Notre Dame Football: Jarrett Patterson should be a 2022 first-round pick
By Brad Weiss
The Notre Dame Football team will likely see Kyle Hamilton go in the first round in 2022, but Jarrett Patterson should have some first-round buzz as well.
During the 2021 NFL Draft, the Notre Dame Football team was supposed to have at least one player selected in the first round. Many felt that Irish star Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah could even go as high as No. 9 overall to the Denver Broncos, but he ended up falling into the second round.
Left tackle Liam Eichenberg was also considered a fringe first-round pick, but he also was selected in the second, being the first member of the Notre Dame Football program selected. In 2022, the Irish should generate some first-round buzz once again, and hopefully will not be shut out for the third straight year.
Notre Dame Football could have multiple first-round picks
We have spoken at length about Kyle Hamilton, the elite safety for the Irish who could be one of the first defensive backs off the board next April. However, offensive lineman Jarrett Patterson could also hear his name called in the first round, giving the Irish two possibilities in the first 32 selections.
Patterson is one of those versatile offensive linemen that any NFL team would desire, as he is an elite center, but could also move to left tackle this year. That would be an excellent move for his NFL prospects, as a player who can literally play up and down the offensive line would make him one of the top prospects in next year’s draft.
After seeing the other four members of the 2020 offensive line get selected, or signed this offseason, Patterson is the only returning starter. He will join his linemates in the NFL next year, as they continue to show they are “Offensive Line U.”
Notre Dame Football saw nine players selected in 2021, an incredible number, but not a shock, as this group won ten games every year, and went to two College Football Playoffs. Patterson is going to be expected to anchor the Irish offensive line this upcoming season, one that could be his last in South Bend.