Baltimore Ravens Draft Notre Dame DE Daelin Hayes
Former Notre Dame defensive end Daelin Hayes was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the fifth round of the 2021 NFL Draft
Hayes came to Notre Dame as a five-star recruit, and he made an immediate impact for the Irish in 2016. Over the next two seasons he was part of a lethal end rotation with Julian Okwara, a third-round pick of the Detroit Lions a season ago.
Hayes was off to a great start in 2019 before going down with a season-ending shoulder injury in the fourth game. That allowed him to return for a final season in 2020, and Hayes saw his game takeoff. He’s not a stat stuffer, finishing the 2020 season with 17 tackles, 6.0 tackles for loss, 3.0 sacks and two forced fumbles to go with a pick.
What made Hayes so impactful for Notre Dame was his strong all-around game. He is a stout edge defender, he thrives in underneath coverage - despite being over 260 pounds last season - and Hayes showed clutch pass rushing ability. Hayes wasn’t used as much as a pass rusher as Okwara because of his coverage ability, but we saw against Clemson and Georgia Tech that when he turns it loose he can get after the quarterback.
Hayes ran a 4.69 at Notre Dame’s Pro Day despite checking in at 253 pounds. He also posted an impressive 4.25 in the pro shuttle.
The former Notre Dame standout could thrive as a standup outside linebacker and he projects well as a 4-3 weakside end at the next level.
Related Content
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