The NFL announced their 2010’s All-Decade team on Monday and Notre Dame alum Zack Martin made the team. Martin, one of the best offensive linemen in the NFL since his rookie year in 2014, has consistently been a dominant force for the Dallas Cowboys, making his selection no surprise.
Just last week, Sports Illustrated dubbed Notre Dame the new Offensive Line U in part because of Martin’s dominance along with the emergence of Ronnie Stanley and Quenton Nelson as All-Pro linemen over the last couple of years as well.
Congratulations to former Fighting Irish Offensive Lineman Zack Martin on being named to the NFL 2010s All-Decade Team. #GoIrish x #IrishInTheNFL pic.twitter.com/huFN92J9Fv
— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) April 6, 2020
Zack Martin has made the Pro Bowl in all six of his NFL seasons since the Cowboys drafted him in the 1st Round of the 2014 NFL Draft. He has also been named to the NFL’s 1st Team All-Pro team four times (2014, 2016, 2018, 2019) and the 2nd Team All-Pro team the other two seasons he has been in the league (2015, 2017).
Despite starting a program-record 52 games along the offensive line and being the 16th overall selection in the draft, honors and distinctions while he was at Notre Dame were not as plentiful. However, he was the first offensive lineman to be named the MVP of a bowl game since 1959 at the 2013 Pinstripe Bowl.
Since Martin’s selection in the first round of 2014 draft, Notre Dame has sent three more offensive linemen to the NFL as first-round picks – Nelson, Stanley, and Mike McGlinchey.
No other Notre Dame players were on the All-Decade team, which isn’t overly surprising, although Harrison Smith could have possibly been considered with five Pro Bowl nods over the last five years. He has far fewer All-Pro selections than Martin, though with one first-team selection and another second team.
At 29 years old and at the top of his game, Martin could potentially make the next All-Decade team if he can keep playing at the level we’ve become accustomed to for another six years. At his current Pace, Nelson will have a chance to be there as well if he stays healthy and as dominant as he’s been the last two years.
Really great written post.