2023 NFL Draft: Mel Kiper projects Michael Mayer and Isaiah Foskey to the first round

The NFC and AFC Championship games are this Sunday, but much like college football recruiting, the NFL Draft never sleeps. There’s one week left and we’re in the month of February, and the mock drafts and projections are really starting to fly out of the frying pan.

ESPN’s Mel Kiper released an update to his mock 1st round of the NFL Draft. Kiper has Notre Dame tight end Michael Mayer going to the Green Bay Packers with the #15 pick, and defensive end Isaiah Foskey (Kiper’s #5 DE) being selected with pick #29 by the Denver Broncos.

Despite Daniel Jeremiah’s ridiculous #3 TE ranking for Mayer, he is Kiper’s #20 player overall — and Todd McShay’s 11th best player in the draft.

Kiper only has two other Irish players in his top 10 position rankings besides Mayer and Foskey. Jarrett Patterson is his #4 Center, and Michael Vinson is his #7 long snapper — although it may be difficult for Vinson to play in the NFL next season as he’s returning for another year in South Bend.