It might sound odd coming off the heels of a run to the national championship game, but the Notre Dame Fighting Irish likely won’t have a first-round selection in the 2025 NFL Draft if current mock drafts are any indication. Much like the entire 2024 Fighting Irish roster, however, the 2025 Notre Dame draft might lack a headliner, but features several strong prospects with plenty of upside at the next level. At least two former Domers should hear their names by the end of the second night, and several others will get the call before the end of the weekend. Here’s a rundown of where all the Irish prospects stand.
| Player | Position | NFL.com Draft Grade |
| Xavier Watts | S | 2nd-3rd Round |
| Benjamin Morrison | CB | 2nd-3rdRoundd |
| Mitchell Evans | TE | 2ndRoundd |
| Riley Leonard | QB | 4th-5thRoundd |
| Jack Kiser | LB | 5thRoundd |
| Rylie Mills | DT | 5th-6thRoundd |
Ballhawk on the Rise: Watts Poised to Make an Impact on Day 2
Xavier Watts likely won’t be a first-round pick, but he probably should be, and he will eventually make some GM look smart for grabbing him in the second round. Watts, a wide receiver turned linebacker turned safety, led the NCAA with seven interceptions in 2023 and won the Bronko Nagurski Trophy. He’s viewed as a high-IQ, instinctive defender with ball skills, though his long speed and range are considered average by testing standards, which is pushing him down draft boards despite his insane production in the Irish secondary.
Most mock drafts and draft grades view Watts as a second or third-round pick. My Philadelphia Eagles need help at safety and have a late second-round pick. I would be over the moon if the Birds landed Watts in that range to pair with what is already one of the best young secondaries in the NFL. My dream scenario for the Super Bowl Champs (in case anyone forgot the Eagles won the Super Bowl) is for them to trade back from #32 overall into the middle of the 2nd round to grab Watts and get another high pick for 2026.
Lockdown Legacy: Morrison’s Technique and Grit Keep Him in Day 2 Conversation
If Benjamin Morrison hadn’t injured his hip early in the 2024 season, we would be talking about Morrison as a potential top-10 pick. Momentum was building for him to be the first Irish cornerback to be selected in the first Round since Tom Carter in 1994. Instead, he is likely a day two (second or third round) pick. Morrison burst onto the scene as a true freshman and never slowed down until the injury against Stanford. His loss was felt most in the national championship game, and Ohio State’s loaded passing game.
In addition to Notre Dame fans asking “what if” about Morrison and the title game, Morrison will ask “what if” about his draft slot and the injury. The only benefit of being a second-round pick in a case like this is that second-round picks get to their second contracts (and potentially a huge payday) a year earlier than first-round picks, since deals for 2nd rounders are four years versus potentially five for 1st rounders.
The Project Passer: Leonard Offers Tools and Toughness for a Developmental Role
The most interesting Notre Dame storyline during the draft will be where Riley Leonard lands. At times early during the 2024 season, it looked like a long shot for Leonard even to be a draft pick. Still, after he settled into Notre Dame’s offense after an off-season of injury hurdles, he flashed the NFL potential that had some thinking he could be a first-round pick after his breakout 2022 season at Duke.
The challenge with Leonard’s projection is that he is still a project at the next level. He started to develop better rapport with his receivers and get more comfortable as a passer towards the end of the season, but he still has a lot of work to do. He has all of the raw tools and the right mindset to become a capable NFL quarterback, but it will take some time. An ideal landing spot for Leonard would be somewhere with a QB-friendly system that has an established starter and backup, where he could be a third option, allowing him to develop for a couple of seasons.
Leonard’s NFL career will be fascinating to watch. I wouldn’t be surprised if he had a 10+ year career or was out of the NFL entirely in less than three years. The NFL isn’t known for its patience, which Leonard will need from whatever organization drafts him. It feels like the best of Leonard’s career is still ahead of him, and some NFL team could be rewarded for taking a chance and giving him space to develop. This is the case with most mock drafts, which have him in the 5th or 6th round based on the upside.
Reliable Target: Evans’ Two-Way Skills Make Him a Day 3 Steal
Mitchell Evans didn’t suffer an injury in 2025 that set him back, but his 2024 injury stunted his development since he got almost no time with Riley Leonard until the season started, limiting how much chemistry they could develop. A target like Evans should have been a security blanket for a quarterback like Leonard, but with both of them missing so much time in the off-season, that connection just never developed as most hoped it would.
Evans doesn’t wow anyone with his athleticism at the position, but he is a big, reliable target who is a more than capable blocker. That skillset will get you – and keep you – employed in the NFL. He might not have TE1 upside in the NFL given the emphasis placed on TE1s getting vertical, but he has the potential to be a high-end TE2 that ends up playing for a long time, similar to former Notre Dame tight end Anthony Fasano.
Trench Technician: Mills Brings Versatility and Motor to NFL Interior Lines
Another player whose draft stock took a hit because of injury, Rylie Mills’s draft position is challenging to project. Some have him as high as a fourth-round pick because of how disruptive of a force he is in the middle of the defensive line, while others have him as a sixth or seventh-round selection since he is coming off an ACL injury suffered in December that clouds his availability for 2025.
A healthy Mills could have worked his way into the third round if he continued to play strong throughout the playoffs. Instead, he’ll be a late-round selection and almost certainly won’t have to go the route of an undrafted free agent.
Heart and Hustle: Kiser Projects as a Special Teams Ace and Depth LB
The last player with a draftable grade from NFL.com is linebacker Jack Kiser. Like some others on this list, he might lack the ideal measurables, but what he lacks in measurables, he makes up for in intangibles. Kiser does all the little things right and has all the tools to be a valuable backup and special-teams stalwart at the next level. That is a skill set that many teams value with late-round selections, at least good ones. Bad teams tend to use late-round picks like lottery tickets on high upside prospects that also have a high likelihood of not making a 53-man roster in September. Look for a good team with playoff aspirations to grab Kiser with a day 3 pick.
Underdogs with Upside: Notre Dame’s Day 3 Hopefuls Look to Prove Their Worth
A few other players could hear their names called over the three days of the draft, but are more likely to go the route of an undrafted free agent. While it is preferable to be drafted, sometimes signing a UDFA contract can be advantageous since the player can select where they sign versus being selected.
- Howard Cross III (DL) – Projected as a late-round pick or priority undrafted free agent. Cross’s size is what has him lower on a lot of draft boards. He overcame it and was impactful for Notre Dame, but the interior linemen he’ll face are bigger and stronger on the next level.
- RJ Oben (DL) – Late-round projection; brings experience and depth to the defensive line. Oben didn’t have the season anyone hoped for at Notre Dame, but he came up big in the playoffs, and anyone who can rush the passer will get at least a look in training camp somewhere.
- Beaux Collins (WR) – He could slide into the late rounds but is more likely to be signed as a free agent. Collins offers size and potential as a possession receiver. He had a problem with drops at Notre Dame but tested well and will get a chance somewhere.
