The Notre Dame football program has had one player drafted in the first round since 2019, but they should be heavily featured in 2023.
The 2022 NFL Draft is in the rearview mirror, and during it, we saw Notre Dame football end their first-round drought with Kyle Hamilton going No. 14 overall to the Baltimore Ravens. In 2023, the NFL Draft has a chance to be very Irish, as the Notre Dame football team should be well-represented on Day 1, and beyond.
Here, we take a look at what the first round could look like in 2023. (Order based on tankathon.com)
2023 NFL Mock Draft: Where do the Notre Dame football stars land?
- 1. Atlanta Falcons: Will Anderson, Edge, Alabama
- 2. Houston Texans: CJ Stroud, QB, Ohio State
- 3. Detroit Lions: Bryce Young, QB, Alabama
The first three picks of the 2023 NFL Draft in our mock see two quarterbacks going early on, including one the Notre Dame football team will face in Week 1 this Fall. CJ Stroud should be the first quarterback taken next April, but Alabama signal-caller Bryce Young could overtake him with another strong season.
2023 NFL Mock Draft: Where do the Notre Dame football stars land?
Picks No. 4 through 6
- 4. Seattle Seahawks: Will Levis, QB, Kentucky
- 5. New York Jets: Jalen Carter, DL, Georgia
- 6. Jacksonville Jaguars: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Ohio State
Looking ahead to picks No. 4 through 6, we see another player the Irish will take on during the first weekend of the 2022 college football season. The Notre Dame football program will have to find a way to stop Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who will be the No. 1 option in the passing game once again for Ohio State.
Smith-Njigba had to share the stage with Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson last season, two wideouts who ended up going in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft. For the Irish to beat Ohio State, they have to be able to at least slow down the combination of Stroud and Smith-Njigba, two of the top six players in our recent mock draft.
After quarterbacks not being featured as much in the 2022 NFL Draft, they go early and often in 2023, as teams look to hit the reset button at the position group. Seattle will roll with Drew Lock this upcoming season, but Will Levis would be the long-term solution if he goes No. 4 overall.
2023 NFL Mock Draft: Where do the Notre Dame football stars land?
Picks No. 7 through 11
- 7. Carolina Panthers: Tyler Van Dyke, QB, Miami (FL)
- 8. Chicago Bears: Paris Johnson Jr., OT, Ohio State
- 9. New York Giants: Michael Mayer, TE, Notre Dame
- 10. Washington Commanders: Kelee Ringo, CB, Georgia
- 11. Pittsburgh Steelers: Bryan Bresee, DL, Clemson
Within picks No. 7 through 11, the first member of the Notre Dame football team comes off the board, as Michael Mayer ends up being a top-10 pick. Mayer is by far the best tight end in the country going into the 2022 college football season, and though he still has eligibility remaining, he is certain to bolt to the NFL.
Mayer lands with the New York Giants at No. 9 overall and fills an immediate void for the franchise. New York missed on Evan Engram in the first round a few years back, and Mayer will be considered a can’t-miss tight end prospect by the time the 2023 NFL Draft rolls around.
Also included in this group of five players are two standout linemen the Irish will face in 2022. Paris Johnson Jr. is the top offensive tackle in this class and will help Ohio State to a possible CFP berth this season, while Bryan Bresee and Clemson are looking to bounce back in 2022, and play Notre Dame football later in the season.
2023 NFL Mock Draft: Where do the Notre Dame football stars land?
Picks No. 12 through 16
- 12. Minnesota Vikings: Isaiah Foskey, Edge, Notre Dame football
- 13. Philadelphia Eagles: Eli Ricks, CB, Alabama
- 14. Las Vegas Raiders: Brandon Joseph, S, Notre Dame football
- 15. Miami Dolphins: Bijan Robinson, RB, Texas
- 16. New England Patriots: Myles Murphy, Edge, Clemson
As we enter the middle of the first round, we start to see even more members of the Notre Dame football team come off the board. The feeling around the 2022 Irish is that the defense is going to be one of the best in the country, and with two members of that unit going within these five picks, it proves that point.
When all is said and done, and the draft process plays out, I believe that Isaiah Foskey will see his draft stock go through the roof. He is a prototypical edge rusher at the NFL level, and the Minnesota Vikings make him the No. 12 overall pick here in the first round.
Two picks later, the Las Vegas Raiders fill a major void on their defense with Brandon Joseph, a safety transfer from Northwestern who will step in for this Notre Dame football team and fill the void left by Kyle Hamilton. Incredibly, Joseph is picked in the same spot in the first round as Hamilton was in 2022, going No. 14 overall.
2023 NFL Mock Draft: Where do the Notre Dame football stars land?
Picks No. 17 through 21
- 17. Tennessee Titans: Peter Skoronski, OL, Northwestern
- 18. Houston Texans: Nolan Smith, LB, Georgia
- 19. Philadelphia Eagles: Joey Porter Jr., CB, Penn State
- 20. Baltimore Ravens: Trenton Simpson, LB, Clemson
- 21. Arizona Cardinals: Tony Grimes, CB, UNC
In the second half of the first round, we start to see more defensive players come off the board, especially here in picks No. 17 through 21. We start with an offensive lineman in Peter Skoronski from Northwestern, a former teammate of Brandon Joseph, and a player some feel could go as high as the top-10.
Moving forward, Nolan Smith is an outstanding linebacker from Georgia and should catch the attention of new Houston Texans head coach Lovie Smith, who is a defensive guru. Joey Porter Jr. stays in-state with the Philadelphia Eagles after starring at Penn State, and for those at home who put two and two together, that is former Pittsburgh Steelers star Joey Porter’s son.
Trenton Simpson is a player the Notre Dame football team will see this season, as he is a standout linebacker for Clemson. Tony Grimes is seen as a top cornerback by many outlets, including CBSSports.com, who have him as high as No. 5 overall in their latest mock draft by Josh Edwards.
2023 NFL Mock Draft: Where do the Notre Dame football stars land?
Picks No. 22 through 28
- 22. Seattle Seahawks: Jaquelin Roy, DL, LSU
- 23. Los Angeles Chargers: Anton Harrison, OL, Oklahoma
- 24. Miami Dolphins: BJ Ojulari, LB, LSU
- 25. Indianapolis Colts: Kayshon Boutte, WR, LSU
- 26. Dallas Cowboys: Jordan Addison, WR, USC
- 27. Cincinnati Bengals: Arik Gilbert, TE, Georgia
- 28. Detroit Lions: Noah Sewell, LB, Oregon
Interesting run of players here in our latest 2023 NFL Mock Draft, as LSU is well-represented from picks No. 22 through 25. For those who have been living under a rock, former Notre Dame football coach Brian Kelly is now the head coach of the Tigers, and he inherits a very talented roster on both sides of the ball.
At pick No. 27 overall, Arik Gilbert is the second tight end off the board, and outside of Notre Dame football star Michael Mayer, he is the best available player in the position group this year. If Mayer was not in this draft class, Gilbert could go as high as top-10, but right now, he lands in a perfect spot with Joe Burrow in Cincinnati.
Finally, some family ties with the No. 28 pick, as Oregon linebacker Noah Sewell joins brother Penei with the Detroit Lions. The older brother was a first-round pick of the franchise two years ago, and Noah is widely regarded as one of the best linebackers in this year’s draft class.
2023 NFL Mock Draft: Where do the Notre Dame football stars land?
Picks No. 29 through 32
- 29. Green Bay Packers: Jarrett Patterson, OL, Notre Dame football
- 30. Kansas City Chiefs: Josh Downs, WR, UNC
- 31. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Georgia Tech
- 32. Buffalo Bills: Malachi Moore, DB, Alabama
At pick No. 29 overall, we see our fourth, and final member of the Notre Dame football team come off the board. The pick to the Green Bay Packers is center Jarrett Patterson, a player who many felt would have been a Day 2 pick in 2022, but decided to return to the Irish for one more season, giving Notre Dame football their entire starting offensive line back.
Patterson is one of the better interior offensive linemen in this draft class, and while he could end up in the second round, Green Bay does not pass up on him here. He could play guard or center at the next level, and after giving Aaron Rodgers so much money to remain in Green Bay, protecting him as to be priority No. 1.
Overall, this is an incredible draft class for the Notre Dame football program, and head coach Marcus Freeman. The recruiting classes coming in are some of the best in the country, and there is plenty of NFL talent on the current roster, so the future is bright in South Bend.