West Spotlight: Three-stars that could develop into NFL Draft picks
Dozens of former three-star prospects heard their names called during last week’s NFL Draft. Who might be some of the next prospects to outplay their high school ranking? Rivals national recruiting director Adam Gorney looks at five candidates from the West.
THIS SERIES: Midwest three-stars that could develop into NFL Draft picks | Southeast | Florida
MORE: Ranking the five best players available in the transfer portal
At the recent Rivals Camp Series event in Los Angeles, Benjamin measured in at 6-foot-8 and 316 pounds with an 83-inch wingspan. So from a physical standpoint, Benjamin is massive and has all the tools to be a special offensive tackle down the line.
The Lehi (Utah) Skyridge standout does need to get a little more powerful and be able to move a little better at his size but once Benjamin gets more comfortable in his own size, he should only get better.
Not many people have the special tools to perform at the highest level like Benjamin does and once he puts the entire package together, NFL teams should fall in love with his size and body frame. Utah, Arkansas, Oklahoma State and others are involved.
The Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei secondary was so loaded last season with Alabama signee Chuck McDonald, Penn State signee Daryus Dixson and then 2027 four-stars Aaryn Washington and Danny Lang leading the way that Lavender ran the risk of getting lost in the shuffle.
But that turned out not to be the case as the new Washington commit has a knack for being around the football and making plays.
The top cornerbacks who are getting drafted are around 6-foot or shorter and can move, and that fits Lavender well. He’s quick, fast, has a great feel for the position and being around the ball. He has more than held his own in Mater Dei’s defense.
At 6-foot-5 and 250 pounds, Meier is already in the range of all the elite defensive ends in this year’s NFL Draft and he’s coming off an impressive junior season at Los Angeles (Calif.) Loyola.
The new Stanford commit has also been dealing with tragedy as his house burned down in the Palisades Fire a few months ago but that seems to have only motivated him more to excel on the football field and make a bigger impact.
He has the size and the power to be an elite defensive end. He holds up against the run and has nice inside and outside moves to pressure the quarterback. He’s someone who could move much higher through his senior season and easily be a four-star before all is said and done.
Leinart bounced around high schools a little bit looking for a home before landing at Redondo Beach (Calif.) Redondo Union and starting to take off from there.
Yes, he’s Matt Leinart’s son so the pedigree is there and the quarterback knowledge is there. While he has been behind some bigger-named 2026 quarterbacks, the three-star might have found his perfect fit at SMU.
With a fun offense that likes to throw the ball, Leinart will be able to showcase his abilities in the ACC for a staff that knows how to move the ball and score points.
Ohio State is not going to Arizona just for fun as the Buckeyes targeted Smith as one of the better offensive linemen in the class. The high three-star will have a chance to move up his ranking and especially outplay it once he gets to Columbus.
The Glendale (Ariz.) O’Connor standout has not been to many events during his high school career so we’ve leaned conservative with his ranking but there is a lot to like.
Smith is not totally filled out physically yet so he can easily get to 300 pounds and keep his footwork and athleticism. He’s also big and tough and likes to hit people in run blocking. He does a great job against speed and power while playing offensive tackle.
