The Notre Dame football program has plenty of representation at the NFL level, and here are three players poised for breakout seasons in 2021.
The 2021 NFL season is right around the corner, and plenty of former members of the Notre Dame football program are looking to earn their roster spots and starting roles this summer. As we turn the page to August, camps are ramping up, and for many, this is the most important training camp of their careers.
With that said, here are three veteran players who should break out in 2021.
Notre Dame football: Predicting veteran breakout NFL seasons in 2021
Jerry Tillery, DT, Los Angeles Chargers
It is officially a make-or-break season for former Notre Dame football star Jerry Tillery, but there are positives on the horizon. First, he improved in a big way over his rookie season in 2020, starting 11 games, racking up three sacks, and forcing two fumbles.
Second, there is a new defensive coordinator in town, one that should be able to utilize his skillset better than Gus Bradley did. This is a player who is a former first-round pick of the organization, and on a rising Chargers team, he has to be a part of the solution on defense in 2021, his third season in the league.
The belief is that the scheme fit, and him getting a ton of experience last season will lead to him breaking out for Los Angeles in 2021.
Notre Dame football: Predicting veteran breakout NFL seasons in 2021
Cole Kmet, TE, Chicago Bears
The Notre Dame football program is known for producing high-level tight ends, and in 2020, Cole Kmet was a second-round draft choice of the Chicago Bears. Playing alongside Jimmy Graham as a rookie, Kmet learned the game from one of the best, and eventually, we saw more of him being the top option at the position, and Graham sliding in behind him.
In 2021, the Chicago Bears are going to look a lot different, as the team has moved on from Mitchell Trubisky, entrusting the quarterback position to Andy Dalton and first-round pick, Justin Fields. For Kmet, this could mean a bigger role in the passing game for the Bears, and now that he is the TE1 for the franchise, expectations are larger.
Kmet proved during his time in South Bend that he can be an excellent pass catcher, and the Bears will certainly look to get him the ball within the offense at a higher clip in Year 2. Some publications, like Pro Football Focus, are not high on Kmet, ranking him outside the top-32 tight ends in the league, but a break-out season will change all of that.
Notre Dame football: Predicting veteran breakout NFL seasons in 2021
Chase Claypool, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers
Like Kmet, Chase Claypool was a second-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, selected six picks after the big tight end at No. 49 overall to the Pittsburgh Steelers. With so many changes on the offensive side of the ball in the Steel City, Claypool entered a perfect scenario as a rookie, and he did not disappoint.
For the season, Claypool racked up nearly 900 yards and nine touchdowns through the air, while also scoring two rushing touchdowns. It was a tremendous season for the rookie, and with a healthy Ben Roethlisberger returning in 2021, you can expect Claypool’s numbers to not only improve but for him to overtake JuJu Smith-Schuster as the top wide receiver within a deep position group in Pittsburgh.
Notre Dame football: Tommy Tremble will be an X-factor for the Panthers
The Notre Dame football program got strong play from Tommy Tremble during his time with the school, and he should be an x-factor at the next level.
Overall, we will see a ton of new members of the Irish program enter their first season in the league, and some of those should have an immediate impact. The Notre Dame football program sends multiple players to the NFL every year, and for these three, 2021 will be the season they become household names.