Today is the day.
Months of mock drafts will hit the cyber-recycling bin. Endless hours of debate and discussion about the virtual rise and fall of college football players who haven’t taken a snap in almost five months ends tonight.
For Notre Dame, three former players will be sitting on edge, hoping to hear their names called during tonight’s prime time first round. For seven other players, their professional careers will likely start by the end of the weekend, with the Irish in line to have one of their most prolific draft classes in decades.
Most experts think the Irish will have seven players selected, with Martin the first off the board and Prince Shembo the last. So while Dan Fox, Bennett Jackson, Carlo Calabrese and Tommy Rees will get a shot as undrafted free agents, let’s run through the various mock drafts and see where the experts have Irish players pegged.
Our experts:
- Mel Kiper, ESPN**
- Todd McShay, ESPN**
- Mike Mayock, NFL Network*
- Peter Schrager, FOX Sports
- Matt Miller, Bleacher Report
*Will default to NFL.com’s rankings as Mayock didn’t mock entire draft. ** Will default to ESPN Insider rankings as Kiper/McShay didn’t mock the entire draft.
ZACK MARTIN
Kiper: First Round (15th overall) to Pittsburgh Steelers
McShay: First Round (16th overall) to Dallas Cowboys
Mayock: First Round (9th overall) to Buffalo Bills
Schrager: First Round (12th overall) to New York Giants
Miller: First Round (17th overall) to Baltimore Ravens
LOUIS NIX
Kiper: Second Round (49th overall)
McShay: Second Round (36th overall)
Mayock: Second Round (36th overall)
Shrager: Second Round (38th overall)
Miller: Second Round (47th overall)
STEPHON TUITT
Kiper: First Round (32nd overall) to Seattle Seahawks
McShay: First Round (29th overall) to New England Patriots
Mayock: First Round (30th overall) to San Francisco 49ers
Schrager: Second Round (51st overall) to Chicago Bears
Miller: Third Round (99th overall) to Baltimore Ravens
TROY NIKLAS
Kiper: Third Round (68th overall)
McShay: Second Round (59th overall)
Mayock: Second Round (58th overall)
Shrager: Third Round (100th overall)
Miller: Second Round (62nd overall)
CHRIS WATT
McShay: 163rd overall
NFL: Round 3-4
Shrager: Sixth Round (200th overall)
Miller: Fourth Round (132nd overall)
TJ JONES
McShay: 169th overall
NFL: Round 4-5
Shrager: Sixth Round (215th overall)
Miller: Fifth Round (165th overall)
PRINCE SHEMBO
NFL: Round 4-5
Shrager: Sixth Round (211th overall)
Miller: Sixth Round (211th overall)