Notre Dame Football: Why Liam Eichenberg is a first-round talent

The Notre Dame Football program should have two first-round picks in 2021, as Liam Eichenberg deserves to go in the first round.

The Notre Dame Football program is losing a ton of talent on both sides of the ball due to the 2021 NFL Draft, and looking at those leaving, two could be first-round picks. On defense, Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah seems like a lock to go in the first round, as he is all over nearly every mock draft out there.

On offense, my feeling is that Liam Eichenberg should also be a first-round pick, especially with how many teams shuffled the deck along the offensive line this offseason. Sure, guys like Penei Sewell, Rashawn Slater, and even Christian Darrisaw are getting most of the love this draft cycle, but looking at his experience, and his tape, Eichenberg should be in the mix as a first-round guy as well.

An anchor for the Notre Dame Football program

When you look at the offensive linemen who come out of each program, there is no program like the Irish when it comes to producing NFL talent upfront. Some of the best offensive linemen in all of football playing in South Bend and Eichenberg etched his name in a long list of elite players during his time with the program.

A dominant left tackle on two College Football Playoff teams, Eichenberg was a monster for the Irish, playing hurt, and protecting the blindside of Ian Book. He has proven time and time again that he is a special player, and he displayed his strength during the Pro Day when he made benching 225 pounds look like nothing.

In a world where every mock draft will be nitpicked, and we have seen that the first round never shapes up the way the experts predict, I believe that Eichenberg has the resume to go in the first round. Even if he goes late, there are plenty of teams in the final quarter of the first round that need offensive tackle help, and when it comes to being NFL-ready, Eichenberg may be the best player available.