Blue & Gold Illustrated: 2019 Notre Dame Football Preview
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1133608
IRISH IN THE NFL Saturday in 2010, Indianapolis' first rookie Pro Bowler since Marshall Faulk in 1994 and the club's first guard to make it since Ron Solt in 1987. He then became the first Colts' All-Pro lineman since Saturday in 2007, when he and fellow rookie Darius Leonard, a linebacker, become the second set of rookie teammates to be voted to the Associated Press squad. Gale Sayers and Dick Butkus were the only other rookie teammates to achieve first-team status from the AP, in 1965, and both went on to have Hall of Fame careers with the Chicago Bears. "In both cases they bring a lot of juice into the meeting room, into the weight room," first-year coach Frank Reich said of Nelson and Leonard. "They have infectious leader- ship qualities. "Their love for the game, their love to com- pete at the highest level I just think is very infectious and you love their confidence to be able to just let that loose." McGlinchey also had an excellent debut campaign. He started all 16 games at right tackle, and finished the year as PFF's highest- graded rookie tackle (73.2) and the second- highest-graded rookie offensive lineman be- hind only Nelson. McGlinchey's run blocking was particularly potent with a 78.2 grade in the category that was best among rookies. Not surprisingly, he joined Nelson on the NFL All-Rookie team. "He came in here at 35 and I don't know how they messed up his birth certificate," 49ers veteran cornerback Richard Sherman told ESPN.com when asked about Mc- Glinchey. "He came in here with his shirt tucked in and you thought he was somebody's dad, at least I did. He's come in and been a consummate professional. He's probably one of the better rookies that I've seen. "He doesn't talk a lot; he comes in here, he takes care of his body, he says the right things, he does the right things, you're like, 'Who coached him up?' He looks like he's 42." ✦ TOP FIVE PLAYERS 1. Quenton Nelson, OL, Indianapolis Colts In his first season in the NFL after being selected No. 6 overall by the India- napolis Colts, Nelson kept right on doing the same things he did at Notre Dame. With an elite NFL build and violent blocking ability, the left guard immediately be- came one of the most feared offensive linemen in the NFL, just as he was in college. Nelson started all 16 regular-season games for the Colts in 2018 as well as two playoff games. The former Irish standout was one of three Notre Dame products to be selected to the 2018 Pro Bowl and the first Colts rookie offensive lineman to earn a spot in the game since Chris Hinton in 1983. Nelson was named to the Associated Press All-Pro first team after he helped the Colts go from a league-worst 56 sacks allowed in 2017 to an NFL-best 18 last fall. 2. HARRISON SMITH, S, MINNESOTA VIKINGS For the fourth straight year, Smith represented the Vikings and Notre Dame in the Pro Bowl. The 2017 NFL Defensive Player of the Year nominee finished the season with 84 total tackles (67 solo), three interceptions, three sacks and one forced fumble. Pro Football Focus (PFF) graded Smith as the No. 14 safety in the NFL for the 2018 season. 3. Zack Martin, OL, Dallas Cowboys The 2018 campaign marked the right guard's fifth season in the NFL and he earned his fifth consecutive Pro Bowl selection, all with the Dallas Cowboys. Martin is one of the highest-paid offensive linemen in the NFL after signing an extension last June worth $84,000,000 that made him the top-paid guard in the league. PFF ranked Martin as the No. 2 guard in the NFL for the 2018 season. He earned Associated Press All-Pro honors for the third time in his career but was listed on the top squad for the first time (he was second-team in 2015 and 2017). 4. Ronnie Stanley, OL, Baltimore Ravens Stanley started all but one game for the Baltimore Ravens in 2018. According to PFF, the left tackle is the No. 2 pass-blocking offensive lineman in pure pass sets (which takes out trick plays, screens, play-action and quick throws of less than 2.5 seconds) behind only Packers tackle David Bakhtiari. The outlet noted that Stanley allowed just 17 total pressures on 577 pass-blocking snaps, and allowed only nine on 137 pure pass sets. His pass-blocking grade of 87.0 ranked third among all offensive tackles, while his overall grade made him the No. 17 player at this position last fall. 5. Jaylon Smith, LB, Dallas Cowboys In his second season of play in the NFL, Smith appeared to have put the devastating knee injury he suffered in his final college game fully behind him. The former five-star recruit and Irish standout posted 121 total tackles (82 solo), four sacks, two forced fumbles and two recoveries, one of which he returned 69 yards for a touchdown. His tackle total tied for 13th in the NFL, and PFF ranked him as the No. 6 linebacker for the 2018 season. ON THE MOVE WR Golden Tate After a strong start to the season with two 100-yard games in the first four weeks, the wideout was traded by the Detroit Lions Oct. 30 to the Philadelphia Eagles in ex - change for a third-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. After playing out the second half of the season in Philadelphia, Tate signed with the New York Giants as a free agent March 14. The Giants inked the veteran going into his 10th NFL season to a four-year, $37.5-million contract with $23 million guaranteed. WR Michael Floyd On Sept. 17, Floyd was signed by the Washington Red - skins, where he would catch 10 passes for 100 yards and a touchdown in 2018. Following the season, Floyd joined the Baltimore Ravens on May 17. When the 2019 season arrives, Floyd will take the field for his sixth team (count - ing his stint with the New Orleans Saints, where he never appeared in a game) since entering the league in 2012 as a first-round draft pick. PHOTO COURTESY MINNESOTA VIKINGS BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2019 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ✦ 139