New Orleans Saints take Notre Dame defensive end Isaiah Foskey in 2023 NFL Draft
Isaiah Foskey took a redshirt as a freshman, even though Notre Dame’s coaching staff didn’t expect him to stick around for the fifth year that decision provided him. Foskey, even as an all-arms-and-legs freshman donning No. 94 in 2019, had the traits of a future starter and eventual draft pick.
Those freshman year flashes turned into one of the most impressive two-year runs of a Notre Dame defensive player in recent memory. Foskey posted back-to-back 11-sack seasons in 2021 and 2022 and ended his senior year as the program’s all-time sacks leader. He became a clear pro prospect by the end of his junior season.
He’s officially a pro now.
The New Orleans Saints selected Foskey in the second round with the No. 40 overall pick Friday in the 2023 NFL Draft. He was the fifth defensive end selected. Per Spotrac, he will sign a four-year contract worth a total value of $8,734,721 million.
The 6-foot-5, 264-pound Foskey is the highest drafted Notre Dame pass rusher since Renaldo Wynn went No. 21 overall in 1997. He is the second Notre Dame player to be picked in the 2023 draft, following tight end Michael Mayer.
All told, Foskey had 122 tackles, 31.5 tackles for loss and 26.5 sacks in 41 career games. Pro Football Focus credited him with 85 career quarterback pressures. He added 7 forced fumbles, 2 pass breakups and 3 fumble recoveries. He also blocked four punts in his career, including two in one quarter in a 2022 win over UNLV. He broke Justin Tuck’s Notre Dame career sack record of 24.5 in the first half of a Nov. 19, 2022 victory over Boston College.
Foskey was considered a Day 2 pick by most draft analysts. He had a similar draft stock after the 2021 season, but opted for a senior year at Notre Dame. He wanted to be a first-round selection, which he hoped could be achieved by improving his run defense and adding to his pass rush arsenal. He wanted to chase a national title, be a team captain and graduate from Notre Dame.
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“I feel like I had so much left in the tank,” Foskey said in January 2022, “so much that I can show that I can be an all-around defensive player.”
Foskey was a captain. He left South Bend with a degree. He declared for the draft, though, with a similar Day 2 projection. His pre-draft process didn’t significantly impact it, even with a strong showing at the NFL Combine.
“Foskey needs to be more consistent versus the run and his pass-rush arsenal lacks variety,” The Athletic analyst Dane Brugler wrote in his draft guide. “However, he has promising traits, and his play speed and nonstop hustle raise his floor as an NFL player. He projects an impactful sub-package rusher as a rookie with the talent to develop into a full-time edge rusher.”
Notre Dame signed Foskey as a four-star recruit out of Concord (Calif.) De La Salle in 2019. He was the No. 205 overall player in the retroactively applied 2019 On3 Industry Ranking. The Irish’s 2019 class has produced three draft picks: Foskey, safety Kyle Hamilton (No. 14, 2022), running back Kyren Williams (fifth round, 2022).
Foskey is the 524th NFL Draft selection in Notre Dame football history.
