Mock Draft Roundup: All The Top Notre Dame Projections

Before the draft kicks off I break down where the Notre Dame players are slated to go in the top mock drafts.

With the NFL Draft set to kick off this evening we come to a close of mock draft season. It has been quite active for former Notre Dame players. Before the draft starts, let’s take a look at how the former Irish players fared in the most reputable mock drafts.

COLE KMET, TIGHT END

Highest: Round 1 - #23 - New England Patriots
Lowest: Round 3 - #91 - Las Vegas Raiders

Most Frequent: New England Patriots

The Chicago Bears in round two was the most frequent placement for Kmet until the last 48 hours, with three draft analysts projecting the Patriots to take him with the 23rd overall pick. That list includes NFL.com draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah and Sports Illustrated senior NFL writer Albert Breer. There is also a mock draft at CBS Sports (Ryan Wlison) that projects Kmet to go to the Patriots with the 87th pick, which is in the third round.

USA Today’s Nate Davis also released a mock draft in recent days that had Kmet in round one, going to the Tennessee Titans with the 29th pick. NFL.com draft analyst Chad Reuter has Kmet going to the Cincinnati Bengals with the 33rd overall pick, which is one spot outside of the first round.

Three different mock drafts have Kmet going to the Bears with the 43rd overall pick, which is in round two. Two mock drafts had Kmet going to the Las Vegas Raiders, one at #81 (Round 3) and another at #91 (Round 3) I’ve also seen Kmet to the Indianapolis Colts (#44, Round 2), Green Bay Packers (#62, Round 2) and Washington Redskins (#66, Round 3).

JULIAN OKWARA, DEFENSIVE END

Highest: Round 1 - #27 - Seattle Seahawks
Lowest: Round 4 - #110 - New York Giants

Most Frequent: Los Angeles Rams

Two mock drafts over the last week have Okwara going in the first round, which raises a slight possibility that Notre Dame has two players in round one for the second time in three years. Pro Football Focus senior draft analyst Steve Palazzolo has Okwara going to the Seahawks with the 27th pick and Reuter has the Houston Texans trading up and taking him with the 31st pick.

Okwara to Houston was in two mock drafts that I used for this breakdown, but I’ve seen other mock drafts not used that also had him going to the Texans. The team I’ve seen most frequently associated with Okwara, at least in the final mock drafts, is the Los Angeles Rams. Two mock drafts have the Rams taking the Irish pass rusher in round two with the 57th pick and another has him going in round three with the 84th pick.

The New York Jets are a pass rush needy team and two mock drafts have Okwara pegged to the Jets, both in the third round (#68, #79). Okwara to the Buffalo Bills with the 54th overall pick in round two was in two of the mock drafts I’ve studied, and there were previous mock drafts that had him pegged in that spot but were changed to different players in the final mocks.

I’ve seen Okwara to the Redskins (#66, Round 3), Miami Dolphins (#70, Round 3) and New York Giants (#110, Round 4).

CHASE CLAYPOOL, WIDE RECEIVER

Highest: Round 2 - #36 - New York Giants
Lowest: Round 3 - #97 - Cleveland Browns

Most Frequent: New York Jets and New Orleans Saints

Unlike the two previous former Irish players there isn’t much of a consensus with Claypool. His range is anywhere from just outside round one to late in round three. There were mock drafts in March that had him in round one, with a CBS Sports mock pegging him to the Bills at #22 prior to them trading that pick for Minnesota Vikings wideout Stefon Diggs, and another had the Packers taking Claypool at #30, but both mocks have since dropped him out of round one.

Two different mock drafts peg Claypool to the Jets, ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. slotting him to the New York Jets with the #48 overall pick (Round 2) and Reuter slating him to go to the Jets at #79 (Round 3). Wilson and Draftwire’s Luke Easterling both have Claypool going to the New Orleans Saints in round three with the 88th overall pick.

The highest final placement for Claypool was from Walter Football’s Charlie Campbell, who has Claypool going #36 to the Giants. I’ve also seen final mocks that project him to the Rams (#57, Round 2), Kansas City Chiefs (#63, Round 2), Seahawks (#64, Round 2), Bengals (#65, Round 3), Redskins (#66, Round 3) and Cleveland Browns (#97, Round 3).

TROY PRIDE JR., CORNERBACK

Highest: Round 3 - #69 - Carolina Panthers
Lowest: Round 4 - #130 - New Orleans Saints

Most Frequent: Denver Broncos and Dallas Cowboys

Most of the mock drafts studied had Pride solidly in the third round, but there was a late run of Pride in round four leading up to the draft. His highest placement is to the Carolina Panthers with the #69 overall pick, which is just outside of round two. The lowest placement was to the Saints at #130, which is in the upper half of the fourth round.

The Denver Broncos and Dallas Cowboys were the only teams where Pride was projected to in more than one mock draft. I actually saw four different mock drafts in the last month that had the Pride to Denver projection, but I didn’t use one and another changed that pick in their final installment. The two final projections to Denver were at #77 and the one I didn’t use was at #83.

The Cowboys at #82 was projected twice for Pride. I’ve also seen Pride slated to the Saints (#88, Round 3), Bengals (#107, Round 4), Colts (#122, Round 4) and Saints (#130, Round 4).

KHALID KAREEM, DEFENSIVE END

Highest: Round 3 - #87 - Detroit Lions
Lowest: Round 4 - #138 - Kansas City Chiefs

Most Frequent: Minnesota Vikings, Kansas City Chiefs, Atlanta Falcons

Kareem to the Baltimore Ravens was a trending placement for much of March and early April, but that faded down the stretch. The final mock drafts were all over the place with Kareem. He had the shortest range of the players broken down so far, but there was no fit that took over.

The Atlanta Falcons taking Kareem at #134 was the only spot that was doubled up, with Reuter and Draftek both placing him in that spot. Wilson had Kareem going to the Vikings at #89 (Round 2) and Dane Brugler of The Athletic had him to the Vikings at #132 (Round 4). Campbell had him to the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs at #96 and the other Walter Football mock had him to the Chiefs at #138, which is in round four.

Kareem to Detroit at #87 (Round 3) was the highest placement for Kareem, and the Chiefs at #138 was the lowest. I also saw the former Irish captain go the Titans (#93, Round 3), Ravens (#106, Round 4) and Jacksonville Jaguars (#137, Round 4).

ALOHI GILMAN, SAFETY

Highest: #110 - Round 4 - New York Giants
Lowest: #240 - Round 7 - Houston Texans

Most Frequent: New England Patriots and Arizona Cardinals

Gilman’s range was by far the greatest of all the Notre Dame prospects. Easterling had him going to the Giants with the 110th overall pick, which is very early in round four. Reuter initially had Gilman going to the Browns in round three but ended up with him to the Patriots at #192, which is round six. The Patriots were also the pick for Sporting News’ Vinnie Iyer, who had Gilman going #204 overall (Round 7).

Both Walter Football analysts had Gilman going to the Arizona Cardinals, one had him in round six (#202) and another in round seven (#222). Brugler also had him going in round six to the 49ers at #210 overall.

The rest of the selections were in round seven, with the Minnesota Vikings (#219), Titans (#237) and Texans (#240) all taking Gilman.

JALEN ELLIOTT, SAFETY

Highest: Round 7 - #218 - New York Giants
Lowest: Round 7 - #249 - Minnesota Vikings.

Elliott was in four of the mock drafts I studied, and all had him going in the seventh round. The Giants (#218), Patriots (#230), 49ers (#245) and Vikings (#249) were all projected to take Elliott in the final round.

CHRIS FINKE, WIDE RECEIVER

Only one mock draft had Finke being selected. Sports Illustrated’s Kevin Hanson had Finke going with the final pick of the draft to the New York Giants, which would make Finke Mr. Irrelevant.

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