Notre Dame football: 3 bold predictions for the 2021 defense
By Brad Weiss
![Cincinnati Bearcats defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman high fives Cincinnati Bearcats wide receiver Tyler Scott (21) as he comes off the field following a special teams play in the fourth quarter during an NCAA college football game against the Army Black Knights, Saturday, Sept. 26, 2020, at Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati. The Cincinnati Bearcats won 24-10.Army Black Knights At Cincinnati Bearcats Sept 26 Cincinnati Bearcats defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman high fives Cincinnati Bearcats wide receiver Tyler Scott (21) as he comes off the field following a special teams play in the fourth quarter during an NCAA college football game against the Army Black Knights, Saturday, Sept. 26, 2020, at Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati. The Cincinnati Bearcats won 24-10.Army Black Knights At Cincinnati Bearcats Sept 26](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/7cd8d10d83a9414401a9aab738ead93ead569b2353aced052dd4c57144ca0821.jpg)
Notre Dame football: 3 bold predictions for the 2021 defense
Irish produce two 2022 first-round picks
Heading into the 2021 college football season, many experts feel that not only will Kyle Hamilton be a first-round pick, but that he is not going to wait long to hear his name called. In some mock drafts, Hamilton is a top-5 NFL Draft pick, and if he is selected in the first round, then he breaks a two-year span of the Irish being shut out on Night 1.
Hamilton has already proven himself to be a first-round talent, but there could be another member of the Irish who hears his name called within the first 32 picks next April. That player could end up being Isaiah Foskey, a dynamic edge rusher who will man the Vyper position for Marcus Freeman in 2021.
In terms of his physical attributes, Foskey has everything you look for in an edge rusher at the next level, and he is going to get a ton of playing time this Fall. On a defense with veterans on all three levels, Foskey could prove to be the x-factor, and that could lead to him being a first-round pick when all is said and done.