Only Three Notre Dame Players Go In Mock Draft From The Athletic

Three former Notre Dame stars appeared in Dane Brugler’s most recent seven-round mock draft over at The Athletic, which included all 262 selections.

The first former Irish player picked should be no surprise. Brugler had All-American safety Kyle Hamilton coming off the board with the No. 11 overall selection to the Washington Commanders.

It has been widely speculated that Hamilton might be in store for a bit of a draft fall, especially when considering the positional value and where the safety position is typically valued by the NFL. The Commanders seem to be the floor for Hamilton, who has been forecasted anywhere from pick No. 2 to the Detroit Lions and most frequently to Washington recently.

This is what Brugler has to say about Hamilton’s fit with the Commanders:

“Hamilton is universally liked across the league, but not every franchise is going to be on board with drafting a unique 6-foot-4, 220-pound safety with a top pick, which is why it shouldn’t be surprising if he falls out of the top 10. I think the Commanders want a receiver here to help score more points, but I also think it will be tough for Ron Rivera to pass on a talent like Hamilton.” - Brugler

As you can see by the explanation, this is less about Hamilton as a player and more about the league’s hesitance to value the position that highly or their inability to properly use an athlete this unique. Passing up on Hamilton could be one of the more regretful decisions once the league attaches hindsight. Undervaluing a player without any major flaws because of the position they play seems like a flawed mindset.

The next former Notre Dame player who Brugler had coming off of the board was former wide receiver Kevin Austin Jr. Benefiting from a dynamic 2022 NFL Scouting Combine showing, Austin has been one of the biggest risers at the wide receiver positions this cycle.

Brugler has him being selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers with the No. 138 overall selection, which falls in the fourth round. There was no excerpt attached but it’s hard not to be optimistic about Austin’s potential fit with the Steelers. The organization remains one of the most consistent franchises in the history of the NFL, having a fantastic track record of producing the wide receiver position to boot.

It would also reunite Austin with another former Irish standout pass catcher in Chase Claypool. This would also offer the chance for Austin to be brought on slowly, hopefully tapping into his long-term potential.

The final Notre Dame selection came just ten picks after Austin, seeing the Chicago Bears selecting Kyren Williams with the No. 148 overall selection, which is in the fifth round. It has been a less than stellar draft process for Williams, coming off of a disastrous combine performance.

He has become a very underrated football player with that testing but still offers intriguing possibilities on the next level. With his potential fit with the Bears, he could immediately take over the pseudo-pass-catcher role that is vacated by Tarik Cohen in the backfield. Combining him in a running back room of David Montgomery and Khalil Herbert is an embarrassment of riches.

Williams would be a dominant passing game threat at very worst.

One of the more surprising parts of the mock draft was the absence of quarterback Jack Coan and defensive lineman Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa. Both players have universally been considered draftable prospects recently. We will have clarity soon if Brugler is on to something with that take.

The 2022 NFL Draft is set to begin on Thursday, April 28th at 8 PM eastern time. It will run through April 30th, where the draft will conclude with rounds 4-7.

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