Notre Dame is one of the more storied college football programs in the nation. Their history is rich in both college and NFL success, particularly on the offensive line, where they’ve seemingly churned out pro after pro. The 2021 Notre Dame Pro Day is an opportunity for these NFL Draft prospects to showcase their athleticism and attempt to match the outrageous athletic feats we’ve seen reported thus far.
When is Notre Dame’s Pro Day in 2021?
The pro day for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in 2021 will take place on March 31.
Top Notre Dame prospects working out at pro day
Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah
The 2021 Notre Dame Pro Day prospects are highlighted above all by the explosive hybrid defender Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah. Is he a strong safety or a linebacker at the next level?
Luckily, that answer doesn’t necessitate a binary response. He played in the slot often for the Fighting Irish, and his explosive style of movement allows for that to be an option even at the next level. Cole Beasley, for example, and other shifty slots pose a mismatch, although slot cornerback isn’t necessarily on his résumé.
[sv slug=”drizly”]Using Owusu-Koramoah as the strong safety in Cover 3 looks when the defense is in nickel or lighter defensive packages allows him to creep into the box as an overhang defender. Here is where he can best use his athleticism to chase and tackle or cover tight ends in man.
Some teams may throw him at WILL and hope he develops. But ideally, a defensive staff has a better plan for him. He is the main attraction of the 2021 Notre Dame Pro Day.
Daelin Hayes
Of all Notre Dame prospects, this redshirt senior may, in fact, benefit most from a strong 2021 Pro Day. Daelin Hayes possesses an outstanding wingspan despite having shorter than average arms, which means his shoulders are about as wide as the flatscreen in your living room.
Even though he played as a bit of a hybrid defender in 2020, he looked a bit slim when he rushed from a two-point stance. Hayes weighed into the Senior Bowl at 261 pounds, and it’ll be interesting to see what he looks like at Notre Dame’s 2021 Pro Day. That should give us a better feel for how NFL teams would like to deploy him. Either way, he must test well for evaluators to prove the athleticism that only flashes at times on film can be a consistent feature in his game.
Liam Eichenberg
Liam Eichenberg is the quintessential Notre Dame left tackle. You won’t see him and think, “that’s an athletic specimen,” but the young man boringly gets the job done play after play.
The 2021 Notre Dame Pro Day is an opportunity for Eichenberg to confirm our priors that he possesses the requisite athleticism to do the job at the next level. Pro Football Network’s Chief Draft Analyst Tony Pauline’s positives on him read like the report of a 10-year professional career.
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Pauline: “Large, strong college left tackle who projects to the right side at the next level. Blocks with proper lean and displays outstanding vision as well as awareness. Terrific position blocker who picks up stunts and blitzes, squares into opponents, and seals defenders from the action. Keeps his feet moving, correctly places his hands into opponents, and makes terrific use of angles.
“Strong, flashes power as a run blocker, and moves defenders off the line. Better-than-average range off the edge, gets leverage on opponents, and looks to hit multiple defenders on each down.”
The 2021 Notre Dame Pro Day is important to Eichenberg to show he’s a mid-tier athlete for the position. The best part about Liam Eichenberg is that just because he’s pro-ready does not mean he’s a finished product. He can still improve the use of his hands in pass protection. He’ll need to learn to improve his strike repertoire to become an even more consistent pass protector.
Tommy Tremble
Tommy Tremble is the tight end prospect for the Fighting Irish. However, he’s fit to play both inline or as an H-back as a blocker and pass catcher. PFN’s Oliver Hodgkinson likened his abilities to former Cincinnati Bearcats tight end Josiah Deguara, and I tend to agree.
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For the 2021 Notre Dame Pro Day, what we hope to see is an athletic profile to build from. Testing well at tight end is historically more important toward forecasting NFL success than at most other positions. Moreover, NFL staffs will enjoy Tremble’s willingness and abilities as a blocker, along with his upside as a pass catcher.
Other Fighting Irish set to participate
- WR Ben Skowronek
- OG Aaron Banks
- OG Robert Hainsey
- WR Javon McKinley
- QB Ian Book
- DE Adetokunbo Ogundeji
- OG Tommy Kraemer
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