Countdown to kickoff: Notre Dame vs. Ohio State only 70 days away
To preview one of the most anticipated games for Notre Dame this century and the official start of the Marcus Freeman era, BlueandGold.com is counting down the days to the matchup against Ohio State on Sept. 3.
This daily series of 99 stories celebrates by the numbers some of the most notable names, dates, moments and memories related to the past and present of Notre Dame football.
With 70 days remaining until kickoff, today we look at the history of Notre Dame’s first-round NFL Draft picks.
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Notre Dame leads college football all-time with a total of 522 NFL Draft picks, and one of college football’s blue bloods is also up there when it comes to first rounders. Since the first NFL Draft in 1936, Notre Dame has produced 70 first-round NFL Draft selections. The Irish trail only Ohio State (85), USC (83) and Alabama (74) in that category.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Notre Dame has had the most success having offensive linemen taken in the first round (15). The breakdown beyond the offensive line is as follows: running back (13), defensive line (12), quarterback and tight end (8), defensive back (7), wide receiver (4) and linebacker (1).
While 13 running backs have been taken in the first round, Jerome Bettis was the last one in 1993. That trend is likely to continue for some time due to the decline in the value of running backs at the next level; very few rushing talents are now taken among the first 32 picks. Outside of running back, Notre Dame has gone the longest without sending a linebacker to the league in the first round. Bob Crable was the first and last linebacker out of Notre Dame to head to the NFL as a first rounder in 1982.
In 1936, back Bill Shakespeare was the inaugural first rounder out of Notre Dame, going third overall to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Safety Kyle Hamilton is the most recent player to join the elite fraternity, as he was taken with the No. 14 overall pick by the Baltimore Ravens in April. A total of five players have been No. 1 overall selections.
Looking ahead to 2023, as many as four current Notre Dame players have a realistic chance of being selected on Day 1: tight end Michael Mayer, offensive lineman Jarrett Patterson, defensive lineman Isaiah Foskey and safety Brandon Joseph. Will they cement their names among the Irish greats?
