NFL Draft: Breaking down Notre Dame's 10 best prospects

Coming off a 12-1 season with College Football Playoff berth, here's a look at the Fighting Irish's top draft prospects.

Coming off a College Football Playoff appearance — although it didn’t end too well — Notre Dame has a solid group of prospects for the 2019 NFL Draft next week.

Leading up to the first day of the draft on Thursday, April 25, we’re breaking down the best prospects from college football’s top teams. The Fighting Irish finished the 2018-19 season with a 12-1 record and ranked No. 5 in the Coaches Poll, so here’s a look at how well they’re represented in this year’s draft class and where they’re each expected to go.

Jerry Tillery, defensive tackle

The 6-foot-6, 295-pound defensive tackle is likely the Fighting Irish’s best chance for a first-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, but he’s certainly not a lock. Some draft experts project him as a late first-rounder, but other analysts have him falling into the second round. USA TODAY Sports‘ Nate Davis said Tillery “sounds like a Patriot to me, especially with DL Trey Flowers, Danny Shelton and Malcom Brown all headed for the market” and projects him as the last pick out of the first round.

But ESPN’s Mel Kiper thinks Tillery’s recent shoulder surgery will keep him out of the top-32 overall picks and thinks he’ll go at No. 50 to the Minnesota Vikings. However, Pro Football Focus has him going at No. 12 to the Green Bay Packers.

As FTW’s consensus mock draft explained, Tillery’s average projected pick is 29.1, which puts him at No. 31 among the top prospects. A projected instant starter, if he’s still on the board at the start of the second round, he likely won’t be there at the end of it.

The Maxwell Award finalist led Notre Dame with eight sacks for 54 yards last season, and he finished with 29 total tackles (18 solo, 11 assist). He also had three forced fumbles in 2018. He’s a big guy who ran a 4.93-second 40-yard dash at the NFL combine, adding 23 bench press reps, a 32-inch vertical and a 115-inch broad jump.

Miles Boykin, wide receiver

Notre Dame’s top receiver from 2018 is looking like he could go anywhere in the second or third round of the draft. The 6-foot-4, 220-pound wide receiver is projected to eventually become an NFL starter but perhaps not right away. NFL.com analyst Lance Zierlein estimates that Boykin could have a high ceiling if he develops a bit more, but there are a lot of factors in the mix here, adding:

Boykin’s size, length and athleticism offers exciting potential as an outside receiver with mismatch potential, but he will have to learn how to counter press, improve his routes and become more competitive when the ball is in the air.

While Kiper predicts he’ll be Notre Dame’s highest draft pick this year with the Carolina Panthers at No. 47, Pro Football Focus has him going in the middle of the third round at No. 85 to the Baltimore Ravens.

Boykin finished the 2018 season with 59 catches for 872 yards (14.8 average), leading the Fighting Irish’s receiving corps and adding a team-high eight receiving touchdowns. The 2018 Citrus Bowl MVP ran a 4.42 40-yard dash at the NFL combine and posted a 43.5-inch vertical — putting him in a two-way tie at No. 1 among wide receivers — and a 140-inch broad jump, which is second among receivers.

Julian Love, cornerback

The 5-foot-11, 195-pound corner is a solid second-rounder, per several draft experts. ESPN’s Kiper has the Atlanta Falcons drafting Love at No. 45 in his latest mock draft, but he had previously predicted the Pittsburgh Steelers would take him at No. 52. Wherever he goes, it doesn’t look like he’s making moves out of the second round, with other mock drafts guessing he’ll go somewhere between Nos. 40 and 65 overall.

At the NFL combine, Love ran a 4.54-second 40-yard dash with a 36-inch vertical and a 121-inch broad jump. He’s projected to have a chance to be an NFL starter, as NFL.com explained:

Love is a cover guy who possesses the feet, hips, instincts and competitiveness you want in a corner. He operates with outstanding technique from both man and zone, and his ability to anticipate and recognize routes allows for stickier coverage. He’s more finesse than physical and his lack of top speed might need to be schemed around with certain matchups.

He finished the 2018 season leading Notre Dame with 16 passes defended and had one interception and 63 total tackles (49 solo, 14 assist).

Dexter Williams, running back

The 5-foot-11, 212-pound former Notre Dame player was the star of the team’s ground game this season, leading the Fighting Irish with 995 rushing yards (6.3 average, 97-yard long) and 12 touchdowns. He’s projected to be a fourth-round draft pick because he “runs with a good combination of feel, force and juice, which allows for a variety of methods in creating yards for himself,” per NFL.com.

He ran a 4.57-second 40-yard dash at the combine, putting him in the top 12 among running backs this year, and he had a 36-inch vertical and a 130-inch broad jump.

Te’von Coney, linebacker

With potential to eventually become an NFL starter, the 6-foot-1, 234-pound linebacker is projected to go anywhere between the third and fifth rounds in this year’s draft. He led the Fighting Irish with 123 total tackles this season (63 solo, 60 assist), along with four sacks for 14 yards. He also had one interception, which he returned for seven yards.

Pro Football Focus puts him as a late-third-round draft pick at No. 72 to the Cincinnati Bengals, while NFL.com sees him getting taken in the fourth or fifth round. As Draftwire explained last year:

He has the athleticism to elude blockers completely while staying balanced with above average body control. Coney possesses above average lateral speed consistently making plays sideline to sideline. He shoots gaps in the run game and is a consistent wrap up tackler and is a brick wall when making contact.

Drue Tranquill, linebacker

The 6-foot-2, 234-pound linebacker is projected to go anywhere between the end of the third round or as late as the fifth or sixth round. Pro Football Focus predicts he’ll be the No. 92 overall pick with the Kansas City Chiefs, but NFL.com thinks he’ll fall to the third day.

At the NFL combine, Tranquill ran a 4.57-second 40 and had 31 bench press reps, which was the most among linebackers. He was third for Notre Dame with 86 total tackles (63 solo, 23 assist) and added 3.5 sacks for 24 yards. As NFL.com draft analyst Lance Zierlein explained: “What evaluators are going to see is a player who has below-average size, recovery athleticism, and man cover skills.”

Notre Dame 2019 NFL Draft Prospects: Late picks and free agents

Tight end Alize Mack is projected to be a sixth-round draft pick with potential to be a backup or on special teams. At 6-foot-4 and 249 pounds, he had 360 receiving yards (10.0 average) and three touchdowns this season, and he ran a 4.70 40 and had 22 bench press reps at the combine.

Guard Alex Bars (6-foot-6, 312 pounds) and punter Tyler Newsome (6-foot-3, 218 pounds) are projected to be priority free agents, while kicker Justin Yoon (5-foot-10, 187 pounds) is not expected to be drafted but should be at training camp.