Three Notre Dame players appear in Pro Football Network two-round 2023 mock NFL Draft
The 2023 NFL Draft is still a full college football season and a few additional months away, but Pro Football Network has released a new mock draft that attempts to predict the first two rounds come next April.
Three current Notre Dame players made the cut in Ian Cummings’ 64-player list.
TE Michael Mayer: No. 10 overall to the Commanders
The biggest draft prospect on the Irish roster at this moment is tight end Michael Mayer, and as such he is first one off the board in Cummings’ mock draft. The draft expert believes the Washington Commanders will take Mayer with the No. 10 overall pick due to both his skillset and Washington’s needs at the tight end position.
“On the surface, the selection of a tight end will incite groans from the Washington Commanders fan base,” Cummings said. “But at this point, the initial value for several positions of need has diminished. Washington also has uncertainty at tight end. Logan Thomas is 31 and coming off a major knee injury. Cole Turner and John Bates provide decent depth but little guarantees beyond that.
“In the 2023 NFL Draft, there’s a tight end prospect worth taking top 10. And Washington is in prime position to add him.”
Cummings added Mayer is both “as advertised” and “a stellar receiving threat with rare instincts and elite hand strength.” In his sophomore year last season, the 6-4, 251-pound tight end caught 71 passes for 840 yards and seven touchdowns, which was a single-season scoring record for Irish tight ends.
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EDGE Isaiah Foskey: No. 19 overall to the Vikings
Draft experts are listing Isaiah Foskey at a variety of positions — EDGE, defensive line, outside linebacker — but no matter how you slice it, Foskey is an elite pass-rushing talent and poised to be taken in the first round in April. Cummings agrees and believes the Minnesota Vikings will draft the 6-4, 257-pound defenseman with the No. 19 overall pick.
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“On the surface, the Vikings have a stalwart EDGE duo set to play in 2022 — Danielle Hunter and Za’Darius Smith,” the draft expert said. “But Smith turns 30 years old this September and is coming off a season in which he missed 17 games with a back injury. And while Hunter’s contract situation has settled, he’s only signed through 2023.”
Cummings added selecting Foskey would lock up the EDGE position for Minnesota for the future.
The rising senior will spend his fall chasing both a national championship and Notre Dame’s single-season sack record held by former Irish great Justin Tuck (13.5). Foskey notched 11 sacks last season with 52 tackles and six forced fumbles.
S Brandon Joseph: No. 44 overall to the Saints
The most high-profile newcomer on Notre Dame’s roster this season is Northwestern safety transfer and 2020 All-American Brandon Joseph. While it remains to be determined how he fares with the blue and gold, high expectations are leading to a flurry of NFL Draft speculation. Cummings buys into the hype, believing the New Orleans Saints will use a second-round pick on Joseph this spring.
With a full season ahead, it’s difficult to predict the exact draft needs of every team. The Saints signed hometown star Tyrann Mathieu at safety this offseason, undoubtedly a huge pickup who filled an immediate need. Depending on how this season shakes out, the Saints could use another safety. Enter Joseph, who has 131 tackles and nine interceptions in his last two years of college football.
