Notre Dame Players Fill Latest CBS Sports Mock Drafts

The latest mock drafts from the various NFL writers and draft analysts from CBS Sports are quite favorable for Notre Dame. It includes the first mock draft of the offseason that has a pair of former Notre Dame players in the first round.

Senior NFL columnist Pete Prisco did a first-round mock draft and he had both wide receiver Chase Claypool and tight end Cole Kmet going in round one.

Prisco had Claypool going No. 22 to the Buffalo Bills, marking the second time Claypool has shown up in the first round of a post-combine mock draft.

“They need to get bigger at receiver and Claypool showed at the combine he can run well enough to stay at receiver, rather than moving to tight end.”

He had Kmet going No. 30 overall to the Green Bay Packers, where he would join former Irish teammates Equanimeous St. Brown and Dexter Williams.

“They will explore tight ends in free agency, but this would make sense if they come up short. They need to give Aaron Rodgers more help in the passing game.”

NFL writer Will Brinson also put out a first-round mock draft. He had former Notre Dame defensive end Julian Okwara going No. 26 overall to the Miami Dolphins.

“Good news: you got Dak! Bad news: you only got one player in the first round of the draft now. At least he's talented!”

In Brinson’s mock draft he projected trades, and he had the Dallas Cowboys trading quarterback Dan Prescott to the Dolphins.

NFL Draft analyst Ryan Wilson performed a three-round mock draft, and for the first time I've seen five former Irish players in the first three rounds of a 2020 mock draft.

The first Notre Dame player off the board for Wilson was Okwara, who he had going in the second round (No. 48 overall) to the New York Jets.

Wilson had the Minnesota Vikings taking cornerback Troy Pride Jr. No. 58 overall. Of course, Minnesota is the home of former Notre Dame star Harrison Smith, a Pro Bowl safety for the Vikings.

Wilson has Kmet going to the Packers as well, but he has Green Bay taking the former Irish tight end in the second round (No. 62 overall). I will be shocked if Kmet gets anywhere close to this spot in the draft.

His final two selections were third-round picks.

Wilson had wide receiver Chase Claypool going No. 66 overall to the Washington Redskins. Quarterback Dwayne Haskins would certainly be thrilled if Claypool falls that far and ends up in the nation’s capital.

The final selection was defensive end Khalid Kareem, who Wilson has slated to the Kansas City Chiefs at the No. 96 overall pick.