How Ravens’ John Harbaugh, Rams’ Sean McVay have used Notre Dame rookies in the past
Just under a month ago, Notre Dame had a pair of players taken in the 2022 NFL Draft; safety Kyle Hamilton went No. 14 overall to the Baltimore Ravens, while running back Kyren Williams was taken in the fifth round by the Los Angeles Rams.
Both Ravens head coach John Harbaugh and Rams head coach Sean McVay have experience with drafted Irish rookies. Here is how those players fared in their first years in the NFL in Baltimore and Los Angeles.
Drafted Rams rookies
Wide receiver Ben Showronek — After drafting the Northwestern wideout turned Notre Dame transfer in the seventh round of the 2021 NFL Draft, Skowronek recorded stats in a total of nine games last year for the eventual Super Bowl champions. He was targeted 19 times and caught 11 balls for 133 yards during the regular season and added a pair of catches for 12 yards during the Super Bowl win over the Cincinnati Bengals.
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Drafted Ravens rookies
Linebacker Daelin Hayes — Injuries plagued Hayes in his first season in Baltimore. The 2021 fifth-round NFL Draft selection suffered an ankle injury in Week 3 after being inactive for the first two weeks. He was subsequently placed on injured reserve, and he was put back on the list a second time in January. Hayes did not record any stats in last season.
Wide receiver Miles Boykin — Boykin is now with the Pittsburgh Steelers, but he was drafted out of Notre Dame by the Ravens in the third round in 2019. The 6-4, 220-pound receiver made an immediate impact for Harbaugh, catching 16 balls for 224 yards and three touchdowns over the course of the regular season and one playoff game. Boykin played in all 17 games and started 11.
Offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley — The Ravens took Stanley with the sixth overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, and despite recent injuries, he is one of the best offensive tackles in the league. Stanley made 12 starts in 2016, missing a few weeks in the middle of the season as a result of a foot injury. He gave up three sacks and 22 quarterback hurries. Stanley was rated the 17th best offensive tackle and third best rookie at the position in the league that season by Pro Football Focus.
Defensive end Kapron Lewis-Moore — Like Hayes, Lewis-Moore had a rough rookie year. Two years, actually. The defensive lineman was selected in the sixth round of the 2013 NFL Draft and spent his first two professional seasons on injured reserve. The former Irish defensive end’s troubles started when he tore his ACL against Alabama in the 2012 BCS National Championship Game.
Safety Tom Zbikowski — Zbikowski was selected by the Ravens in the third round in his respective draft, Harbaugh’s first at the helm of the team in 2008. The strong safety saw the field in 16 games during his inaugural season but made zero starts. He totaled 19 tackles, a tackle for loss and a quarterback hit that year.
