and 49ers are potential spots to watch for Foster’s name in the fourth round. If he slips any further, the Saints are a team to watch in Round 5.

Cody Schrader, running back

Nov 24, 2023; Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA; Missouri Tigers running back Cody Schrader (7) rushes against the Arkansas Razorbacks during the second quarter at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 24, 2023; Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA; Missouri Tigers running back Cody Schrader (7) rushes against the Arkansas Razorbacks during the second quarter at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports

The final step in a storied career could be imminent.

Cody Schrader set a Missouri single-season record in 2023 with 1,627 rushing yards. He finished eighth place in Heisman Trophy voting.

And he did all that just a couple years removed from playing college football at Division-II Truman State, before walking-on to the Mizzou football team in early 2022.

Wear and tear is a concern for the well-traveled tailback, but an SEC-leading season combined with a one-of-a-kind story and work ethic are plenty enough reasons for teams to take a chance on him.

If he’s still on the board — and plenty mock drafts suggest he won’t be — when the Kansas City Chiefs use their compensatory pick at No. 248 in the seventh round, don’t be surprised if Schrader ends up heading two hours west from Columbia to Kansas City.

More: Fairytale of Cody Schrader: Mizzou running back ends storied career with storybook ending

Will any more Missouri football players be drafted?

Missouri safety JC Carlies could hear his name called on Saturday at the draft. He has been tipped to make a switch from the backfield to linebacker to improve his draft stock. ESPN currently rates Missouri’s leading tackler from the past two seasons as the 105th-best player available.

Harrison Mevis, Missouri’s “Thiccer Kicker,” also has an outside chance of securing a draft selection on Day 3, albeit unlikely. Mevis has the rare achievement of converting a 60+-yard kick in his college career,

More: Why Missouri football will be king under new Mizzou athletic director Laird Veatch

This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Top prospects from Missouri football on Day 3 of 2024 NFL Draft