Notre Dame DL Isaiah Foskey peppers early 2023 NFL Draft rankings
Notre Dame EDGE Isaiah Foskey had the opportunity to declare for the NFL Draft after last season, but he chose to return to South Bend for his senior year. If he can stay healthy, it seems that decision will pay dividends, as Foskey is already getting NFL Draft buzz courtesy of multiple outlets.
Mel Kiper’s ‘Big Board’ includes the DL
ESPN NFL Draft expert Mel Kiper wasted little time getting to work on his 2023 NFL Draft Big Board, which includes two Irish players: Foskey and tight end Michael Mayer.
“Foskey leveled up down the stretch in 2021, and he’s an intriguing outside linebacker/defensive end combo in this class,” Kiper said. “He’s still developing his technique, but he has a solid spin move and can beat offensive tackles with power.”
“Will Foskey show more polish this season? I think he could take another leap.”
Last year during his junior season, the 6-5, 260-pound defenseman totaled 52 tackles, 11 sacks, six forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and a pass breakup over 13 games. He led the nation in sack yardage, driving opposing quarterbacks back a total of 128 yards.
Foskey is the eighth defensive player on Kiper’s list and the fourth EDGE rusher.
Pro Football Focus high on Foskey
Pro Football Focus has also turned its attention toward next season and named its top-five EDGE prospects for the 2023 NFL Draft: Alabama’s Will Anderson is No. 1 on the list, followed by Clemson’s Myles Murphy, Georgia’s Nolan Smith, Army’s Andre Carter II and Foskey, in that order.
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In addition to being the No. 5 draft-eligible EDGE in the country, Foskey is the No. 29 overall player per PFF, meaning he is considered a fringe Day 1 selection.
Michael Renner of PFF gave Foskey high praise for his 2021 performance.
“He has the kind of juice and length to continually collapse pockets,” Renner said. “He took massive steps forward as a junior in that regard last season en route to an 80.7 overall grade, but there are more athletic tools to work with than even that production suggests.”
When he takes the field in just under three months, Foskey will be chasing the Notre Dame single-season sack record of 13.5 this fall, which is held by former Irish great Justin Tuck. If he can get there, he just might be ranked higher than the No. 5 pass rusher in the country come April 2023.
A portion of this article appeared in its original form in the June-July issue of Blue & Gold Illustrated.
