Notre Dame To The NFL: Defensive Line Is On An Impressive Run
It wasn't that long ago that the mantra of "Notre Dame doesn't produce enough top defensive linemen" was a prominent discussion point when looking at the Fighting Irish program. There was a lot of truth to that, and the NFL Draft was evidence of that.
That is starting to change.
After Daelin Hayes and Adetokunbo Ogundeji were drafted this past weekend, the Irish have now had five defensive linemen drafted in the last three seasons. Hayes and Ogundeji joined ends Julian Okwara (2020), Khalid Kareem (2020) and Jerry Tillery (2019) as recent draft picks.
To put that into perspective, the five picks in the last three drafts matches the number of Notre Dame defensive linemen picked in the previous decade combined. In 2019 Notre Dame also had its first defensive lineman to go in the first round since 1997 (Renaldo Wynn) when the Los Angeles Chargers picked Jerry Tillery.
When Notre Dame played Clemson in the 2018 Cotton Bowl the Irish two deep at defensive end consisted of four players that have since been drafted, which is quite an impressive feat. To make it even more clear, all four of those defensive linemen - Hayes, Ogundeji, Okwara, Kareem - were from the same recruiting class (2016).
Think about that, four players in one class - who play two positions - got drafted into the NFL, and within the first five rounds. I'm sure that is something defensive line coach Mike Elston - the architect of all this success up front - will be able to use that to his advantage on the recruiting trail. I'm sure it's a message the staff will deliver to 2022 edge star Cyrus Moss.
No position on the entire Notre Dame roster has produced more drafted players during that stretch, which includes the offensive line. Notre Dame has had three offensive linemen picked during that stretch, and you'd have to go back an extra year to the 2018 NFL Draft to get the offensive line up to five.
Only Ohio State (10), Alabama (9), Miami, Fla. (8) and NC State (7) have produced more drafted defensive linemen in the last three seasons. When you consider that Notre Dame still has two starters from the 2019 and 2020 lines still on the roster (Kurt Hinish, Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa).
Tagovailoa-Amosa and Hinish could add to that haul next season, and keep an eye out for players like Jayson Ademilola and Isaiah Foskey should they have breakout seasons as well. This run doesn't look to be slowing down.
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Miami Dolphins Draft Notre Dame OL Liam Eichenberg
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San Francisco 49ers Draft Notre Dame OL Aaron Banks
Carolina Panthers Draft Notre Dame Tight End Tommy Tremble
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Draft Notre Dame OL Robert Hainsey
New Orleans Saints Draft Notre Dame Quarterback Ian Book
Baltimore Ravens Draft Notre Dame Defensive End Daelin Hayes
Atlanta Falcons Draft Notre Dame Defensive End Adetokunbo Ogundeji
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