Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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wanted to go coming out," Niklas said. "Getting a call from the GM and verifying my number, and then actually making the phone call telling me that I'm going there, I was just extremely excited. "All my family is here on the West Coast, so it's nice to be able to play on the West Coast so my family can come to the games. It's within driving distance. It's incredible. I'm unbelievably happy that I'm going there." LOUIS NIX III FALLS TO THIRD ROUND Like Tuitt, nose guard Louis Nix III was a projected first-round pick during much of the lead-up to the NFL Draft, but he fell to the third round in one of the draft's more surprising drops before the Houston Texans took him with the No. 83 overall pick. R e p o r t s s u g g e s t e d t h a t t h e combination of Nix's weight (he played last season at 354 pounds) and comedic persona were turnoffs to several organizations. "Louis Nix, you heard rumblings that there were personality concerns and the injury that he had, but at the end of the day I think it boiled down to the position he plays and the type of player he is," Wright said. "He's a 3-4 nose tackle, so right off the bat you're eliminating half of the teams in the league from consideration of him. Of the half that's left, how many of those have a dire need at nose tackle? It's a small handful, and the Texans were absolutely one of them. I thought he might be in play for them at 33 overall, but they were able to get him later. "He went lower than expected but, again, it's a great situation. He gets to play right between [defensive end] J.J. Watt and [No. 1 overall pick Jadeveon] Clowney will probably come up on the line at times. It's not always how you come into the league, but what you do once you get there." CHRIS WATT PROVIDES DEPTH FOR CHARGERS Six picks after Nix came off the board, offensive lineman Chris Watt went to the San Diego Chargers where he will be reunited with linebacker Manti Te'o. With center Nick Hardwick and guard Jeromey Clary aging, the Chargers could be grooming the three- year starter to eventually step in on the San Diego offensive line. According to ESPN.com, the Chargers used six different offensive line combinations in 2013, so Watt immediately adds depth and consistency to the unit. THREE PLAYERS CHOSEN IN DAY THREE Three former Irish players were drafted on the final day to round out the class of eight. The Atlanta Falcons found a fit with linebacker Prince Shembo, whom they drafted 139th overall (fourth round). Shembo, a 35-game starter at Notre Dame, recorded 145 tackles and 19.5 sacks during his time with the Irish. Shembo's height (6-1) is not viewed as ideal for an edge rusher, but the Falcons liked his arm length enough for him to stay at outside linebacker. Hazlet, N.J., native Bennett Jackson will stay close to home when he suits up for the New York Giants