Five Notre Dame players included in ESPN full NFL mock draft
The NFL Draft will be live from Las Vegas just two weeks from Thursday, and ESPN draft analyst Jordan Reid has released a full 262-pick mock draft. It includes five Notre Dame players — two on defense and three on offense.
Here is a look at their projected landing spots:
SAF Kyle Hamilton — Round 1, No. 8 to the Atlanta Falcons
Most of the teams with top-10 draft selections need several difference makers across the board, or else they probably would not be in that position, so it is hard to predict exactly where Hamilton will land. Reid thinks it’s Atlanta.
“The Falcons need talent at nearly every position across the board,” Reid said. “General manager Terry Fontenot could focus instead on taking the best prospect available. The 6-foot-4, 220-pound Hamilton brings a tremendous skill set to the defensive backfield. He can be a playmaker and tone-setter for Atlanta.”
WR Kevin Austin — Round 4, No. 128 to the Baltimore Ravens (via ARI)
The Ravens’ top draft needs are on the defensive side of the ball, but they could pick up Austin on Saturday with one of their five (yes, five) fourth-round draft picks. Ironically, the Ravens may be looking to trade former Irish receiver Miles Boykin ahead of this season, and a 6-3 wideout like Austin could provide another body at boundary receiver for them.
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RB Kyren Williams — Round 6, No. 201 to the Arizona Cardinals
Arizona re-signed running back James Conner to a three-year deal, but they lost Chase Edmonds to the Miami Dolphins. Conner is a bit more of a physical, bowling ball-type of back, so Arizona could use someone with reactive quickness and a bit more speed like Williams on their roster.
The 5-9, 194-pound back dropped the 4.65 40-yard dash time he ran at the NFL Combine to 4.54 at Notre Dame pro day. While the latter time is not head-turning, it is a notable improvement which may quell the fears of some NFL teams.
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QB Jack Coan — Round 6, No. 211 to the Los Angeles Rams
Reid has Coan headed to play for the defending Super Bowl champions. As it currently stands, the Rams currently have three quarterbacks on their roster: starter Matthew Stafford plus Bryce Perkins and John Wolford. Outside of Stafford, there isn’t much depth here; Wolford has one career start, while Perkins has zero.
The opportunity for Coan to learn from both Stafford and head coach and elite offensive mind Sean McVay would be valuable in more ways than one can count.
DL Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa — Round 7, No. 225 to the Pittsburgh Steelers (via NYJ)
The final Irish player in Reid’s full draft projection is Tagovailoa-Amosa. He lists him as an EDGE, which makes much more since after the defenseman shed a few pounds last year and moved away from your textbook interior defensive lineman.
Pittsburgh was one of the NFL’s worst run-stopping teams last season because they lacked depth on the defensive line. Tagovailoa-Amosa would provide that backup option, and he brings an attitude to the locker room that any NFL team would be lucky to have.
