Looking ahead to Notre Dame’s 2025 draft prospects

The 2024 NFL Draft is now in the rearview mirror, so it’s time to look ahead to the 2025 Draft. Notre Dame has plenty of players who could hear their names called next season. In fact, the Irish could have one of their best draft classes in quite some time. The 2024 season will have a major impact on that, but if things go well for Notre Dame, the draft could be a busy journey for the players.

For Notre Dame’s defense, it has a chance to be a historic draft class. Notre Dame will use some younger players in key positions in 2024, but overall the defense is extremely experienced. If the unit can repeat its 2023 success, it will have a chance to draft at least a half-dozen players in next year’s NFL Draft.

Let’s take a look at the potential 2025 NFL Draft prospects, with a look at the defensive board.

SENIORS

DT HOWARD CROSS III – Cross turned down an opportunity in the NFL to return for a sixth season at Notre Dame, and his return was huge for the Irish defense. He was excellent in 2023 and showed the ability to be a disruptive pass rusher. Cross also improved his ability to stop the run. If he can build on that in 2024, he has a good chance of seeing his name called in the 2025 Draft. Sporting News, Athlon Sports and PFF all have Cross listed as a Top 50 prospect for next year’s class, and both SN and Athlon have him as a Top 25 prospect. It’s hard for me to see Cross going so high, but one more strong season and he has a great chance of being picked somewhere.

DT RYLIE MILLS – Mills is the most intriguing prospect on the board for Notre Dame in the 2025 cycle, on both sides of the ball. He has great size (6-5, 297) and he is an athletic defender. He was once on Bruce Feldman’s “Freaks List” because of his testing and GPS numbers. Mills had a good season in 2023, showing improved ability to rush the passer. He and Cross were the only P5 tandem last year to rank in the Top 25 in both pressure and run stops. Mills has sometimes very impressive films, but his production does not match his talent. That will be key for him in 2024, and if Mills can match his production to his tools, he will have a big senior season and shoot off the draft boards.

THE RJ OBEN – It wouldn’t have been a huge surprise to see Oben head to the NFL after his fifth season at Duke, but he decided to transfer to Notre Dame instead. That has paid off Javontae Jean-Baptiste, who went from a lightly used backup at Ohio State to a draft pick after one season at Notre Dame. Oben was a much more productive player at Duke than Jean-Baptiste was at Ohio State. Oben has shown himself to be a good edge rusher, but he will be asked to be more of a dual-threat player for the Irish, and if he can answer that challenge, he will show the kind of all-around game he needs has. to delve into next year’s design.

THE JORDAN BOTELHO – This is the biggest roster conundrum for Notre Dame. I could name a few games where Botelho absolutely showed himself as an NFL-caliber player. His athleticism and ability to thrive on special teams could make him an intriguing player, but Botelho’s tendency to disappear for long periods of time makes him a frustrating player to evaluate. At this point, I don’t see Botelho as an NFL Draft pick, but I also think he could make one himself. For Botelho, it’s simple: be consistent and improve the pass rush repertoire. If he can do that, he will be a key piece in the Irish defense and put himself in a position to climb the draft boards if he can test well as well.

LB JACK KISER – Kiser is another veteran sixth-year player for Notre Dame’s defense. He will have a ton of experience and film for scouts to evaluate, and his overall career production will be impressive as well. Kiser is also an important weapon on special teams. Check Marist Liufau And J.D. Bertrand In the third and fifth rounds respectively, my optimism about Kiser’s 2025 pick soared. Kiser is a very athletic player and I expect him to test well, which will boost his resume. If he can prove he can be a full-time inside backer in 2024, he will be an intriguing player for NFL teams looking for a linebacker and special teams standout.

S XAVIER WATT Watts earned unanimous All-American honors in 2023, but he opted to return for a fifth and final season, which was huge for the Irish defense. Watts has some team goals he wants to achieve, and that played a role in his return, but he also knows his game needs to grow. Now entering his second full season as a safety, Watts needs to show he can add solid and consistent play to his playmaking skills. Aside from his injury, there is no doubt that Watts will be selected next year. To vault into the top two rounds, he must continue to improve his ability in man coverage and become a more consistent tackler. His testing numbers will also play a role in where he falls in next year’s draft by answering any questions scouts and teams have about his athleticism.

S-ROD HEARD III – Heard played nickel and cornerback during his career at Northwestern, but he will return to safety at Notre Dame. This move could be huge for Heard if he can make a smooth transition. His skills are better at safety, and if he can put together a full season of productive play, it will boost his draft stock. Play indoors All Golden‘s NFL-style defense will help him, and if he can test well, I could see him calling his name next year.

NB JORDAN CLARK – I don’t see Clark as a draftable player and see his final season looking a lot like Thomas Harper’s. He will be an important part of the Irish defense, the Irish fans will be happy that he has moved on, but he will not hear his name called during draft weekend. Having a father who played in the NFL could help him from the standpoint of getting the nod if the team is torn between two players, but at this point I see him being more of an undrafted free agent. If Clark has a good year, improves his coverage skills and tests well, we can look back on this prediction and say, “Hey, that’s where you were wrong.”

SUBCLASSES

CB BENJAMIN MORRISON – At this point, there is no doubt who is the best candidate for Notre Dame. Morrison is getting a lot of first-round projections in the early mock drafts, including some that have him in the Top 10. Now mock drafts mean nothing to NFL teams, but it shows the perception for Morrison. He was a brilliant cover man over his first two seasons, including flourishing in matchups against some high draft picks. NFL teams will likely be impressed with how well he performed Marvin Harrison Jr. this past season. Morrison is tall, he is a silky smooth athlete and his football IQ is exceptional. Playing in Golden’s tough defense also boosts his profile. The key for Morrison will be getting his shoulder healthy and testing well. If he performs well enough at the Combine, I could absolutely see Morrison becoming Notre Dame’s first cornerback taken in the first round since Tom Carter back in 1993.

LB JAYLEN SNEED – This isn’t likely at this point, but Sneed is a player to at least keep an eye on. If he can play a significant role in Notre Dame’s defense and production, I wouldn’t be surprised if Sneed at least considers leaving early. His athleticism is top-notch, and extra time won’t make him bigger. I think Sneed still needs a few more years to really develop into the top of the draft, but he’s at least worth keeping an eye on to see if he can break through.

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