The Notre Dame Fighting Irish had an early season loss to Northern Illinois, which caused many people to write them off. Since then, they have won 12 straight, with 11 of those games being won by double-digits. Notre Dame handled the Indiana Hoosiers in the opening round before dominating the Georgia Bulldogs in the quarterfinals. While the Fighting Irish have historically put out great draft prospects, this year, they rely on many solid players rather than one superstar. Here are the top five draft prospects for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish Draft Prospects
These rankings are courtesy of NFL Draft Buzz. I am also making some assumptions about who is declaring and who isn’t. Some of the prospects discussed may return next year, but the ones ranked this high will take advantage of the NFL opportunity. With those caveats in place, let’s get to the list!
1. Benjamin Morrison, Cornerback
2024 Stats: 20 tackles, 14 solo tackles, 4 passes deflected
Injuries have robbed us from seeing Morrison on the field this year for Notre Dame. Over the past two seasons, he has shown off his elite ball skills. In 2022, he had six interceptions and four passes deflected. He followed that up in 2023 with three interceptions and ten passes deflected. His high football IQ allows him to understand what quarterbacks are likely to do and he uses his short area quickness to drive on the ball and prevent big plays.
Morrison is a little small, being only six feet and under 200 pounds. This causes his effectiveness in press coverage and run defense to be diminished. However, with an NFL workout regiment, he could bulk up some. Furthermore, his ability to create turnovers can make up for some of the deficiencies. Many analysts have him as a first-round player in the NFL Draft.
2. Xavier Watts, Safety
2024 Stats: 66 tackles, 41 solo tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 6 interceptions, 9 passes deflected, 1 forced fumble
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish have been lucky to have Watts on the field for the last two years. In the past two seasons, he has had a whopping 13 interceptions and 13 passes deflected. He has been named an All-American in back-to-back years. Last season, he won the Bronko Nagurski Award, which recognizes the nation’s top defensive player. It’s easy to see why scouts like him. He is a versatile safety who can come down and play like a linebacker when needed. His ball skills are unmatched, and he uses them to create game-changing plays.
Watts is relatively new to the safety position, meaning he could struggle at the NFL level. College programs often have simpler offensive schemes. He could struggle initially to adapt to more complex offenses. However, scouts have highlighted his strong work ethic and great leadership. With good coaching, there is no reason to believe the All-American cannot become a quality safety in the NFL.
3. Rylie Mills, Defensive Line
2024 Stats: 37 tackles, 19 solo tackles, 9 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish have a pair of solid defensive linemen that should get chosen in the NFL Draft. Scouts love how athletic Mills is for his size. He stands six feet and five inches and is still able to outperform people on athletic tests. Mills has also shown steady improvement over the years which is something NFL teams love to see. Not everyone picked in the NFL Draft will be a superstar. However, teams need players who can hold their own and continue to improve. Mills fits the mold for this type of player.
The knock on him is his technique. Many more athletic players tend to rely on that athleticism to dominate. This works at the collegiate level but not in the NFL. In the pros, everyone is ultra-athletic, and the players with good technique dominate. Mills will need to expand his pass-rush repertoire in the NFL. If he can do that, he could become a quality player in the NFL.
4. Howard Cross III, Defensive Line
2024 Stats: 24 tackles, 13 solo tackles, 6 tackles for loss, 4.0 sacks, 1 pass deflected
Cross III has a wrestling background, meaning he understands leverage. He consistently is able to make plays while being engaged in a block and shows great awareness on the field. His hand placement helps as well, and he can use those skills to keep offensive linemen off-balance. Whether it is a ball carrier or a quarterback, Cross III shows great closing speed and tackles well.
The issue is his size. NFL teams worry that he will be susceptible to double-teams, which would take him completely out of a play. While scouts love his hand placement, his arm size is a concern. He uses what he has well, but you can’t fix size at some point. Still, NFL teams are built on players like Cross III. He has carved out a role at Notre Dame. If he can continue to develop, he could become a quality rotation piece on a defensive line.
5. Riley Leonard, Quarterback
2024 Stats: 66.5 completion percentage, 2,383 passing yards, 18 passing touchdowns, 6 interceptions, 831 rushing yards, 15 rushing touchdowns
Quarterbacks are always the hot topic of any NFL Draft. It is the most important position in football, and teams spend tons of hours trying to find the right person to be under center. Leonard has many traits that NFL teams crave. He has great athleticism for his size and has shown an ability to navigate the pocket well. His leadership ability was instrumental in turning around the Duke program and leading the Notre Dame Fighting Irish to a College Football Playoff semifinal. The raw skills are there, but that is also part of the issue with Leonard as an NFL Draft prospect.
His mechanics are wonky, and his accuracy takes a hit when he is on the move. Teams worry about his footwork under center and whether he will be able to read the more complicated looks NFL defenses will give. In college, quarterbacks can get by making certain mistakes because of the discrepancy in talent. That doesn’t happen at the NFL level and it is why Leonard isn’t one of the top quarterback prospects in the class. However, he brings enough to the table that a team will give him a chance and try to develop him. He has the raw skills and if they can be refined, he could turn into a quality starter.
Final Thoughts
Notre Dame has put together another quality season. As I mentioned before, the fact they are doing this without a surefire top-ten pick is impressive. Their top prospect on my list isn’t even playing. However, being on the national stage gives all of these players an opportunity to improve their NFL draft stock. The Fighting Irish will take on the Penn State Nittany Lions on Thursday night with a national championship berth on the line.
