Notre Dame Football: Top 5 prospects for 2019 NFL Draft
By Jacob Wilson
With the 2018 NFL Draft behind us, here’s an early look at Notre Dame football’s potential turnout for the 2019 NFL Draft.
The Irish made quite the statement in this year’s draft, as they were the only program to have two players drafted within the top 10. Those two players were notable offensive line standouts Quenton Nelson (Indianapolis Colts) and Mike McGlinchey (San Francisco 49ers), two testaments to the success Notre Dame has had with the offensive line throughout the years.
Tight end Durham Smythe (Miami Dolphins) and wide receiver Equanimeous St. Brown (Green Bay Packers) were also taken in rounds four and six, respectively. Additionally, linebacker Nyles Morgan and defensive end Andrew Trumbetti signed as undrafted free agents with the Chicago Bears, while running back Josh Adams would do so with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Now it’s time to take a look at where Notre Dame’s roster stands right now. Here are five players who may hear their names called in the 2019 NFL Draft.
5. Sam Mustipher, Center
One of the few drawbacks that come with playing alongside stars such as Nelson and McGlinchey throughout your career is the lack of recognition. For fifth-year senior Sam Mustipher, that doesn’t seem to matter much.
Mustipher, a four-star recruit out of Maryland and one of four current Notre Dame captains, redshirted in his first season before taking on a special teams role in nine games over the course of his sophomore season. It wasn’t until his junior year, however, that Mustipher started shaping into one of the team’s premier talents on the offensive line.
Mustipher would go on to start in every game his junior year before doing the same in 2017. While Nelson and McGlinchey’s performances couldn’t be rivaled, Mustipher continued to put together one solid year after another, much like teammate Alex Bars.
Overall, Mustipher still has some things to work on, but a year at the helm of the Irish offensive line has no equal when it comes to developing into an NFL-caliber player. Notre Dame has a rich history of offensive linemen in the NFL, and there are a few players at the position on this roster who are more than capable of joining that fraternity.