7-Round Mock Draft: Where could Notre Dame players land?

With all that’s going on (or not) right now, NFL Mock Drafts are about all we got. Here’s a seven-round draft with some projections for Notre Dame players.

God bless mock drafts. Like Seth Rogan doing the dice roll dance in Knocked Up, it’s really all we got right now. I recently did a seven-round NFL Mock Draft on The Draft Network. This was not an automated effort — I literally played GM for every team and drafted based on needs. Here’s where the Notre Dame players ended up landing in my little quarantine-fueled exercise.

New York Jets, Round 2, Pick 48: Julian Okwara

The Jets have plenty of needs, and a guy who can consistently get after the quarterback is at the top of that list. Great spot for Okwara in terms of ability to play immediately and market himself long-term.

Pittsburgh Steelers, Round 2, Pick 49, Cole Kmet

One pick later, Kmet to the Steelers makes a ton of sense for a team pretty well set at every skill position outside of tight end. Kmet is a guy who can extend Big Ben’s career by way of being a safety net and potentially elite playmaker at tight end.

Detroit Lions, Round 3, Pick 67, Troy Pride Jr.

Head coach Matt Patricia — a defensive guru — knows the value of a corner who can run stride for stride with any wideout in the league.

L.A. Rams, Round 3, Pick 84, Alohi Gilman

Gilman fills a need and also serves as the type of player who sets the tone for a defense with his aggressive nature and ability to make things happen with big hits and forced fumbles.

New Orleans Saints, Round 3, Pick 88, Khalid Kareem

Kareem continues to fly under the radar leading up to the draft, but the Saints need a guy who can pressure Tom Brady, Matt Ryan, and Teddy Bridgewater a total of six times a year.

Detroit Lions, Round 4, Pick 109, Chase Claypool

On one hand, I’d be stunned if Claypool lasts this long. One the other hand, it’s a loaded class and needs drive demand. Claypool’s special teams talents are going to catch the eyes of a lot of NFL brass, especially a guy like Patricia. I’ve said all along, Claypool is Wes Welker in Megatron’s body.

Jacksonville Jaguars, Round 5, Pick 170, Jalen Elliott

This would be a perfect landing spot for Elliott on a young team with an upward trajectory. He could be a major contributor in the Jags secondary for a long time.

All in all, we should expect seven Notre Dame players to be taken in April’s NFL Draft. I wouldn’t stunned, however, to see seven or nine depending on how people grade Tony Jones and Chris Finke.