The closer we get to the NFL draft, the more and more it seems that the experts in breaking it down have come to the conclusion that they think two Notre Dame players will have their names called in the first two rounds.
Those names are of linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah and offensive tackle Liam Eichenberg.
Owusu-Koramoah is seen by every draft expert that we’ve seen as a first-round pick while Eichenberg is seen as a second-round pick, going as high as 34th overall to the Jets in some mocks.
Pro Football Focus released their latest mock draft on Monday and had those two both going in the first two rounds. Here is where they had each going and why their respective selections make sense.
18. Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah – Miami Dolphins
Owusu-Koramoah has been a game-changer for Notre Dame over the past couple of seasons, serving as the “rover” in the Fighting Irish defense. He has shined in every single facet of play, but especially so in coverage. In that role, Owusu-Koramoah predominantly manned the slot, where he earned the third-highest coverage grade in the FBS. He allowed only five first downs across 200 slot coverage snaps with an interception, four forced incompletions and four passing stops in 2020.
He’s an explosive and versatile weapon that I’m sure Brian Flores wouldn’t mind having in his defense.
Related: Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah Photo Gallery
54. Liam Eichenberg – Arizona Cardinals
Kyler Murray has dropped some subtle hints on Twitter that he would be in favor of the Cardinals bolstering the offensive line via the draft early in 2021. Right tackle Kelvin Beachum is set to hit the open market in March, and Arizona could try to slide 2019 third-rounder Josh Jones at guard for 2021. If that’s the case, then this pick should be dedicated to Eichenberg, who has an extremely high floor.
From a technical standpoint, Eichenberg is as polished as they come — that’s the key reason why he logged an 89.9 PFF grade in 2020. If we take out his Week 6 performance against Florida State when he played with a swollen-shut left eye, and Eichenberg is one of the few tackles to earn a grade above 87.0 as both a pass- and run-blocker. He’ll be available in Round 2 because the athleticism is nowhere near some of the other tackles in this class, but he is bound to have NFL success thanks to how advanced he is.
We’ve seen many who have Owusu-Koramoah being Miami-bound. The Dolphins need for a receiver could also play into this being his eventual landing spot or not.
Arizona is in desperate need of offensive line help as discussed and Eichenberg may not be the same level of a prospect as some in recent Notre Dame classes but should provide stability to a team that is in need of it.