5. Khalid Kareem, DE
One of few Irish candidates with the potential to be taken in the first round, senior Khalid Kareem made his Notre Dame debut in 2017, recording 20 tackles and three sacks over the course of 11 games. However, it wasn’t until last season that Kareem really began making noise on a national level, combining for 43 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles.
Many wondered whether or not Kareem would just go ahead and declare for the 2019 NFL Draft, but the incoming senior opted to remain at Notre Dame for another year. This came as quite a relief for Notre Dame fans who were already preparing to lose Jonathan Bonner and Tillery along the defensive line.
While the Irish would’ve survived the loss thanks to great depth in the form of senior Daelin Hayes and Adetokunbo Ogundeji, Kareem’s presence at defensive end remains virtually unmatched. In fact, some 2020 Draft boards have Kareem inside the top 10 as one of the first defensive players drafted.
With that said, the Irish shouldn’t take for granted the time they have left with Kareem on the outside. We all know the impact that Quenton Nelson and Mike McGlinchey had on the Notre Dame offense, and they went sixth and ninth in the 2018 NFL Draft. The Irish should expect to get similar production out of Kareem on the opposite side of the ball in 2019.