Notre Dame will add to its illustrious history of producing NFL Draft picks on Thursday when the 2024 NFL Draft kicks off from Detroit. The Irish are expected to add another first-round pick tomorrow before adding as many as seven others in the later rounds over the weekend. Here is a rundown of when Notre Dame players could hear their names called this year.
Joe Alt (OT)
Alt will not have to wait long to hear his name called on Thursday night. He won’t make it out of the top 10 after establishing himself as one of the best offensive linemen in the country over the last three years for the Fighting Irish. The one-time 3-star recruit who converted from tight end in high school will complete the meteoric rise he experienced since he enrolled at Notre Dame and forced his way into the starting lineup as a true freshman in 2020. The latest most mock drafts have him going as #7 overall to the Tennessee Titans.
Cam Hart (CB)
Hart, like Alt, came to Notre Dame as a lower-rated recruit who ended up changing positions. In Hart’s case, he converted from wide receiver to cornerback. Like Alt, he also became one of the better players in the country at his position. The only thing holding back Hart from potentially hearing his name on Thursday night in the first round is his injury history. He’s got the length that NFL teams coveted in corners, and he has the production. Shoulder injuries throughout his career, though, likely have him off some teams’ draft boards altogether. Hart’s projected to go anywhere from the 2nd to the 4th round in most mock drafts.
Blake Fisher (OT)
Fisher was the first true freshman to start a season opener at left tackle for the Fighting Irish in 2020 after missing most of his freshman season due to injury. Despite being much more heralded than Alt, Fisher never was able to regain the left tackle position from him and settled in at right tackle the last two seasons. Many felt Fisher could have significantly enhanced his draft stock by returning to Notre Dame for his senior season. Still, he decided to leave early and is projected to be anywhere from a late 2nd round pick to a 4th round selection.
Audric Estime (RB)
The most polarizing Notre Dame draft prospect might be Estime – not because of his personality or any sort of character concerns. He is a polarizing prospect because some think his game won’t translate to the NFL level at all, while others believe he has future RB1 potential. Some doubt that his ability to make defenders miss will follow him to the NFL where the defenders are bigger and quicker. At Estime’s size, that could be a problem for him. Personally, I think his bulldozing running style will be effective if he lands in the right system. Landing somewhere like Tennessee that uses the power run game would be ideal—most peg Estime as a 4th round pick.
Javonae Jean-Baptiste (DE)
After transferring to Notre Dame from Ohio State with the reputation of being a situational pass rusher only, Jean-Baptistie transformed into an all-around defensive end and became one of Notre Dame’s better run defenders. You simply cannot have enough pass rushers in the modern-day NFL, and I suspect that Jean-Baptiste will get drafted higher than his current mock draft projections suggest. Some have him as a 7th-round pick. I think he’ll go in the 5th if he lasts that long.
Sam Hartman (QB)
Hartman came to Notre Dame last year to enhance his NFL Draft stock, but there’s a chance that Hartman won’t even get drafted. Most mocks have the record-setting quarterback going in the 7th round. While his collegiate production is impressive, Hartman lacks the measurables and big arm that NFL teams look for in franchise quarterbacks. That said, he’s got the smarts and game-manager skills to end up sticking around the NFL for a while as a backup.
Marist Liufau (LB)
One player who will particularly be interesting to see where they land—if they are drafted—is Liufau. He was a frustrating player for much of his Notre Dame career, with flashes of big play potential mixed in with stretches of inconsistency. Most mock drafts have him as a late-round selection or undrafted free agent, but something tells me some team will fall in love with his wingspan and measurables and draft him higher than most expect.
JD Bertrand (LB)
While Liufau was inconsistent throughout his career, Bertrand was the model of consistency for Notre Dame. He doesn’t have the speed or athletic measurables to get drafted high—or maybe even at all—but he is another player who could have a sneaky long career as a special teams player and depth linebacker because of his intangibles. Some mocks have him as high as the 6th round, but some others have him slated as an undrafted free agent.
