Notre Dame football: Cincinnati Bengals select Khalid Kareem

Former Notre Dame defensive end Khalid Kareem was selected in the fifth round of the 2020 NFL Draft with the 147th overall selection.

Former Notre Dame defensive end Khalid Kareem became the latest Irish player to be drafted in the 2020 NFL Draft when the Cincinnati Bengals selected him in the fifth round of the draft with the 147th overall selection. He joins Julian Okwara as the second Notre Dame defensive end to be selected in the 2020 NFL Draft, as Okwara was selected by the Detroit Lions in the 3rd round.

Kareem is one of the better bull-rushing pass rushers in this year’s NFL Draft. Cincinnati currently runs a 4-3 defensive scheme, which fits the style of play of Kareem to a tee. Kareem will compete with Carlos Dunlap, Sam Hubbard, Carl Lawson, and Andrew Brown at the defensive end position with the Bengals.

Once considered a potential candidate to be selected in the first round of the draft, Kareem was hampered by the fact that his stats didn’t live up to expectations and the fact that a shoulder injury forced him to have to skip the events at the NFL Combine.

As a result, Kareem slipped to the fifth round of the draft. Had he been able to participate in the Notre Dame Pro Day that was scheduled for March, it is plausible that he would have been drafted significantly higher. Unfortunately for Kareem, the COVID-19 pandemic caused the Pro Day to be canceled.

In his Notre Dame career, Khalid Kareem showed the ability to be a big-time playmaker for the Irish with a nose for making game-changing plays when the team needed it most. He has the size and strength to be a highly productive defensive end for the Bengals.

Stay tuned to Slap the Sign for all news and information regarding former Notre Dame football players as they are selected in the NFL Draft.