Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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32 JUNE/JULY 2024 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED over the field, he can drop in coverage. "The multiplicity and the number of things he can do at a high level was attractive." Liufau should see the field quickly, given everything he can do and the Cowboys' situation. This is a team that saw its season end at home in the Wild Card Round because it could not stop a nosebleed, losing 48-32 to Green Bay. Expectations are through the roof at Liufau's new home, and they aren't too far behind at Fisher's. The Texans struck gold with former Ohio State quarter- back CJ Stroud with the second overall pick in the 2023 draft, winning the AFC South and hoping to take the next step in 2024. Perhaps not as early as Liufau in Dallas, but Fisher hopes to break into the starting lineup and join a young, Stroud-led core that could contend in the AFC title for years to come. "The guys around the team, they re- ally respect [Stroud] and you can see that," Fisher said shortly after being drafted. "Seeing the camaraderie that they have on the offensive line and the QB, it's really exciting to join." FOUR IRISH SELECTED ON DAY 3 The Chargers selected cornerback Cam Hart with the No. 140 pick in the fifth round, making him the fourth for- mer Irish player selected. Hart was a key piece of Notre Dame's dominant pass defense this past season, allowing 15 receptions for 137 yards on 28 targets all year. He broke up 2 passes and forced 3 fumbles, in addition to making 21 tackles. Playing opposite projected 2025 first-round pick Benjamin Morrison, Hart anchored the No. 1 pass efficiency defense in the nation. He finished the season with an 84.2 Pro Football Focus coverage grade and an 83.3 overall de- fense grade, both of which represented career highs. "I feel like if I'm guarding somebody, [I can] just put hands on him," Hart said March 29 at the NFL Scouting Com- bine in Indianapolis. "Just knowing who you're going against. Film study. Know- ing tendencies, knowing route recogni- tion, things like that." A few picks later at No. 143 overall, linebacker JD Bertrand was selected by the Atlanta Falcons. The former Ro- swell (Ga.) Blessed Trinity standout was pleased to be staying close to home. "I was ecstatic," Bertrand said af- ter the draft. "I just walked out of that meeting and I was like, 'Man, I would really love to be able to have the chance to play for the Falcons.'" Blessed Trinity is less than a 40-min- ute drive from Mercedes-Benz Stadium, where Atlanta plays its home games and where Notre Dame will face Georgia Tech Oct. 19. "I'm so excited, just to be a hometown kid and be able to stay home," Bertrand said. "All my friends and family are all here supporting me, so it's just so awe- some to be able to stay home." Falcons general manager Terry Fon- tenot added that he received a text from Ohio State linebackers coach and for- mer Notre Dame graduate assistant James Laurinaitis shortly after select- ing Bertrand. Laurinaitis, who crossed paths with Fontenot as a linebacker with the New Orleans Saints in 2016, raved about his former pupil. With Bertrand being a local product, the Falcons had several other avenues to get information on him. Every review said the same thing: "You want this kid on your football team." "I can go through a few of his other mentors, some of the better guys in the league to do it," Falcons general man- ager Terry Fontenot said. "This guy, he breathes, sleeps football. It's all about football with him. "Like Raheem said, we're very excited about him." Next, the Denver Broncos selected Audric Estimé with the 147th overall pick in the fifth round. The 5-11, 221-pound bruiser of a back ran 210 times for 1,341 yards — the fifth-most in a single season in school history — and 18 touchdowns as a junior last fall. He logged a 4.71-second 40-yard dash time at the NFL Combine in India- napolis, the worst time of any of the 21 running backs who ran. He performed better at Notre Dame's pro day a few weeks later, posting a time of 4.58 sec- onds. "I feel like I'm very fast, and I feel like I can run faster," Estimé said after his Pro Day workout. "The 40 is done with. I probably never have to run it again in my life. Time to play football, and that's what I do best — play football." The seventh and final Irish player se- lected was defensive end Javontae Jean- Baptiste, who went to the Washington Commanders with the 222nd pick in the seventh round. In his lone season at Notre Dame, the Ohio State transfer blew past his career highs with 49 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, 38 quarterback pressures and 28 defensive stops (tackles that result in a failure for the offense). He also recorded 5 sacks, with 4.5 of them coming in his final four games. ✦ Cornerback Cam Hart will be Alt's teammate with the Chargers and is also reuniting with former Irish defensive backs coach Chris O'Leary, now the safe- ties coach with the Chargers. GRAPHIC COURTESY LOS ANGELES CHARGERS Defensive end Javontae Jean-Baptiste was the seventh and final Irish player to be drafted in 2024. He went to the Washington Commanders in the seventh round with the 222nd overall pick. GRAPHIC COURTESY WASHINGTON COMMANDERS