Mel Kiper Projects Three First-Round Picks From Notre Dame
By Ryan Kelley
With the college football season officially in the books, ESPN’s draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. wasted no time in releasing his first mock draft of 2016 on Thursday.
With more than three months left until the NFL Draft in Chicago on April 28, Kiper is quick to note that a lot will change during that time. After watching the best college athletes all season long, NFL scouts still have upcoming postseason all-star games, the combine and individual workouts to help them make their final evaluations.
Nevertheless, three Notre Dame All-Americans made the cut as first-round selections.
Ronnie Stanley, OT:
Stanley is considered to be the second-best offensive lineman in the draft behind Laremy Tunsil of Ole Miss. During his four-year career at Notre Dame, Stanley started all 13 games at right tackle his sophomore year, and all 26 games of his junior and senior years at left tackle.
Standing at 6-foot-5 and 315 pounds, Stanley is extremely athletic and light on his feet for his size. He garnered a lot of attention as a potential first-round pick after the 2014 season, but his decision to return as a senior definitely solidified that. He greatly improved his technique in 2015, helping to lead the Irish to 207 rushing yards per game with a backup quarterback and backup running backs.
Kiper has Stanley going sixth overall to the Baltimore Ravens, which would make him the first Notre Dame player taken in the top 10 since defensive tackle Bryant Young was taken at number seven in 1994.
Jaylon Smith, LB:
The 2015 Butkus Award winner as the best linebacker in the country, Smith was originally projected to be a top 10 pick himself until he suffered a devastating knee injury in the Fiesta Bowl against Ohio State.
Smith had reconstructive surgery to repair the torn ACL and LCL in his left knee on Jan. 7, but he is expected to make a full recovery. While this obviously hurt his draft stock, Smith has huge potential because of his speed and ability to cover a ton of ground against the run and the pass. Since his skillset is so rare, there will definitely be a few teams that consider taking a chance on him.
With the 20th overall pick, the New York Jets are a likely landing spot for Smith, according to Kiper. If the Jets are willing to be patient and accept that Smith won’t be ready for training camp or the start of the 2016 regular season, this could be a gamble that pays off big time in the future.
Will Fuller, WR:
Fuller is probably the most surprising of the three Irish players listed in Kiper’s first round. Earlier this past season, the junior wide receiver had been vocal about his intentions to stay at Notre Dame for his senior season. However, after their Fiesta Bowl loss Fuller had a change of heart.
In his three seasons with the Irish, Fuller racked up more than 2500 receiving yards on 144 catches, 30 of them for touchdowns. He emerged as a consistent deep threat in 2015, showcasing his breakaway speed while averaging 20.3 yards per reception. While he also has the tendency to drop passes, that is something he can quickly improve on.
As of right now, Kiper has Fuller getting selected 24th overall by the Cincinnati Bengals, but it also seems likely that he could end up being an early second-round pick.