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Where Notre Dame draft prospects stand in ESPN analysts' position rankings

On3 imageby:Patrick Engel•12/16/22•

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Notre Dame defensive end Isaiah Foskey (Joshua Bessex/Blue & Gold).

As college football season nears its end, four Notre Dame players are viewed likely or surefire draft picks. Two have already turned pro. Two have yet to announce their plans.

Junior tight end Michael Mayer and senior defensive end Isaiah Foskey are turning pro and won’t play in the Dec. 30 Gator Bowl vs. South Carolina. Grad student guard Jarrett Patterson and safety Brandon Joseph might join them, but if so, their announcements will likely come after the bowl.

As it stands, those four are the most likely Notre Dame players to be picked in the 2023 NFL Draft if all declare for it. Here’s where each appears in several ESPN draft analysts’ latest top five prospect rankings by position, all of which were updated this month.

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Tight end Michael Mayer

Mel Kiper Jr.: 1

Todd McShay: 1

Jordan Reid: 1

Matt Miller: 1

Mayer was not in the four analysts’ consensus overall top 10, but was the unanimous top tight end. He is the No. 12 overall pick in McShay’s most recent mock draft and No. 11 player in McShay’s top 32 prospects. He is Kiper’s No. 13 overall prospect.

“He probably could have been an NFL starter this year,” McShay wrote. “A 6-4, 265-pound frame. Route-running savviness. Nearly impossible to bring down after the catch. Above-average blocking ability. He might not have elite speed, but he has every other trait you look for in a potential Pro Bowl tight end. Mayer might be the safest prospect in the class.”

2022 stats: 67 catches, 809 yards, 9 touchdowns

EDGE Isaiah Foskey

Kiper: No. 5 outside linebacker

McShay: No. 5 defensive end

Reid: No. 2 outside linebacker

Miller: No. 4 defensive end

Foskey is also in McShay’s latest top 32, at No. 29 overall. He is the No. 31 pick in McShay’s mock draft.

“Foskey has a quick first step and does a good job of using length, power and momentum to get offensive tackles on their heels, though he lacks ideal torso flexibility,” McShay wrote. “And as a run defender, he shows quick feet and does an above-average job of disengaging, helping him to 12.5 tackles for loss and eight run stops this season. Foskey has the versatility to play RDE or 3-4 outside linebacker in the NFL.”

2022 stats: 45 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, 11 sacks, 33 quarterback pressures (per Pro Football Focus)

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Offensive lineman Jarrett Patterson

Kiper: No. 4 guard

McShay: No. 5 center

Reid: Not ranked

Miller: No. 5 center

Patterson spent three years as Notre Dame’s starting center before shifting to guard this season. He is not a projected first-round pick. McShay ranks him as the No. 106 overall player.

2022 stats: 11 starts, 0 sacks, 7 pressures allowed

Safety Brandon Joseph

Kiper: Not ranked

McShay: Not ranked

Reid: Not ranked

Miller: Not ranked

Joseph did not make Kiper’s most recent top 10 safety prospects, but was included in the “just missed” category. He is No. 158 in McShay’s overall rankings.

Joseph appeared in the first round of some way-too-early 2023 mocks last spring and summer. He’s not in that conversation anymore, though. The Athletic draft analyst Dane Brugler never bought into it in the first place.

“Joseph has never been considered a “top-tier” prospect by NFL teams,” Brugler wrote in November. “He just doesn’t have the tape, and his physical traits are ordinary. He had six interceptions in 2020 (which earned him All-America status), so I understand why he attracted media hype, but projecting a player to the next level is obviously much different.

Personally, Joseph isn’t a player I ever considered for my top 50 or even a top 100. I’ve never seen that type of prospect, and I think he is more in the late-round discussion.

2022 stats: 30 tackles, 1 interception, 1 pass broken up, 1 forced fumble

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