5 NFL stars who were victim of Draft's hype machine ft. Will Levis

The first round of the NFL Draft finished up last night. It was an eventful night as picks switched hands several times and prospects went all over the place. Some players were hyped up before the draft only to come crashing back down to earth, though.

With one of the most unpredictable drafts in recent memory, there were a lot of players who fell victim to the hype train that was rolling for them. Either they were hyped up and fell or they got hyped up so much that they're inevitably not going to live up to it. Here are a few examples.

---

NFL prospects who fell victim to their own hype train

5) Jahmyr Gibbs

The hype train for Jahmyr Gibbs didn't hurt the NFL prospect, but rather the team that drafted him. Gibbs was being hyped as a first round prospect even though teams generally do not draft running backs that high anymore. The Detroit Lions reached for him at 12, falling victim to the hype.

---

4) Jaxon Smith-Njigba

Jaxon Smith-Njigba was hyped as the best wide receiver prospect and mocked to several teams picking in the top 15. Many expected him to go off the board pretty early and thus started the hype machine. He ended up sliding all the way to the Seattle Seahawks. That's a good fit, but he certainly could have gone way higher based on the hype.

---

3) Josh Downs

Josh Downs could fall into the third round

Josh Downs was rumored to potentially sneak into the first round, especially if wide receivers started going early. A team was likely to go for him if they needed a wide receiver. That didn't happen, so the rumors got the best of him. He may end up a round three pick at this rate after being a possible first rounder.

---

2) Michael Mayer

Michael Mayer fell victim to the NFL hype machine

Michael Mayer was widely considered the best tight end in this class. The Notre Dame prospect was also expected to be a first-round selection. Instead, only Dalton Kincaid (at 25th overall) was selected on day one. Mayer remains one of the best prospects left, but he could have been a first-rounder based on the hype.

---

1) Will Levis

Will Levis is the ultimate victim of the NFL Draft hype machine. The hype for him grew out of control when his odds of being the top selection jumped all the way to four-to-one ahead of the first round. He wasn't the top selection, or the second, or the third. In fact, he didn't even get drafted in the first round. This shouldn't be a huge surprise as he was widely considered the fourth prospect out of the four quarterbacks, but the hype made him seem like a surefire first-round pick.