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Notre Dame’s Top Tight End/Receiver Combinations In Same NFL Draft

For the third year in a row, Notre Dame produced a tight end/wide receiver duo in the NFL Draft — a first in the school’s history since the June 1966 NFL-AFL merger that resulted in the modern draft.

Another first was those two positions coming among the first 50 selections, both in the second round: tight end Cole Kmet No. 43 to the Chicago Bears and wide receiver Chase Claypool No. 49 to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

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Former Notre Dame tight end and Chicago Bears draft choice Cole Kmet
Second-round pick Cole Kmet is the first Notre Dame player drafted by Chicago since 2001. (Andris Visockis)

Overall since the first such draft in 1967, this marks the 10th time that has occurred for the Fighting Irish. The duo proved highly productive during last season’s 11-2 outcome.


From Lake Barrington, Ill., Kmet is the first Notre Dame player drafted by Chicago since offensive guard Mike Gandy in 2001. In 2019, Kmet snared 43 passes for 515 yards and six touchdowns — tying Ken MacAfee’s single-season school mark by tight ends set in 1977 — despite missing the first two games while recovering from shoulder surgery.

Former Notre Dame wide receiver and Pittsburgh Steelers draft choice Chase Claypool
Chase Claypool, Notre Dame's 2019 MVP, was selected with the No. 49 overall pick, by Pittsburgh. (Matt Cashore/USA TODAY Sports)

A Canadian native, Claypool as a senior grabbed 66 passes for 1,037 yards and 13 touchdowns while playing all 13 games.

Will this prove to be the best tight end/wide receiver combination among the nine others produced by Notre Dame in a single draft? We believe it definitely has the makings.

Here is the list, going from most recent to back to 1969.


2019 WR Miles Boykin (third round, 93rd overall pick) and TE Alize Mack (seventh round, 231st)

Boykin finished his rookie season last year at Baltimore with 13 catches for 193 yards and two touchdowns.

Mack was selected by New Orleans and was on the practice squads for the Saints, Pittsburgh and the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs. He was released by the latter Nov. 30, but on Jan. 9 signed a reserve/future contract with the Chiefs.


2018 TE Durham Smythe (fourth round, 123rd) and WR Equanimeous St. Brown (sixth round, 207th)

Smythe started 14 of the Miami Dolphins’ 16 games last season, catching seven passes for 65 yards.

St. Brown departed for the NFL following his junior year and had a solid rookie season at Green Bay with 21 catches for 328 yards in 2018, but was on injured reserve all of last year.


2014 TE Troy Niklas (second round, 52nd) and WR TJ Jones (sixth round, 189th)

Niklas also left after his junior year and had a four-year career at Arizona that ended in 2017. He started 18 games in his career, catching 19 passes for 203 yards and three scores.

Now a free agent, Jones played five years at Detroit and then three games for the New York Giants last season. The 2013 Irish MVP has 67 career catches for 852 yards and five touchdowns as a pro.


2006 TE Anthony Fasano (second round, 53rd) and WR Maurice Stovall (third round, 90th)

Fasano had a superb 12-year career with 135 starts, 299 receptions, 3,278 receiving yards and 36 scores before retiring after the 2017 season.

Stovall played seven years, accruing 52 catches for 668 yards and three touchdowns.


2002 TE John Owens (fifth round, 138th), WR Javin Hunter (sixth round, 206th) and David Givens (seventh round 253rd)

Primarily used as a blocker, Owens lasted eight years in the league while latching on to 22 catches for 178 yards and a score.

Hunter played one year (at Baltimore), finishing with five catches for 35 yards.

Although Givens played only five years, he is one of Notre Dame’s best steals ever in the draft, winning two Super Bowls at New England — catching touchdowns in both — while becoming one of quarterback Tom Brady’s top targets. He had 166 career catches for 2,318 yards and 12 touchdowns — plus had seven scores in playoff games.

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1992 TE Derek Brown (first round, 14th) and Tony Smith (sixth round, 159th)

Brown lasted nine years with four different franchises, finishing with 43 catches, 401 receiving yards and a touchdown.

Smith’s lone season was at Kansas City in 1992, but he had no game action.


1975 WR Pete Demmerle (13th round, 320th) and TE Tom Fine (16th round, 408th)

Neither played in the NFL.


1974 TE Dave Casper (second round, 45th overall) and WR Willie Townsend (17th round, 440th)

Casper is in both the College and Pro Football Halls of Fame as one of the all-time greats.

Notre Dame’s top receiver in 1972, Townsend backed up Demmerle for the 1973 national champs while battling a severe elbow injury. He did not make an NFL roster.


1969 WR Jim Seymour (first round, 10th) and Jim Winegardner (fifth round, 119th)

A severe injury in the Hula Bowl hampered the three-time All-American Seymour’s pro career significantly. His three-year career produced 21 catches for 385 yards and five scores.

Winegardner, the first Notre Dame player to officially be listed as the starting “tight end,” as opposed to just “end,” did not play in the NFL.

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