The start of the NFL plspanyoffs provides a welcome opportunity to look back and see how some of the top stars were considered as high school recruits.

Some of players, such as Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lspanwrence, one of the top recruits of all time, and Minnesota Vikings running back Dalvin Cook were correctly projected.

Then there are the big misses, which tend to stick out more. Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen was unranked. Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson was a two-star recruit who wasn’t rated in the nation’s top 300 senior receivers.

There are also the late bloomers — or at least late-to-the-sport athletes — such as Jason Pierre-Paul and Za’Daruius Smith, who took the road less traveled.

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Here’s a look at some of the top offensive and defensive players in the playoffs and how they were viewed as high school seniors.

AFC

Kansas City Chiefs

QB Patrick Mahomes

It once looked like Mahomes was destined for baseball glory. The son of former MLB pitcher Pat Mahomes Sr. and godson of former MLB pitcher LaTroy Hawkins, Mahomes played in the Little League World Series and threw a 16-strikeout no-hitter in high school. Still, he was ranked a three-star recruit and the No. 22 pro-style quarterback on the 247Sports composite as a senior at Whitehouse High School (Texas) in 2014. Mahomes signed with Texas Tech over offers from Oklahoma State and Rice.

DT Chris Jones

Jones was one of the premier recruits in the nation in the Class of 2013. The Houston High School (Mississippi) grad was rated a five-star recruit and the No. 2 defensive end in the nation behind Robert Nkemdiche — the consensus No. 1 player in the nation. Jones signed with Mississippi State over Ole Miss, Alabama, Auburn and Florida.

Homegrown: WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling

A three-star recruit out of Lakewood High School (St. Petersburg) in 2013, Scantling was ranked the No. 1,545 player in the nation and the No. 217 overall player in Florida on the 247Sports composite. He picked N.C. State over Cincinnati, Toledo and USF.

Buffalo Bills

QB Josh Allen

Allen was unrated and had no major college offers as a senior at Firebaugh High School (California) in 2014. He spent one year at Reedley College (California) and was the No. 5-ranked junior college prospect in the nation. Even then, the only two schools to offer were Eastern Michigan and Wyoming. He ended up picking Wyoming.

LB Matt Milano

A linebacker/safety hybrid at Dr. Phillips High School (Orlando), Milano was ranked a three-star recruit as a senior in 2013. The 247Sports composite rated Milano as the No. 95 safety in the nation and No. 196 overall player in the state. He signed with Boston College over offers from Arizona, Air Force, Bowling Green and Miami (Ohio).

Homegrown: DE Greg Rousseau

Buffalo has several starters and key contributors from Florida high schools (Devin Singletary, James Cook, Gabe Davis, Isaiah McKenzie, Kaiir Elam, Milano, etc.). Rousseau was a three-star recruit, No. 80 player in the state and No. 27 weakside defensive end in the nation on the 247Sport composite at Champagnat Catholic (Hialeah) in 2018. He picked Miami over offers from LSU, NC State, Oregon, Tennessee, USC and others.

Cincinnati Bengals

QB Joe Burrow

The No. 1 pick in the 2020 NFL draft was one of the top 300 recruits in the nation on the 247Sports composite as a senior at Athens High School (Ohio) in 2015. A four-star recruit and the No. 8 dual-threat quarterback in the nation — Kyler Murray was No. 1 and Sam Darnold was No. 5 — Burrow’s offers included Boston College, Iowa State, Kentucky, Ohio State and West Virginia. He signed with Ohio State before transferring to LSU, where he won the Heisman Trophy and a national championship.

S Jessie Bates III

Bates was a three-star recruit at R Nelson Snider High School (Indiana) in 2015. He was ranked the No. 20 player in Indiana and the No. 94 safety in the nation on the 247Sports composite. He picked Wake Forest over offers from Iowa, Ball State and Toledo.

Homegrown: DE Trey Hendrickson

Hendrickson helped Apopka High School win the 2012 state championship as a senior but had little interest from major programs. Hendrickson was ranked the No. 307 recruit in the state and the No. 101 weakside defensive end in the nation on the 247Sports composite in 2013. The two-star recruit signed with FAU over offers from New Mexico and Western Kentucky.

Jacksonville Jaguars

QB Trevor Lawrence

Lawrence, the No. 1 pick in the 2021 NFL draft, was one of the highest-rated recruits of all time. He was the No. 1-ranked player in the nation — and No. 6 all-time recruit — on the 247Sports composite as a senior at Cartersville High School (Georgia) in 2018. Lawrence stunned many by picking Clemson over Georgia.

S Rayshawn Jenkins

Jenkins was a three-star recruit out of Admiral Farragut High School (St. Petersburg) in 2012. He was ranked the No. 53 safety in the nation and the No. 102 player in the state on the 247Sports composite. Jenkins signed with Miami over Iowa State, Kentucky, Wake Forest and others.

Homegrown: CB Tyson Campbell

Campbell was one of the nation’s top defensive recruits as a senior at American Heritage (Plantation) in 2018. Campbell was ranked No. 12 overall in the nation, the No. 2 cornerback and No. 4 player in the state on the 247Sports composite. He signed with Georgia over Alabama, Miami, Tennessee and others.

Los Angeles Chargers

QB Justin Herbert

Hebert is another Pro Bowler who wasn’t highly recruited out of high school. The Sheldon High School (Eugene, Oregon) product was ranked the No. 25 pro-style quarterback — behind players such as Shea Patterson (No. 1), Dwayne Haskins (No. 5) and Feleipe Franks (No. 6) — on the 247Sports composite rankings at Sheldon in 2016. Herbert signed with Oregon over Montana State, Northern Arizona and Portland State.

S Derwin James

The Haines City High School graduate was one of the nation’s top recruits in the class of 2015. James was the No. 1 safety in the nation, the No. 3 player in the state and the No. 5 overall player in the nation on the 247Sports composite. James signed with Florida State over offers from Clemson, Florida, LSU, Miami, Ohio State and others. James is the fourth-highest-rated recruit since 2000 according to 247Sports.

Homegrown: DE Joey Bosa

The Chargers’ premier edge rushers — Bosa and Khalil Mack (Fort Pierce Westwood) — both went to high school in Florida. Bosa, the son of Miami Dolphins’ 1987 first-round draft pick John Bosa, was the No. 4 strongside defensive end in the county and the No. 37 recruit overall on the 247Sports composite at St. Thomas Aquinas in 2013. Bosa signed with Ohio State over offers from Alabama, Florida, Florida State, Notre Dame and others.

Baltimore Ravens

QB Lamar Jackson

The Boynton Beach High School graduate and Heisman Trophy winner was a four-star recruit and the No. 12 dual-threat quarterback on the 247Sports composite in 2015. Some of the quarterbacks ranked ahead of Jackson include Kyler Murray (No. 1), Jarrett Stidham (No. 2), Sam Darnold (No. 5) and Joe Burrow (No. 8). Jackson committed to Louisville over offers from South Carolina, Florida State and Clemson.

LB Roquan Smith

The Ravens’ midseason acquisition was one of the nation’s top linebacker recruits in the class of 2015. The Macon County High School (Georgia) graduate was the No. 5 outside linebacker and No. 48 overall player in the nation as a senior. Smith committed to UCLA but did not send in his letter of intent on national signing day after hearing that his primary recruiter would be leaving the Bruins. Smith waited and ended up signing with Georgia.

Homegrown: LB Jason Pierre-Paul

Pierre-Paul wasn’t a big-time recruit at Deerfield Beach High School in 2005, which isn’t surprising considering he played only basketball until his junior year. He made stops at two junior colleges before being ranked as a two-star recruit — and the No. 124 weakside defensive end — on the 247Sports composite and transferring to USF.

Miami Dolphins

WR Tyreek Hill

Primarily a track star at Coffee High School (Georgia) — he was a 2012 USA Today All-American — Hill went to Garden City Community College (Kansas) and was the No. 3-ranked JUCO player and No. 1 all-purpose back in 2014. He signed with Oklahoma State over offers from Alabama, Florida State and Texas.

CB Xavien Howard

The Pro Bowl cornerback was not a highly sought-after recruit as a senior at Wheatley High School (Texas) in 2012. Despite being an all-state selection, Howard was ranked a two-star recruit, the No. 148 cornerback in the nation and No. 357 overall player in the state. Howard signed with Baylor.

Homegrown: RB Raheem Mostert

Mostert was a three-star recruit coming out of New Smyrna Beach High School in 2011. He was rated the No. 149 wide receiver in the nation and the No. 158 player in Florida on the 247Sports composite. Mostert committed to Purdue over Wake Forest.

NFC

Philadelphia Eagles

QB Jalen Hurts

Hurts was one of the nation’s top dual-threat quarterbacks as a senior at Channelview High School (Texas) in 2016. He was the No. 4 dual-threat quarterback on the 247Sports composite and the No. 29 overall player in Texas. Hurts picked Alabama over Mississippi State and Texas A&M.

CB Darius Slay

Slay was a three-sport standout at Brunswick High School (Georgia) in 2009 and was an all-state running back and defensive back. He was a three-star recruit and the No. 161 wide receiver in the nation on the 247Sports composite. He ended up signing with Mississippi State after a stint at a junior college.

Homegrown: S C.J. Gardner-Johnson

The Cocoa High School graduate was one of the top defensive backs in the nation as a senior in 2016. Gardner-Johnson was the No. 4 cornerback in the nation and the No. 4 overall recruit in the state on the 247Sports composite. He picked Florida over offers from Alabama, Georgia, Miami, Notre Dame and others.

San Francisco 49ers

RB Christian McCaffrey

McCaffrey, the son of former NFL wide receiver Ed McCaffrey, was one of the top running backs in the nation as a senior at Valor Christian (Colorado) in 2014. 247Sports ranked McCaffrey as the No. 1 player in Colorado and the No. 2 all-purpose back in the nation behind Joe Mixon. McCaffrey picked Stanford over offers including Colorado, Florida State, Michigan, Ohio State, Oregon.

LB Fred Warner

Warner was a player who kept rising in the eyes of recruiting analysts throughout his final two years of high school and ended up as a four-star recruit on the 247Sports composite as a senior at Mission Hills (California) in 2014. The No. 33 player in California and No. 28 outside linebacker in the nation picked BYU over offers from Arizona State, Cal, USC and Washington.

Homegrown: DE Nick Bosa

The Pro Bowl pass rusher was one of the premier recruits in the nation as a senior at St. Thomas Aquinas in 2016. Bosa was ranked as the No. 1 strongside defensive end, the No. 2 recruit in Florida and the No. 8 overall recruit in the country on the 247Sports composite. He picked Ohio State over offers from Alabama, Clemson, Florida, Florida State, Miami, Notre Dame and others.

Minnesota Vikings

WR Justin Jefferson

So, there wasn’t exactly a consensus (or even a thought) that Jefferson would arguably become the best wide receiver in the NFL when he was a senior at Destrehan High School (Louisiana) in 2017. He was the No. 308 wide receiver in the nation and No. 76 player in the state on the 247Sports composite. He picked in-state LSU over offers from Northwestern, Tulane and Nicholls State.

LB Za’Darius Smith

Smith is another long defender who had his dreams of playing college basketball rerouted late in his high school career. Smith didn’t play football until his senior year at Greenville (Alabama) and went mostly ignored by recruiters until he arrived at East Mississippi Community College. He was the nation’s No. 3 junior college weakside defensive end in 2013 and signed with Kentucky over Ole Miss, Texas, Texas A&M and West Virginia.  

Homegrown: RB Dalvin Cook

The Miami Central High School product was the best recruit in the state as a senior in 2014. Cook was ranked the No. 1 player in Florida, the No. 2 running back in the country — behind Leonard Fournette — and the No. 12 overall player in the nation on the 247Sports composite. Cook committed to Florida after an unofficial visit his junior year but flipped to Florida State on New Year’s Eve — 11 days before enrolling at FSU.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

QB Tom Brady

Brady was a multisport star at Junipero Serra High School (California). After his family sent out VHS highlight tapes to more than 50 schools, Brady had offers from Cal, UCLA, USC, Michigan and Illinois. He opted for football at Michigan over a baseball career (the Montreal Expos selected Brady as a catcher in 1995).

LB Devin White

White was a 6-foot, 258-pound dynamo as a senior at North Webster High School (Louisiana) and was considered one of the top running backs in the nation. White was ranked as a four-star recruit and the No. 5 running back on the 247Sports Composite in 2016. He signed with LSU, which listed him as a defensive lineman, over Arkansas, Florida State and others.

Homegrown: LB Lavonte David

David, who tied with White for the team lead in tackles this season, was a standout at Miami Northwestern. Despite playing on a national championship team loaded with top-end talent, David was rated just a two-star recruit by Rivals. He signed with Middle Tennessee State but opted for junior college instead. After two years at Fort Scott Community College (Kansas), he was the No. 2 junior college outside linebacker and signed with Nebraska over Baylor, Kansas State, Tennessee and others.

Dallas Cowboys

QB Dak Prescott

Prescott was a three-star recruit at Haughton High School (Louisiana) in 2011. He was ranked the No. 20 dual-threat quarterback in the nation — Teddy Bridgewater was No. 5, Johnny Manziel was No. 13 and Marcus Mariota was No. 18 — and the No. 23 recruit in Louisiana on the 247Sports composite. He picked Mississippi State over LSU.

LB Micah Parsons

Parsons was one of the premier recruits in the nation as a senior at Harrisburg High School in Pennsylvania. Listed as a defensive end, Parsons was the consensus No. 1 player in the state and the No. 2 defensive end in the nation on the 247Sports composite. He committed to Penn State in 2016, decommitted in 2017 but ultimately signed with the Nittany Lions on national signing day.

Homegrown: DE Dante Fowler Jr.

Fowler was one of the top recruits in the state as a senior at Lakewood High School in 2012. He was ranked the No. 6 weakside defensive end in the nation and the No. 6 player in the state on the 247Sports composite. Fowler was committed to Florida State for more than a year but flipped to Florida on national signing day.

New York Giants

RB Saquon Barkley

Barkley was one of the top running backs in the country as a senior at Whitehall High School (Pennsylvania) in 2015. He was ranked the No. 2 player in Pennsylvania, No. 13 running back in the nation and No. 119 overall player in the country on the 247Sports composite. Barkley picked Penn State over Notre Dame, Pittsburgh and Rutgers.

DL Dexter Lawrence

Lawrence was one of the nation’s premier recruits in the class of 2016. The Wake Forest High School (North Carolina) standout was the No. 2 overall player and No. 2 defensive tackle in the nation — behind consensus No. 1 Rashan Gary — on the 247Sports composite. Lawrence signed with Clemson over offers from N.C. State, Alabama, Ohio State, Florida and others.   

Homegrown: OL Evan Neal

The Giants rookie is an Okeechobee native who graduated from IMG Academy in 2019. Neal was the No. 3 player in the state, No. 1 offensive tackle in the nation and No. 7 overall player in the nation on the 247Sports composite. Neal announced he was signing with Alabama over Florida State, Georgia, Miami and Oklahoma during the early signing period.  

Seattle Seahawks

WR DK Metcalf

Metcalf, the son of former NFL offensive lineman Terrence Metcalf, was one of the top wide receiver recruits in the nation as a senior at Oxford High School (Mississippi) in 2016. He was the No. 16 wide receiver in the nation and the No. 110 overall recruit in the nation on the 247Sports composite. Metcalf signed with Ole Miss over offers from Auburn, California, Miami and others.

S Quandre Diggs

Diggs was considered one of the top athletes in the nation as a senior at Angleton High School (Texas) in 2011. The four-star recruit was ranked the No. 10 overall player in Texas, No. 66 player in the country and No. 5 athlete on the 247Sports composite. Diggs picked Texas over Alabama, LSU, Oklahoma and others.

Homegrown: QB Geno Smith

Smith, a Miramar High School product, was rated a four-star recruit and No. 3 dual-threat quarterback in the nation as a senior in the class of 2009. Smith opted to commit to West Virginia over offers from Alabama, Clemson, Florida, Florida State, Miami, Michigan and others.