Notre Dame football: Daelin Hayes playing like ‘foundational’ player
By Brad Weiss
The Baltimore Ravens have long been known for having elite defenses, and a former Notre Dame football star could be a part of the long-term plan.
During the 2021 NFL Draft, the Notre Dame football program saw nine of its players get selected by different NFL teams. From Liam Eichenberg going to the Miami Dolphins as the first Irish off the board to Ben Skowronek being selected by the Los Angeles Rams in the seventh round, Notre Dame football was represented up and down the draft.
Heading into the draft, edge rusher Daelin Hayes was impressive, putting on a show during the Senior Bowl, and really raising his draft stock. A player who was once seen as a fringe draft pick was now being mocked to get selected on Day 3, and that is what happened, as the Baltimore Ravens came calling in the fifth round.
Since joining the organization, he has been outstanding and is starting to really turn heads as to what he could be down the line. Recently, Jonas Shaffer from the Baltimore Sun put out his thoughts for what the Ravens 53-man roster could look like ahead of their game against Las Vegas, and he had big praise for Hayes.
In the piece, Shaffer said that Hayes is playing like a ‘foundational player,’ which is major praise considering how great the Ravens usually are on defense. If he continues on this trajectory, he could end up being a major steal for Baltimore that late in the draft.
Notre Dame football replacing a ton of star power in 2021
It has been an interesting summer for his alma mater, the Notre Dame football team as well, as they have had to replace a total of 14 players who made the jump to the pro ranks this offseason. They have done a nice job, and the defense, where Hayes made a major impact in 2020, should be one of the best in college football.
The Irish get the party started on Sunday, September 5, as they travel to Tallahassee to take on the Florida State Seminoles. Florida State has some exciting players on the offensive side of the ball, so it will be a nice test for the Irish’s new-look defense.
Overall, it will be interesting to see how Hayes finishes up the preseason, and what his role will be when the Ravens take on the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 1 on Monday Night Football. For a fifth-round pick, he is having as good a summer as you could hope for, but still has two weeks left to avoid the cuts in Baltimore.