Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://read.uberflip.com/i/1105789
6 MAY 2019 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED BY BRYAN DRISKELL T he 2019 NFL Draft is scheduled for April 25‑27, and up to seven former Notre Dame players could hear their name called. Should that happen, it would tie for the second‑ most drafted players in one class of head coach Brian Kelly's tenure (the 2014 group had the most with eight). Below is a breakdown of the for‑ mer Fighting Irish stars who are eli‑ gible to be selected in the upcoming draft and where they stand in the 14 mock drafts that were evaluated. Six of those mock drafts included only the first round, one had the first two, four included the first three and three were all seven. Alex Bars, Offensive Lineman Overview: A season‑ending in‑ jury after just five games this past season has hurt Bars' stock, but his film before that occurred was quite impressive. Bars was a vital cog in the best offensive line in college football in 2017, and he passed every medical test this offseason. At this point, he must hope that his experience, strong film, and the recommendation he is getting from former Notre Dame and current Chicago Bears line coach Harry Hiestand is enough to get a team to take a chance on his knee recovering enough to pick him. Mock Draft Analysis: Bars was not included in any of the mock drafts. Miles Boykin, Wide Receiver Overview: Boykin led the Irish with 59 catches for 872 yards and eight touchdowns this past fall. Just a one‑year starter, he proved himself to be a clutch figure. His draft profile is bogged down by the fact he barely got on the field before his senior season and had few dominant stretches during his ca‑ reer. What has him jumping up draft boards this offseason, though, was his masterful performance at the NFL Combine. Boykin had arguably the strongest showing at the annual event, earning the best pSPARQ rating (a measure of overall athletic ability) of any player at any position according to Three Sigma Athlete. That performance, his size and his top‑notch ball skills could result in him being picked as high as the second or third round. Mock Draft Analysis: Boykin went from No. 58 to the Dallas Cowboys (second round) to No. 95 to the New York Giants (third round) in the mocks that go beyond the first round selections. Te'von Coney, Linebacker Overview: Teams seeking produc‑ tion will look to Coney, who regis‑ tered 239 tackles, 22 tackles for loss and seven sacks the last two seasons. He is a physical and instinctive box defender who thrives against the run, and he shows imposing power when he arrives at the ball. Coney showed improvement ver‑ sus the pass as a senior, but it still is not a strength of his game, and he projects as a two‑down linebacker at the next level. His testing numbers at his pro day won't do much to as‑ suage concerns about his ability to handle coverage duties in the NFL. Mock Draft Analysis: Coney's draft range went from No. 102 (third round) to the Baltimore Ravens to No. 163 (fifth round) to the Philadel‑ phia Eagles. Julian Love, Cornerback Overview: Love is the most deco‑ rated Notre Dame player in this draft class, earning consensus All‑America honors last season. The former Irish cornerback left after his junior sea‑ son, but still ended his career as the school's all‑time leader in passes de‑ fended (44). Love is highly instinctive and proj‑ ects early on as a slot cornerback, but his tackling ability and ball skills could lead to him eventually devel‑ oping into an every‑down corner. His speed numbers at the combine UNDER THE DOME STOCK REPORT The Fighting Irish boast several NFL Draft hopefuls Cornerback Julian Love — Notre Dame's all-time leader in passes defended (44) despite playing just three seasons — is projected to be selected on day two of the NFL Draft (rounds two and three). PHOTO BY ANGELA DRISKELL