Notre Dame NFL Notebook: top 2021 players, draft update and free agency
The 2021 NFL season is officially over after the Los Angeles Rams topped the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20 in their home stadium to win the Super Bowl on Sunday night.
Now focus turns to postseason 2021 honors, the NFL Draft and an early look at 2022. PFF released a collection of updates on these topics on Monday, and Notre Dame players were mentioned in each category.
Zack Martin named No. 4 NFL player in 2021
The Dallas Cowboys offensive lineman has been one of the most convincing pieces of evidence when it comes to the “Notre Dame is Offensive Line U” conversation, and he held up that status in 2021. PFF’s Sam Monson released his top 101 NFL players from 2021, and Martin checked in at No. 4.
“Martin was a dominant run-blocker for Dallas and allowed 23 pressures from 17 games, including the postseason,” Monson said. “Martin has been the most consistent member of the Cowboys’ offensive line since he arrived in Dallas, and 2021 represents his best season.”
According to PFF, the guard played 1,101 snaps last season and allowed just one sack. He also plays clean football, as he drew just two penalties in 16 games started. As a result of his top-notch performance, Martin was named first-team All-Pro for the fifth time in his career.
Kyle Hamilton climbs the draft ranks
Most mock drafts have star safety Kyle Hamilton around the No. 5 spot, but PFF’s Mike Renner thinks he could go even earlier. The PFF analyst currently believes he will land with the Detroit Lions as the No. 2 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.
The Lions could use help at almost any position, but their secondary was particularly worrisome in 2021. PFF sites their biggest needs as cornerback followed by safety. Hamilton’s size hinders him in certain ways, but the same characteristic is a huge plus in other coverage situations. A freakish athlete and arguably the top talent in the NFL Draft, the Lions could certainly use him.
Will Fuller named top-100 free agent
Will Fuller signed a one-year, $10 million contract with the Miami Dolphins last March, but the deal did not pan out as either side had hoped. The former Notre Dame star missed the first two games of the season to finish off a PED suspension. He returned in Week 3 but broke his finger in Week 4. The Dolphins later learned the injury was worse than originally thought, leading Fuller to miss the remainder of the season.
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So if Fuller didn’t work out for Miami and has a troubling history of injuries, why did PFF rank him the No. 89 free agent available in the NFL this offseason? Well, he’s a master of deep routes, and if he can stay healthy, few wideouts across the league are much faster than him.
“Fuller is a roll of the dice — a gamble with a potentially big pay-out, but one with long odds,” PFF wrote. “His injury history is extensive, and he isn’t a complete player, but the things he is good at change offenses and the way defenses line up. That’s always going to have a value attached to it.”
Plenty of NFL teams are in need of a No. 3 wide receiver, including Miami, and Fuller can certainly fill that role. Will someone gamble?
