Several Notre Dame players appear in way-too-early 2023 NFL mock drafts

Notre Dame had two players drafted this year. The earliest 2023 mock drafts think the Irish could have at least two first-round picks alone.

The annual churn of way-too-early mocks for the following year started Sunday and Monday, right after the 2022 NFL Draft ended. Most of them agree that tight end Michael Mayer is Notre Dame’s best 2023 draft prospect, with defensive end Isaiah Foskey and safety Brandon Joseph not far behind.

A year out, that trio is tracking toward producing at least one first-rounder. Foskey isn’t shy about sharing his goal of becoming one. He spurned a Day 2 projection this year to come back and take a shot at the first round in 2023. Mayer will undoubtedly begin the season as the consensus top tight end in the class.

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Could any other Notre Dame players join them? Some early mocks think so. Graduate student center Jarrett Patterson appeared in at least one. One mock even had both in the first round with Mayer and Foskey.

This is, of course, a massive projection. Mock drafts that come out a year in advance are tagged with “way-too-early” for a reason. It’s one thing to look like a first-rounder after two years. It’s another to solidify that status. Some players lose it. Others gain it.

Case in point: Oklahoma quarterback Spencer Rattler was the consensus No. 1 pick in last spring’s early mock drafts. He was benched midway through the season and transferred to South Carolina. Meanwhile, Pitt quarterback Kenny Pickett was a three-year starter with middling stats whose return for a fifth season slid under the national radar. He was the first quarterback picked in 2022.

The lesson is to understand a lot can change in a year. But as it stands, here’s where Notre Dame players appeared in the initial batch of mock drafts. (Note: Team order in each mock was determined by Super Bowl LVII betting odds).

The Athletic

Dane Brugler included a pair of Notre Dame players in his mock, with Mayer up first at No. 10 to the Washington Commanders.

“Notre Dame’s tight end-to-NFL pipeline has been unmatched over the past 20 years, and Mayer will continue that streak,” Brugler wrote. “He has the size, athleticism and strong pass-catching skills to be a quarterback’s best friend.”

Foskey appears seven picks later as the Miami Dolphins’ first-rounder and the fifth edge player to go in the top 17.

“Playing a versatile edge role in Marcus Freeman’s scheme, he has the length to stab and soften the edge, relying both on power and range to be disruptive,” Brugler wrote.

CBS Sports

CBS draft analyst Ryan Wilson pegged two Irish players as 2023 first-rounders in his mock draft, starting with Mayer also going 10th overall to the Commanders.

Joseph — not Foskey — was the other, at No. 18 to the Arizona Cardinals. The 2020 All-American is a case study in how much early projections can change. He was a first-round pick in way-to-early mocks last year, but a good-not-great season at Northwestern in 2021 dropped him from that status and led him to transfer to Notre Dame. He hopes to regain it with the Irish. His play during spring practice was a good start.

“Joseph opted to return to school — though he transferred from Northwestern to Notre Dame for 2022 — but he had top-100 buzz in the fall,” Wilson wrote. “He’ll have a chance to improve his stock with a strong fall campaign.”

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Sporting News

SN’s Vinnie Iyer put four Notre Dame players in the first round, starting with Mayer at No. 6 to the New York Giants as the fourth offensive player taken.

“The Giants are putting some duct tape around tight end after moving on from Evan Engram and Kyle Rudolph but they should be in the market to get a rare impact receiver,” Iyer wrote. “Mayer has the downfield skills and hands to be worthy of a top-10 pick out of a tight end factory.”

Iyer also has Joseph going ahead of Foskey, slotting him at No. 13 to the Philadelphia Eagles.

“The Eagles also couldn’t tap into a need at safety after choosing not to give Notre Dame’s Kyle Hamilton first-round consideration,” Iyer wrote. “Here they think about Hamilton’s replacement. Joseph should build on his corner-like on-ball playmaking in his transfer from Northwestern, rebounding from a tough transitional year in his former program.”

Foskey appears at No. 20 to the Indianapolis Colts as the fifth edge rusher drafted. Patterson is the last pick of the first round, at No. 32 to the Buffalo Bills, and is the first interior lineman off the board.

“Foskey has a great combination of physical explosive traits and should keep getting better playing down the road again in South Bend,” Iyer wrote.

Bleacher Report

BR draft analyst Brent Sobleski has the same landing spot for Mayer as Wilson and Brugler: 10th overall to the Commanders.

“The 6-4, 251-pound Mayer caught 71 passes last season and showed that he could consistently create after the catch,” Sobleski wrote. “A lull occurred this year with no first-round tight ends taken. Mayer should change that next year.”

Mayer is the first of four Notre Dame players to appear in Sobleski’s mock. Foskey is three picks behind Mayer, going 13th to the Minnesota Vikings as the second edge player selected.

“The 6-5 260-pound defender is long and athletic,” Sobleski wrote. “He can play from a two- or three-point stance and drop into space. Foskey developed nicely and posted 11 sacks last season, and he should be even better this fall.”

Joseph and Patterson go in a three-pick span late in the first round — Joseph to the Los Angeles Chargers at No. 25 overall and Patterson No. 27 to the Dolphins.

“Alongside [Derwin] James, Joseph can be a ball-hawking running mate who will allow the Chargers defensive staff and head coach Brandon Staley to remain creative with their coverage calls,” Sobelski wrote.

Pro Football Focus

The Bleacher Report and Sporting News mocks are one extreme with four Notre Dame prospects. On the other? PFF lead draft analyst Mike Renner, who did not have any Notre Dame players in his first 2023 mock draft. Two tight ends, four edge rushers, one safety and one interior offensive lineman are in his first-round projection.