10 Notre Dame quarterbacks drafted in the first round, with DeShone Kizer hoping tonight to become the 11th. Only two have been selected in the first round since 1961: Rick Mirer (No. 2 in 1993) and Brady Quinn (No. 22 in 2007).
9 Other players from Notre Dame at this time last year — in addition to Kizer — who were projected to be potential NFL Draft picks in 2017: running back Tarean Folston, wide receiver Torii Hunter Jr., offensive linemen Mike McGlinchey and Quenton Nelson, defensive linemen Isaac Rochell and Jarron Jones, linebacker James Onwualu, cornerback Cole Luke and safety Max Redfield.
Fortunately, both McGlinchey and Nelson are returning in 2017, but for now it appears only Rochell and Jones might be the other choices. It just shows how there is no certainty in this endeavor, no matter where your career was two years ago or what your star rating was in high school.
8 Former Notre Dame players who were on 2016 NFL rosters despite not getting drafted, most all of whom played under Brian Kelly: The group included running back George Atkinson III, receiver Chris Brown (injured reserve), defensive linemen Romeo Okwara, Ian Williams and Ishaq Williams, defensive backs Matthias Farley and Cody Riggs, and snapper J.J. Jansen.
7 If Jones and Rochell are drafted, that would mean seven defensive linemen recruited by Kelly’s staff will have been picked in the NFL draft since he first took over in 2010. That would be the most at any one position group, which would seem odd because the popular perception is “Notre Dame can’t recruit defensive linemen.” The other five were Kapron Lewis-Moore, Stephon Tuitt, Louis Nix, Aaron Lynch (although he transferred to USF after his freshman year) and Sheldon Day in the fourth round last year.
6 Notre Dame players drafted in the first round since 2012, which happens also to be 6th among all schools. The only ones with more the past five years are Alabama with 11 and then Florida State, Florida, Ohio State and Texas A&M with seven apiece. (Consider that Texas has had only two, Michigan and Oklahoma one each, and Penn State and Nebraska zero.)
This also is noteworthy because in the 17 drafts from 1995-2011, the Irish had a total of four players selected in the first round.
5 In the last five drafts, Notre Dame is No. 5 in most players taken in the first two rounds with 11 (six in the first, five in the second). The only schools ahead of the them are Alabama (21), Florida State (15), Ohio State (14) and LSU (12). The Irish have played all four during that time and are 1-3, with the win coming versus LSU in the 2014 Music City Bowl (31-28).
4 After seven seasons Kelly ranks 4th among Notre Dame head coaches with most first-round players chosen (6). The three ahead of him all coached 11 seasons. Ara Parseghian and Lou Holtz are tied at No. 1 with 12 apiece, while Frank Leahy had 10. Dan Devine had five in six seasons, while Terry Brennan also had five in five years.
3 The Fighting Irish remain third all time with 66 players drafted in the first round, most recently left tackle Ronnie Stanley and receiver Will Fuller last year. USC is No. 1 with 79 while Ohio State is second with 76.
2 Only two schools — Notre Dame and Oklahoma — have had at least one player drafted in 79 of the 81 drafts that have been held. The two Irish misses were in 1937 and 1977 — although running back Al Hunter was taken in the first-ever supplemental draft held in 1977 after he was dismissed from the University that summer.
If including the supplemental draft, then Notre Dame would have a streak of 78 drafts with at least one player picked, the longest in the nation.
1 Player more USC has had drafted (493) than Notre Dame (492) since the first one was held Feb. 8, 1936, with Willliam Shakespeare the first Fighting Irish player ever taken (No. 3 overall by the Pittsburgh Steelers). Ohio State’s 429 make it the only other school with at least 400.
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