NFL Draft Outlook: Notre Dame Defensive End Isaiah Foskey Needs A Strong Draft Process

Heading into the 2022 season, it was anticipated that defensive end Isaiah Foskey could rewrite the record books and fly off into the sunset as a high first round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. While he did the former, the draft evaluation is a little bit more volatile than what was once expected.

After declaring for the 2023 NFL Draft, Foskey is ready to tackle this process head on. Each step will be paramount to meet his goals. It will be fascinating to keep a close eye on.

CAREER OVERVIEW

While Foskey was a consensus four-star recruit coming out of De La Salle in Concord, California, he did rank outside of the top 200 recruits by every major recruiting platform. He far outplayed that recruiting ranking, developing into one of the more productive defensive ends in college football over the last two seasons.

Foskey put together his more productive season in 2022, racking up a career high 14 tackles for loss and tying his career high with 11 more sacks. The California native finished his career as the all-time leader in sacks for Notre Dame, finishing his tenure with 26.5 total sacks.

He recorded 11 sacks in 2021 as well, his first full season as a starter. He showed his promise in 2020 while finishing second on the team with 4.5 sacks while serving as a key member of the Notre Dame defensive line rotation and special teams unit.

To top it all off, Foskey was also an impact member of the punt block unit. During his four year career, he blocked a total of three punts.

EYE IN THE SKY

Blessed with outstanding size at 6-5 and 265 pounds, with absurd length, Foskey is the prototype for a defensive end on the NFL level. He uses that length tremendously well in the run game, where Foskey is able to be physical at the point of attack and gain extension to set a film edge. This also allows him to get off of blocks, showing the talent to stack and shed to make plays in the backfield.

Add in the fact that Foskey plays with great effort and he should make a ton of plays working in pursuit as well. He is a ready made run defender on the next level.

As a pass rusher, Foskey’s length is also a tremendous asset. He is able to play effectively outside of his frame and finish a lot of plays. Right now, his best move is the long arm. When he’s able to get inside of opposing offensive lineman, he is almost impossible to stop. That allows him to convert speed to power well with his combination of linear explosiveness and that aforementioned length.

The upside is almost immeasurable for Foskey, who would develop into a big time player on the next level. There will be without question, however, a bit of a transition early on. For as great as his tools are, he has not developed technically like you would want. Foskey largely relies on his athleticism and rarely has a real plan as a pass rusher. He will need to develop some counter moves and a consistent play to consistently finish at the quarterback.

Foskey is also not the most flexible athlete of all time, lacking the bend in his hips and ankles to win around the edge at a high volume. He is a pure power based rusher who will need to add nuance to his pass rush arsenal. If not, it could limit his all around impact.

CURRENT PROJECTION

While it was once believed that Foskey could hear his name called very early in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft, it seems far more likely that he will hear his name called sometime on Day Two during rounds two or three. There is some worry around the league that Foskey didn’t take much of a step forward in 2022.

He has time to change that narrative during the draft process but there is worry for how much Foskey can affect the game on a snap to snap basis. The word “developmental” and “project” have been thrown around a lot more than you would want.

WHAT TO PROVE

There is no questioning just how physically gifted Foskey is. On the hoof, he is a very impressive athlete who looks the part.

He will have two huge opportunities to show out in front of NFL evaluators during the 2023 Reese’s Senior and the NFL Scouting Combine. The former is especially important for the Irish star. Foskey must show the ability to win in one-on-one pass rush reps. If he can, he could leave Mobile as a huge winner.

The Combine will be a chance for Foskey to show just how high his upside is as an athlete. He could do himself a big favor and put on a nice showing in all the explosive testing (forty yard dash, broad jump, vertical jump, etc.) The California native also has an opportunity to show that he may be a little more flexible than given credit for with solid times in the three cone and short shuttle.

As weird as it sounds, the testing can serve as a chance for evaluators to “forgive” the inconsistencies in his game. That could be huge for Foskey leading up to April in hopes of getting back into the first round conversation.

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