Notre Dame Pro Day Preview
Alabama and Ohio State are holding their Pro Days today and with both programs projected to have first round quarterbacks and 10 or more players drafted, you can bet they’ll be dozens of NFL coaches, scouts, and front office people in attendance.
It won’t be quite as crowded at Notre Dame, but there are 14 departing players who will be working out and eight are currently projected to be drafted. Whether it’s more or less will somewhat depend on how these players perform at Pro Day tomorrow.
Here’s a quick look at what each individual needs to show NFL scouts tomorrow with their workout.
Aaron Banks, Robert Hainsey, Tommy Kraemer, and Liam Eichenberg
The workout means less for offensive lineman than any other position. Film is always going to matter more for every position, but it’s weighted even more heavily when it comes to big guys up front.
The measurements and their weight will be the most important for this group. Banks and Hainsey were at the Senior Bowl so that part is largely taken care of for them. It’s going to be very important for Eichenberg, especially when it comes to arm length because that is an area where almost every NFL team has minimum requirements.
Kraemer is the only one of the group that I don’t believe will be drafted at this point in time. His final season at Notre Dame was not his best, mostly because of him playing through an injury. He may be limited during the workout tomorrow, so we’ll see how much he is able to do.
Javon McKinley and Ben Skowronek
The 40 time is going to be the biggest thing with both of these players. Considering that Skowronek got a Senior Bowl invite and McKinley did not, it’s fair to say that Skowronek has a better shot at going off the board, but it would be a surprise if either ended up being day three selections.
Some of the athletic times that prospects have posted this spring have been eye-popping so slow times will likely clinch them not being drafted. If both can time in the low 4.5 range or lower, that would be a very good day in the eyes of NFL personnel people and get them into a situation where they will be in camps this spring and summer.
Ian Book
What he did at the Senior Bowl practices matters more than Book’s workout. That doesn’t mean the workout won’t matter, though. He’ll be asked to make some NFL level throws and showcase his arm talent.
A strong day could go a long way in pushing him up earlier on day three of the draft. The good news is that with two receivers and two tight ends working out with him, he’ll have good options to throw to compared to someone like DeShone Kizer who had to use a retired Corey Robinson as one of his receivers.
Brock Wright and Tommy Tremble
Wright is a long shot at best to get drafted, but good testing numbers and proving he can adequately catch the football can help secure a spot as an undrafted free agent.
The day will be more important for Tremble who already has great film available with him as a blocker, but limited opportunities as a receiver.
He has to prove that that was more a result of having Cole Kmet and Michael Mayer take away targets than him not being able. That was the case in my eyes and a strong day running routes and catching the football will help his cause to potentially sneak into day two of the draft.
Nick McCloud and Shaun Crawford
McCloud is the player I believe has a shot to get into the late rounds of the draft, but so much will depend on his 40 time. He’s long and physical and proved he can play at a fairly high-level, but if he can’t get to at least the mid 4.5 range, I don’t see a scenario where he is going to get selected.
His athletic testing in general is going to largely determine his stock.
Crawford is not going to get drafted with his size and injury history, but teams are always looking for nickel corners and that is an area that he can compete well at if he gets into a camp. Elite testing numbers would certainly go a long way in getting teams to take a closer look at him and he’s been a high-character kid at Notre Dame. I’m sure fans will be rooting for him to turn some heads tomorrow.
Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah
He seems to be a consensus top-20 prospect overall and in the top-three of off-the-ball linebackers at the very least. His play on the field and the athleticism he shows speaks for itself.
That’s not to say that him backing up that athleticism with great times wouldn’t help secure a spot for him as a first round pick. His weight will be something worth monitoring as well. If he added a bit after the season, then how he times will be examined very closely because there is some question about where he projects in some NFL schemes.
At this point it would be an upset if he didn’t end up being one of the first 32 picks in the draft. Many of the scouts in attendance will be watching him more closely than the rest of the players working out.
Daelin Hayes and Ade Ogundeji
Both of these players should be drafted. It’s a matter of when they will go off the board and right now it’s looking they will both be day three selections.
Hayes is someone who has never looked bad in a workout setting. He should have a great day and I wouldn’t be surprised if NFL teams fall in love with his potential because of his athleticism at his size.
Ogundeji is still viewed as someone who is relatively raw, much like Romeo Okwara when he was a NFL prospect. If his three cone, broad jump, and vertical leap out (no pun intended) tomorrow, he can end up going much higher than many would have expected him to prior to the 2020 season.