Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com MAY 2019 7 UNDER THE DOME were above average, but he had ex- cellent quickness numbers and his film backs up those traits. Love's lack of supreme speed, strength and size will likely knock him out of the first round, but his production and foot- ball IQ make him a coveted defender. Mock Draft Analysis: All eight that went beyond the first round had Love selected anywhere from No. 45 (second round) by the Atlanta Fal- cons and No. 93 (third round) by the New York Jets. Alizé Mack, Tight End Overview: Mack's raw tools and production will likely continue Notre Dame's run of starting tight ends se- lected in the NFL Draft, which goes back to 2003. He has size, top-notch athleticism and displayed flashes of excellent ball skills. The issue for him — and the reason he is not go- ing to be picked as high as his talent would otherwise dictate — is his film is wildly erratic. Mack was a quality blocker in 2017, but fell off in 2018 while his consistency catching the ball wasn't always there. His 2016 suspension and bouts of maturity issues don't help his cause either, but he was a standout at the combine, finishing in the top five among tight ends in four different categories. Mock Draft Analysis: Mack has the widest range of projections among the Irish draft hopefuls. His top listing was No. 78 (third round) to the Buffalo Bills — but also No. 219 (seventh round) to the Pitts- burgh Steelers. Sam Mustipher, Offensive Lineman Overview: Despite earning sec- ond-team All-America honors from ESPN and the Football Writers As- sociation of America, the 2018 film for Mustipher frankly wasn't very good. The two-time captain didn't show strong footwork, pad level or finishing ability. Mustipher was not invited to either of the postseason all-star games nor the NFL Combine, which is a sign of how he is viewed by the scouting community. To make matters worse, he put up poor numbers at Notre Dame's pro day, which overshad- owed a quality performance in drills. He will hope to get picked up in the late rounds, but odds are he ends up signing as an undrafted free agent. Mock Draft Analysis: Mustipher was not included in any of the mock drafts. Jerry Tillery, Defensive Tackle Overview: Tillery is Notre Dame's highest-projected player because of his combination of size, athletic skills and pass rushing production. Pro Football Focus last fall ranked him as the nation's second-best interior pass rusher, a coveted trait in the NFL (or anywhere). He finished with the best three- cone and pro shuttle numbers of any defensive tackle at the NFL Combine, and he had the second-best 40-yard dash time (4.93) and third-best verti- cal jump (32 inches). However, it is a deep defensive line class and Tillery had offseason shoulder surgery, two factors that could knock him out of the first round. What will keep him in is a team needing an impact pass rushing big man. Mock Draft Analysis: Tillery was taken in the first round of nine mock drafts, with a high of No. 21 to the Seattle Seahawks. He went in the sec- ond round of the other five mocks. Drue Tranquill, Linebacker Overview: Tranquill was a three- year starter at Notre Dame, man- ning a different position each season (safety, rover and inside linebacker). He was a productive mainstay, fin- ishing his career with 292 tackles, 25 tackles for loss, 11 passes broken up and 36 quarterback pressures. The two-time team captain and first-team Academic All-American checks all the character boxes. He also checked a lot of athleticism boxes at the NFL Combine, ranking in the top five in vertical jump and pro shuttle while running a 4.57 in the 40-yard dash and leading all line- backers with 31 reps in the bench press. Tranquill has film that backs up those athletic numbers, and his abil- ity to play the run, cover at a high level and special teams background could make him a coveted mid- round target. Mock Draft Analysis: Tranquill was listed in three mocks, going from No. 117 (fourth round) to the Atlanta Falcons to No. 182 (sixth round) to the Cleveland Browns. Dexter Williams, Running Back Overview: Like Boykin, Williams did most of his damage as a senior, rushing for 995 yards (6.3 yards per rush) and 12 touchdowns in just nine games. He demonstrated home run ability the last two seasons, and his average of 9.2 yards per carry in 2017 will likely impress teams looking for a big-play back. Williams improved as a pass catcher during his senior season, but even then he was still just average as a blocker and his hands are a ques- tion mark. That makes him more of a one-dimensional draft prospect, and his pedestrian 40-yard dash time (4.57) somewhat overshadows his overall explosiveness. He also had some off-the-field issues that included an arrest as a sophomore and a four-game suspen- sion as a senior. Mock Draft Analysis: Only Mack had a wider draft range than Wil- liams, with the various mock drafts having him going from No. 127 (fourth round) to the Philadelphia Eagles to No. 249 (seventh round) to the Arizona Cardinals. ✦ Running back Dexter Williams' big senior cam- paign — 995 yards and 12 touchdowns on the ground — could get him a look from an NFL team in the later rounds of the draft. PHOTO BY BILL PANZICA