Blue & Gold Illustrated: 2012 Notre Dame Football Preview
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BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2017 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ✦ 143 IRISH IN THE NFL TOP FIVE PLAYERS 1. Zack Martin Martin appeared at No. 3 on this list a year ago, but the Dallas Cowboys All-Pro right guard gets the bump up to No. 1 after another dominant campaign. Pro Football Focus graded Martin — the Cowboys' first-round pick in 2014 — as the second-best guard in the NFL in 2016, behind only Baltimore's Marshal Yanda. Martin has been selected to the Pro Bowl in each of his first three seasons in the NFL and made first-team All-Pro in two of those years. He checked in at No. 58 on the NFL Network's Top 100 list (voted on solely by players). 2. Harrison Smith The hard-hitting safety for the Minnesota Vikings continues to be among the most productive players in the NFL, and 2016 was no different. Smith received another Pro Bowl bid after tallying 91 total stops and two sacks while playing in and starting 14 games. He nabbed his second straight listing on the NFL Network's Top 100, checking in at No. 74. 3. Golden Tate Since arriving in Detroit prior to the 2014 season, Tate has been a consistent 90-catch receiver. He had the second-best year of his career in 2016, catching 91 passes for 1,077 yards and four touchdowns. He's formed a strong bond with Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford and has helped the team replace the production lost when star Calvin Johnson retired after the 2015 season. 4. Stephon Tuitt While he doesn't have the gaudy stats to his name, the Pittsburgh Steelers defensive lineman is arguably the most talented player on a top-notch defense. NFL.com's Elliott Harrison called Tuitt the "best player on the Steelers' defense … a difference- maker for defensive coordinator Keith Butler." Though he registered just four sacks in 2016, his physicality at 6-6 and 303 pounds is vital to the performance of the unit. 5. Kyle Rudolph The trade that brought quarterback Sam Bradford to the Vikings before the start of the 2016 season worked out well for Rudolph, who became a top target for the former No. 1 pick. Rudolph's 83 catches were the third-best mark among all NFL tight ends in 2016 while he set career highs with his reception total and 840 receiving yards. In Minnesota's season-ending victory over Chicago, he set single-game highs with 11 catches and 117 receiving yards. Oct. 1, 1 p.m. — As far as quantity goes, this will likely be the matchup with the most former Notre Dame players featured. The teams will also play in Detroit on Thanksgiving Day. Heading into the summer, the Lions employed receiv- ers TJ Jones and Golden Tate plus running back Theo Riddick. The Vikings, meanwhile, currently have a pair of former first-round draft picks in safety Harrison Smith and wide receiver Michael Floyd as well as tight end Kyle Rudolph on their roster. Smith is coming off back-to-back Pro Bowl seasons, while Rudolph set career highs with 83 receptions and 840 yards in 2016. Oct. 1, 8:30 p.m. — The AFC North division typically is decided based on the two matchups between the rival Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers. This year, those two games will feature a top-notch one-on-one showdown between Baltimore offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley and Pittsburgh defensive end Stephon Tuitt. Stanley played well as a rookie in 2016 after being selected sixth overall, and could anchor the left tackle spot for years to come. Tuitt, a 2012 second-round pick, has become a consistent threat for the Steelers, making four sacks and 37 combined tackles in 2016. Seeing who comes out on top in this battle is worth tuning in. The two rivals will also square off Dec. 10 in Pittsburgh. Sept. 10, 8:30 p.m. — All-Pro right guard Zack Mar - tin and the Dallas Cowboys play the first of their two division matchups against the New York Giants in the opener, with the other coming Dec. 10. Martin has become a top-flight guard in the NFL, helping lead the Cowboys to the playoffs in 2016. In this game, he'll go up against a pair of former Irish defensive linemen in Romeo Okwara, Ishaq Williams and possibly Jarron Jones. Okwara came on strong in 2016 as a rookie after go - ing undrafted, finishing with 25 tackles and a sack in a backup role. Williams is still challenging to crack the regular game day roster for the Giants. TOP IRISH MATCHUPS D E T R O I T LIONS M I N N E S O T A VIKINGS AT P I T T S B U R G H STEELERS B A L T I M O R E RAVENS AT N E W Y O R K GIANTS D A L L A S COWBOYS AT Since arriving in Detroit in 2014, Golden Tate has become a favorite target of quarterback Matthew Stafford. In 2016, he caught 91 passes for 1,077 yards and four touchdowns. PHOTO BY GAVIN SMITH/COURTESY DETROIT LIONS