Notre Dame and the NFL Draft: Underrated Stars Ready to Shine

Liam Gaudet
3 minutes ago
3 min read

Last year, we watched Xavier Watts, a Bronko Nagurksi Trophy winner, fall all the way into the third round of the NFL Draft despite his accolades and elite production. Watts would inevitably prove every team wrong for passing on him, as he was a finalist for Defensive Rookie of the Year this past season. It seems like every year, Notre Dame has a few extremely talented players who slip in the draft, only to break out in the NFL. This year, two slept-on offensive stars will soon command NFL respect.

Photo by Maysum Hassanali

Malachi Fields - WR

Fields is now surging up draft boards, but before the Senior Bowl, Fields was viewed as a day-three pick by the majority of analysts. Fields came to Notre Dame as a senior transfer by way of Virginia, bringing much-needed size to the boundary position and delivering immediately. Fields became a downfield specialist for Notre Dame, showcasing his excellent body control and hand strength to win 50-50 balls down the field. Standing at 6'4", Notre Dame often targeted Fields on shot-plays or when the defense would jump offside. It might almost be an insult to call Fields a 50-50 ball specialist, as more often than not, he would make an incredibly acrobatic play on the football. Fields finished his final season at Notre Dame with 36 receptions for 630 yards and five touchdowns, averaging an insane 17.5 yards per catch. Before joining the Irish, Fields boasted incredible production at Virginia, with two seasons of over 800 receiving yards against Power-4 competition. With a good combine that plays to his strengths, it wouldn't shock me to see Malachi Fields go very early in the second round. His floor as a receiver, plus his physical tools and experience, put him a leg up on a lot of other prototype boundary receivers in this year's draft. Whoever lands Malachi Fields will surely be getting a great return on their investment.

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Jadarian Price - RB

Gone are the days of having to play second fiddle for Jadarian Price. It's a narrative that's been beaten to death at this point, but one that still rings true. The fact of the matter is that Jadarian Price would have probably been the featured running back on 95% of college football teams this season. He just happened to be on the same team as one of the greatest running backs of this generation, which reduced his carries by a significant margin. Despite this, Price has absolutely dominated when the opportunities have presented themselves. Whether it be a routine carry that Price utilizes his signature jump cut to the outside, or a kickoff return in one of the season's biggest moments, Price made the most of every opportunity, which is part of the reason he's looked upon with such high regard. Price, like Fields, is a projected day two pick in this upcoming draft, with some people mocking him as high as the RB2 behind Jeremiyah Love. The upside to Price not being the featured back at Notre Dame is the amount of tread he still has left on the tires. Running back is one of the most physically demanding positions in football, and it averages one of the shortest pro careers as a result. A highly skilled player with not a lot of wear and tear is seen as a huge upside in draft circles. This past season, Price tallied 674 rushing yards on 113 carries, averaging just over 6 yards per touch, with 11 touchdowns on the ground and two through the air. For a back who saw roughly a third of the total carry count on the season, these are very encouraging numbers. Price brings an NFL-ready frame, with experience and the numbers to back it all up. He has all the makings of an NFL starter, and soon, he will get his chance to prove it. The teams that pass on Price will eventually come to regret it.

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