No in-person Combine will hurt these Notre Dame football players

On Monday, the NFL sent out a memo stating that the 2021 NFL Scouting Combine will be all virtual, which means no in-person workouts inside Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana for any of the Notre Dame football draft procpests. For a lot of the top prospects in the draft, this is not really a big day, as most of the top guys are already pretty much slated for the first round.

However, that leaves hundreds of potential draft picks without one of the bigger opportunities to showcase their talents. Of course, there will be the Senior Bowl, virtual interviews, and Pro Days, but not having a true Combine is really going to hurt some players’ draft statuses.

For the Notre Dame football team, there are a handful of guys who would have really benefited from the Combine, and here are a few who it could hurt big time.

All of the Notre Dame football offensive line not named Liam Eichenberg

The Notre Dame offensive line was one of the best in the country this past season, as they were named finalists for the Joe Moore Award, and saw multiple players be named All-American or All-Conference. Led by Liam Eichenberg, this group is a big reason why the Irish have had so much success since Ian Book took over as quarterback, and a bunch of them should be drafted this year.

However, not having a combine is certainly going to hurt, as it would have been an excellent showcase for guys like Aaron Banks, Robert Hainsey, and Tommy Kraemer. Hainsey, Eichenberg, and Banks will all play in the Senior Bowl, but Kraemer will not, and that is going to hurt him.

Of course, the book is already out on Eichenberg, as many predict he will land in either the bottom of the first round, or early in the second. For the rest of the group, this is a big blow to them trying to move up draft boards and impress scouts, but at least some will have the Senior Bowl.