Notre Dame Draft Busts & Steals Revisited
Last year I did a couple of posts with the greatest Notre Dame Draft Steals and Busts and with the NFL Draft just days away, I figured I would report them since the lists are still relevant as not much has changed in the last year to affect the lists.
Joe Montana headlined my list of All Time Notre Dame Draft Steals last year. Montana is one of, if not the greatest quarterback in NFL history but fell to the 3rd round back in 1979 when he fell into the lap of the 49ers. It’s safe to say that Montana’s place atop this list is safe for a long, long time. Justin Tuck, #8 on the list, had a disappointing season in 2009 while battling through some injuries, but his NFL career still looks very bright.
Bertrand Berry, #13 on the list, ended his career following the 2010 season after registered 232 tackles, 65 sacks, and 13 forced fumbles in his career.
With only Jimmy Clausen and Golden Tate looking like early picks for Notre Dame this season, there are a few candidates that could become steals down the road this year. A guy like Sam Young could become a steal for somehow if they can figure out how to fully tap into his potential. Someone like Kyle McCarthy could end up being a steal as well since he’ll get drafted late, but could end up being a surprise starter for someone in a few years.
Clausen himself could end up being a steal for someone depending on how far down the draft board he falls. No one seems to know where Clausen will end up with projections anywhere from 7th to all the way out of the first round. If Clausen falls past the middle of the first round, he’ll end up being a steal for whoever ends up with him.
On the busts side, Rick Mirer took the top spot on the list. The only recent player on the list, Darius Walker, didn’t record a carry in 2009 and might be at the end of his brief NFL career already.
Hopefully no new names are added to this in the future.
These lists were fun to put together last year though and I’ll keep revisiting them each year around the draft.
Frank Vitovitch has been Co-Owner and Editor in Chief of UHND.com since joining forces with Kyle Flavin in 1999. Since that time, he has written over 2,000 articles covering Notre Dame football, recruiting, and basketball. He also works with all staff and external writers on all articles published on UHND.com. Frank's love for Notre Dame football started at a young age watching Rocket Ismail give opposing coaches ulcers in the late 1980's. By day Frank works in marketing and holds a degree in Digital Media from Drexel University. Frank's work has been cited by online/print editions of NBC Sports, ESPN, and Sports Illustrated and has been quoted on air by ESPN's Collin Cowherd. He's conducted interviews with Notre Dame legends Rocket Ismail, Randy Kinder, Lee Becton, Reggie Brooks, Michael Stonebreaker, and Ned Bolcar among others over his 20+ years of covering Notre Dame football. He's also been published in the print edition of USA Today Sports Weekly and the USA Today College Football Preview multiple times. Other Published Works/Citations for Frank Three Reasons Notre Dame Will Beat Alabama - USA Today Notre Dame Suspends WR Kevin Stepherson, RB C.J. Holmes Indefinitely - Bleacher Report Notre Dame / Ohio State Fiesta Bowl Preview - Eleven Warriors Brace Yourself: The Fighting Irish are Relevant Again - Sports on Earth Interviews with the Enemy: A Q&A with Frank Vitovitch of UHND - Yahoo! Sports Five Good Minutes: Notre Dame Football Preview With UHND.com - BC Interruption Vicious Electronic Questioning with UHND - MGO Blog
How did Darius do in the Sugar Bowl against mightly LSU? I think he kicked ass!
What about updating the steals to include John Sullivan? Sully was a 6th round pick and just two years later is the starting center for the Vikings, a team that went to the NFC championship. Show some love for Sully!
I recently saw something on ESPN that listed former Irish TE Anthony Fasano as one of, if not the WORST cowboy draft pick in something like the last decade. I dont agree. I believe they already had Jason Whitten so have no idea why they would take another TE high in the draft. Fasano has gone on to be a starter with Miami. Would he be considered a bust? I dont think so.
Darius Walker was a bust from the moment he stepped on campus. He played hard in about 3 games at ND, the rest of the games my grandmother could have taken him down.
How is Darius Walker a bust????????????????????????????
Kid wasn’t even drafted into the NFL!
Sleeper = Ryan Grant
Bust = Rick Mirer
Darius Walker doesn’t fit in any of these two categories….