Notre Dame NFL Scouting Combine Preview

Breaking down what the five Notre Dame players at the combine must prove during their time in Indianapolis

With the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine set to kick off later this week, there are five former Notre Dame players who aim to impress NFL teams and evaluators in Indianapolis. 

Former All American safety Kyle Hamilton, all purpose star Kyren Williams, enigmatic pass catcher Kevin Austin, ultra consistent signal caller Jack Coan and versatile move piece Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa all enter the week with varying levels of expectations and things to prove.

For a couple, this week could be make or break for their draft stock. For others, it is merely just another box waiting to be checked.

Kyle Hamilton

IDEAL WORKOUT FOR HAMILTON

40 yard dash: 4.48-4.52 seconds
Vertical jump: 39+ inches
Broad jump: 10’6”
Short shuttle: 4.15-4.25 seconds
3-cone drill: 6.8-7.0 seconds

For Kyle Hamilton, the athletic expectations are high. Billed as a potential top ten pick, you aren’t going to see many 6-4, 220-pound safeties walking around the planet. 

As far as comparisons are concerned, you would have to delve into the Steve Atwater, Kenny Easley and Sean Taylor category to find anything close to resembling Hamilton. Most will envision your traditional box safeties with that type of size profile, something that Hamilton quickly dismisses imminently. With this type of athleticism and range on the back end, combined with size, there is a good argument that Hamilton may be the most talented player in the 2022 NFL Draft regardless of position.

After missing the second half of the season while dealing with a knee injury, Hamilton is set to remind everyone the quality of talent he is. Expectations are high. Even without a dynamic showing, it’s hard to imagine Hamilton falling too far with his impact on film. His biggest battle will be with the devaluation of the safety position narrative. Top five to ten is not your typical range for a safety. You will quickly figure out, however, Hamilton isn’t your typical safety either. His combine numbers could go a long way to cementing that fact.

Kyren Williams

IDEAL WORKOUT FOR WILLIAMS

40-yard dash: 4.47-4.54 seconds
Vertical jump: 35+ inches
Broad jump: 10’3”
Short shuttle: 3.9-4.1 seconds
3-cone drill: 6.8-6.9 seconds

Williams is somehow flying under the radar this draft cycle. After splitting time between wide receiver and running back during his high school career, Williams developed into one of the better all around running backs in college football during his final two seasons with the program. He accounted for 2,799 total yards and 31 touchdowns in that stretch, showing nice upside in the run and pass game.

Arguably Williams most dominant trait is his impact as a pass protector, showing legitimate three down potential moving forward. To be frank, Williams' film is awesome. He is explosive, decisive, physical and well rounded. There is a narrative out there that Williams isn’t overly athletic. That perception is especially troubling when Williams is already fighting being an undersized ball carrier.

Perhaps the biggest battle he will face during the week will be at weigh-ins. There would be some serious concerns if Williams comes in under 200 pounds. That is sort of the unspoken threshold to separate potential high volume ball carriers from departmentalized weapons. If he is able to come in over that threshold, it would be huge for Williams to prevent being labeled as a third down specialist.

Athletic testing for running backs can be a bit overrated at times, but when you are already a somewhat undersized ball carrier, it does matter. Nobody wants to fall into the undersized and under-athletic labels simultaneously.

On film, Williams is an explosive mover who shows the short area burst you want at the position. He also has a nice change of direction ability to him as both a runner and a wide receiver. Williams is a short stepper which can make judging long speed difficult at times. Running a great forty yard dash time isn’t a necessity at the position, but it would be a huge bonus to answer those athleticism concerns.  

Kevin Austin

IDEAL WORKOUT FOR AUSTIN

40-yard dash: 4.45-4.50 seconds
Vertical jump: 38+ inches
Broad jump: 10’4”-10’8”
Short shuttle: 4.10-4.25 seconds
3-cone drill: 7.0-7.2 seconds

There is no bigger need for a strong workout at the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine for a former Notre Dame player than Austin. Austin earned some playing time early in his career but would suffer multiple setbacks during his career, including a suspension during the 2019 season and an injury plagued 2020. 

This past season served as a breakout for Austin, pacing the team with 888 receiving yards, while tying with seven touchdown receptions. Austin did that damage on just 48 receptions, averaging an impressive 18.5 yards per reception. Despite that notable production, the 6-2, 215-pound pass catcher’s film is littered with inconsistency. 

Despite having a fantastic frame, his work defeating press coverage is a huge area of concern. He also is too easily forced off his stem, lacking consistent physicality working down the field. Drops are also evident on film, leaving a multitude of questions for Austin to answer during this predraft process. 

Truthfully, Austin is in desperate need of a big performance in Indianapolis. He will need the type of showing that will allow evaluators to forgive the film to a degree. We have seen teams taking a gamble on athletic traits in hopes that they can develop the raw talent, especially at wide receiver. There are no questions that Austin is a gifted athlete. He should have every opportunity to show out, boasting an all around workout that could cause some to double take. 

As it stands, Austin is viewed as nothing but a “developmental pass catcher” who could be a flier selection somewhere on day three of the 2022 NFL Draft. In order to solidify that status, his athletic testing needs to match that upside. If Austin is not able to turn some heads in Indianapolis, it could be the difference between being drafted on mid day three or not at all.

Jack Coan

IDEAL WORKOUT FOR COAN

40-yard dash: 4.80-4.95 seconds
Vertical jump: 32+ inches
Broad jump: 9’6”
Short shuttle: 4.3-4.5
3-cone drill: 7.2-7.35

Coan’s testing numbers offer little bump in draft value. It just isn’t how he wins. The former Wisconsin transfer quarterback had some up and down play during the early to mid portions of the season but he really did end things strong down the stretch. 

Coan is your prototype pocket passer who offers very little in terms of ability out of structure. Any upside he shows athletically is just an added bonus - but a poor showing will not kill him. Truthfully, Coan may surprise some with his numbers. You should expect a solid overall showing.

The biggest piece of Coan’s performance in Indianapolis will be in the meeting rooms. Getting up in front of teams on the board will be huge for him. Telling his story and presenting himself as a person will go a long way. By all indications, Coan is a great leader, good young man and understands the game thoroughly. Getting in front of those decision makers will help to continue his momentum after a really nice showing in Las Vegas for the East-West Shrine Bow.

Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa

IDEAL WORKOUT FOR TAGOVAILOA-AMOSA

40-yard dash: 4.75-4.85 seconds
Vertical jump: 32+ inches
Broad jump: 10’
Short shuttle: 4.1-4.25
3-cone drill: 7.20-7.35

It has been a fascinating Notre Dame career for Tagovailoa-Amosa. “MTA” has spent the majority of his time on the interior of the defensive line for the Irish during his career. That changed during the 2021 campaign in his fifth season of eligibility, shedding a substantial amount of weight in order to play full time on the edge.

The now 260 pound defensive end brings an interesting profile at defensive end, reminiscent of former Iowa pass rusher Adrian Clayborn. He parlayed that intrigue into an East-West Shrine Bowl invite, where he put together a rock solid week with pass rush wins working outside and in. There is an interesting layer for this evaluation. Despite flashing from various alignments, MTA brings an odd body type up front. He is in threat of falling into that no man’s land as a tweener with an imperfect fit into either position.

Athletic testing is going to be paramount to answer those concerns. At 260 pounds, he has limited upside playing a fair amount of volume inside on the next level. MTA has also had difficulty holding a substantial amount of weight during his career, making playing as a base defensive end the natural projection. With athleticism being so important on the edge, he will have to test well enough to be valued somewhere on day three of the draft.

Especially as a stubby edge, MTA will need to impress well enough as an athlete to alleviate concerns with lack of length. This performance will determine where MTA gets selected - or at all depending on the result.

Players will begin reporting on Monday, February 28th for the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine. The on-field workouts are set to begin on Thursday, March 3rd with the tight end, quarterback and wide receiver group. All workouts will be made available on NFL Network.

Here is the combine schedule:

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