Eight Notre Dame Players Are Projected In The Athletic Mock Draft

Dane Brugler of The Athletic projects that eight former Notre Dame players will be picked in the 2024 NFL Draft

Notre Dame running back Audric Estime / Angela Driskell, Irish Breakdown

The 2024 NFL Draft is just over two weeks away, and the three day event is expected to have plenty of action for former Notre Dame players. In his latest mock draft for The Athletic, draft analyst Dane Brugler has eight former Fighting Irish players being projected to go in this year's draft.

There is no question which Notre Dame star will be the first player selected in this year's draft. That would be unanimous All-American left tackle Joe Alt, who had a brilliant three-year career at Notre Dame. Brugler has Alt going where most people have him going, which is No. 7 overall to the Tennessee Titans.

"For the sake of being different, I could throw another name in here — but why go away from what makes sense? Alt fills a clear hole and (along with 2023 first-round left guard Peter Skoronski) would give the Titans one of the more promising left sides of an offensive line in the league." - Brugler

Alt is the first non-quarterback or non-receiver to be taken in Brugler's mock draft.

Alt also isn't the only former Notre Dame projected to the Titans. He also has the organization taking cornerback Cam Hart in the fourth round with the No. 106 overall pick. Hart's place in the draft will be interesting to watch, as I've seen him projected anywhere from early in round two until round four, as you see with Brugler.

The Titans organization hasn't taken a former Notre Dame player in the draft since it selected former Irish linebacker Rocky Boiman in the fourth round of the 2002 NFL Draft.

Notre Dame doesn't have another player being selected after Alt until the third round in the Brugler mock draft. That player is right tackle Blake Fisher, who is projected to go No. 84 overall to the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Steelers aren't strangers to taking former Notre Dame players, with Chase Claypool (2020) and Stephon Tuitt (2014) both going in round two to the Steelers over the last decade.

Former Irish running back Audric Estime was also projected in round four, with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers taking him in the fourth round with the No. 125 overall pick.

"The Buccaneers are excited for Rachaad White this upcoming season, but it wouldn’t be a surprise if they draft another running back to help carry the load. And Estime has the bruising run style that complements White well." - Brugler

The Buccaneers drafted former Notre Dame offensive lineman Robert Hainsey in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft.

A pair of former Notre Dame linebackers are projected to go in round six. Brugler has the Cleveland Browns taking JD Bertrand with the No. 206 overall pick and the Baltimore Ravens taking Marist Liufau with the No. 218 overall pick. The Browns and Ravens aren't strangers to picking former Irish players, with Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah being the most recent selection for the Browns (2021) and Kyle Hamilton being the most recent selection for the Ravens (2022).

A pair of transfers rounded things out for Notre Dame. Brugler has the Cincinnati Bengals taking quarterback Sam Hartman with the No. 224 overall pick (round seven) and the Dallas Cowboys taking defensive end Javontae Jean-Baptiste with the No. 244 overall pick (round seven).

Eight players being selected would be the most for Notre Dame since there were nine former players taken in the 2021 NFL Draft.

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