Notre Dame’s Draft Status By Position
For decades, it’s been consistently verified that tight end and the offensive line are Notre Dame’s easiest positions to recruit.
That has been reinforced this month with the successful recruiting along the line and an unparalleled history at tight end over the past 50 years.
So it hardly comes as a surprise that the first two, and lone, commitments in Notre Dame’s 2022 recruiting class (current high school juniors) also line up at those two positions: Indiana offensive lineman Joey Tanona and Georgia tight end Jack Nickel.
Where the Fighting Irish have had to grapple in an attempt to keep up with the Joneses of college football has been at the skill positions, especially cornerback and running back.
“We’ve got to make some plays on the perimeter [on defense and offense], our running back position has got to continue to grow,” Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly said prior to the 2019 season while measuring his words carefully on where the program needs to elevate the most to reach a top-tier status.
The wide receiver position in reality has developed well in the past decade under Kelly. It featured first-round picks Michael Floyd (2012) and Will Fuller (2016), and in 2019 and 2020 Miles Boykin and Chase Claypool were third- and second-round selections, respectively — the first time since 1964-65 it has had wideouts drafted that high in back-to-back years.
Here’s an overview of the nine position groups on offense and defense in the 20 years, or since 2000 in the NFL Draft.
Quarterback
Total Drafted Since 2000 Season: 3
No one is currently on an active NFL roster.
Most Recent First-Round Pick: Brady Quinn (2007)
Notes: An argument could be made that had second-round selections Jimmy Clausen (2010) and DeShone Kizer (2017) returned for their senior seasons, they also could have been chosen in the first round.
Running Back
Total Drafted Since 2000 Season: 4
The highest pick the past 20 years was Julius Jones in the second round (2004).
Under Kelly it has included sixth-round selections Theo Riddick (2013) and Dexter Williams (2019), plus third-round choice C.J. Prosise (2016), who enrolled as a safety, played receiver and moved to running back as a senior in an emergency situation.
Most Recent First-Round Pick: Jerome Bettis (1993)
Notes: Two of the five most productive rushers in school history, Darius Walker (2004-06) and Josh Adams (2015-17), turned pro after their junior campaigns but were not drafted.
Wide Receiver
Total Drafted Since 2000 Season: 11
The Irish have had three straight taken the past three seasons, beginning with junior Equanimeous St. Brown in 2018 in the sixth round.
Most Recent First-Round Pick: Will Fuller (2016).
Notes: This easily would be an even dozen had two-time All-American Jeff Samardzija not opted for Major League Baseball in 2007. This position group has developed the most over the past 15 years.
Tight End
Total Drafted Since 2000 Season: 13
Every opening-game starter at the position for Notre Dame since 2004 has been drafted, most recently Cole Kmet as a junior this past spring in the second round.
Most Recent First-Round Pick: Tyler Eifert (2013)
Notes: Three times in the Kelly era Notre Dame had the first tight end selected in the draft. The first two were Kyle Rudolph (2011, second round, No. 43 overall, just like Kmet) and Eifert (2013, first round, No. 21).
Three others since 2000 also were picked in the second round: Anthony Fasano (2006), John Carlson (2008) and Troy Niklas (2014).
Offensive Line
Total Drafted Since 2000 Season: 18
There has been a first-round pick at each of the five positions along the line over the past 20 years.
Most Recent First-Round Picks: Quenton Nelson and Mike McGlinchey (2018)
Notes: Three of the five first-team All-Pro choices in 2019 graduated from Notre Dame: Zack Martin, Ronnie Stanley and Nelson.
Defensive Line
Total Drafted Since 2000 Season: 13
After having only five from 2001-10, the number has increased to eight since 2011 under Kelly, most recently with ends Julian Okwara and Khalid Kareem this past spring.
Most Recent First-Round Pick: Jerry Tillery (2018)
Notes: Notre Dame has had four second-round picks since 2001, but Tillery was the first to go in the opening round since Renaldo Wynn in 1996.
Linebacker
Total Drafted Since 2000 Season: 13
This position group has had the longest first-round drought, which would have been ended in 2016 had Jaylon Smith not suffered a severe knee injury in the 2016 Fiesta Bowl.
Most Recent First-Round Pick: Bob Crable (1982)
Notes: Since 1967, linebacker has had seven second-round choices, notably Smith and Manti Te’o (2013) under Kelly. Can current senior Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah in 2021 end the streak without a first-rounder in 38 years?
Safety
Total Drafted Since 2000 Season: 10
Alohi Gilman joined the group this spring. This does not include former Irish safeties who shifted to safety in the NFL, i.e. Robert Blanton (2012) or Bennett Jackson (2014).
Most Recent First-Round Pick: Harrison Smith (2012), who has been selected to the Pro Bowl each of the past five years.
Notes: Popular opinion holds that current sophomore Kyle Hamilton will be the next to hear his name called in the first round.
Cornerback
Total Drafted Since 2000 Season: 9
Consensus All-American Julian Love and Troy Pride Jr. were both fourth-round choices the past two years after providing a dynamic tandem in 2018 that helped Notre Dame to the College Football Playoff.
Most Recent First-Round Pick: Tom Carter (1993)
Notes: Both the running back position with Bettis and corner had their most recent first-round choice the same time 27 years ago (and both were juniors).
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