Notre Dame Football: Let’s Mock Early 2018 NFL Draft Predictions

It’s only 516,960 minutes (or so) until the 2018 NFL Draft, so let’s mock some way-too-early predictions about the destinations of current Notre Dame Fighting Irish football players.

MIKE MCGLINCHEY

The 2017 draft class was largely considered a weak class for offensive linemen, so it may be no surprise that McGlinchey would be a hot commodity.

Four mock drafts have the 6-foot-8, 312 pound monster as the third overall pick. The NFL obviously hasn’t played its 2017 slate yet, so we have zero idea who will hold that pick. That hasn’t stopped analysts from speculating that the Jacksonville Jaguars or Los Angeles Rams will snap up the senior. Two mock analysts said McGlinchey would be protecting Mike Glennon (or Mitch Trubisky) with the Chicago Bears, while two others said the Carolina Panthers are going to get a big body to possibly protect Cam Newton’s blindside.

QUENTON NELSON

While McGlinchey is as much of a “sure thing” as any player can be 360 days before the draft, analysts were divided about whether guard Quenton Nelson is also a first round pick.

Although tackles are among the top paid offensive linemen, the average guard and the average tackle are, historically, both picked by No. 15.

Only SB Nation’s Dan Kadar thinks Nelson, at this point, is worthy a top-15 pick. Of the 18 mock drafts I found, six thought the 6-foot-5, 329 pound lineman wouldn’t be a first round pick.

EQUANIMEOUS ST. BROWN & JERRY TILLERY

SEC County’s Connor Reilly has rising junior Equanimeous St. Brown as a first round draft pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, going No. 28 to the Atlanta Falcons.

Meanwhile, Fox Sports’ Dieter Kurtenbach believes Jerry Tillery will be a second round pick of the Chicago Bears. In his mock, the Bears take Notre Dame guys in the first two rounds, having selected McGlinchey third overall.