Notre Dame Football: Daelin Hayes turning heads early on
By Brad Weiss
The Notre Dame Football program saw Daelin Hayes selected in the 2021 NFL Draft, and he is off to a fast start with the Baltimore Ravens.
During the fifth round of the 2021 NFL Draft, the Notre Dame Football program saw two of their edge rushers get selected within 11 picks of one another. The first of the two to come off the board was Daelin Hayes, who was selected by the Baltimore Ravens with the No. 171 overall pick.
At pick No. 182, Ade Ogundeji was picked by the Atlanta Falcons, with both players landing with teams that needed to upgrade the pass rush this offseason. Both players shined during the Senior Week and had the raw ability to be real menaces at the next level, and early on, that has certainly seemed like the case.
Notre Dame Football star turning heads in Charm City
Since beginning his career with the Baltimore Ravens, Hayes has been turning heads, showing the kind of pass-rushing talent that could land him a significant role with the team as a rookie. Only a fifth-round draft pick, there was no real guarantee that Hayes would start, or even be a part of the rotation, so he is once again going to have to earn everything he gets.
However, ESPN’s Ravens reporter Jamison Hensley tweeted out some observations from the Ravens rookie minicamp, and Hayes’ performance was first on his list.
Ravens rookie minicamp observations
— Jamison Hensley (@jamisonhensley) May 15, 2021
⚠️OLB Daelin Hayes was disruptive, spending most of team drills in the backfield
🙌WR Tylan Wallace showed great hands, catching everything close to him
🧑🏫Coaches Keith Williams and Tee Martin were very detail-oriented with WRs on routes
It is no big secret that Hayes has that uncanny ability to get after the quarterback, and while this is only rookie minicamp, this is a great sign as he kicks off his NFL career. Hayes is a guy that is going to play outside linebacker with Baltimore, as well as in the box, checking off two big needs for this offense going forward.
Baltimore made it to the Divisional Round this past season, where they lost to the Buffalo Bills by a score of 17-3. The defense certainly was not the problem in that game, but sacks were an issue all season long, as Matt Judon led the team with only six.
Of course, with how good the Ravens have been in recent years, Hayes also has a great shot to make the playoffs in his first season in the league. He has had a steady rise since the end of the college football season, and it looks like he could play a big role on one of the better defenses in football in 2021.