The 2025 NFL Draft has come and gone but the action doesn’t stop there. With just 257 selections and a draft pool of over 1,000 athletes, the undrafted free agent market is almost as exciting.
Which players from the Notre Dame Fighting Irish are set to make a splash in their new homes?
Notre Dame Football Draft Picks
Below is the full list of Notre Dame’s picks in the 2025 NFL Draft. Included are the player, their position, their draft slot, and the NFL team that selected them.
The round and position numbers indicated are the round and overall pick numbers. For instance, 5.175 is Round 5, Pick No. 175, or 3.92 is Round 3, Pick No. 92, etc.
- Benjamin Morrison, CB – 2.53, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Xavier Watts, S – 3.96, Atlanta Falcons
- Jack Kiser, LB – 4.107, Jacksonville Jaguars
- Rylie Mills, DT – 5.142, Seattle Seahawks
- Mitchell Evans, TE – 5.163, Carolina Panthers
- Riley Leonard, QB – 6.189, Indianapolis Colts
Notre Dame Football UDFA Signings
Below is the full list of Notre Dame’s undrafted free agent signings. This list will be updated as soon as signings become official.
To view every team’s undrafted free agent signings: 2025 NFL Draft UDFA Signings by School
- Beaux Collins, WR – New York Giants
- Howard Cross III, DT – Cincinnati Bengals
- Jordan Clark, CB – New York Jets
Notre Dame Football Draft Grades
Thanks to our friends at Pro Football & Sports Network, we can take a look at how the Notre Dame players were graded with their landing spots. Below is the letter grade and subsequent analysis when provided for each pick. All without analysis will be listed below.
- Round 5, Pick 142
Rylie Mills, DT | Seattle Seahawks
Grade: B - Round 5, Pick 163
Mitchell Evans, TE | Carolina Panthers
Grade: B+ - Round 6, Pick 189
Riley Leonard, QB | Indianapolis Colts
Grade: B+
Benjamin Morrison NFL Draft Grade
- Round 2, Pick 53
Benjamin Morrison, CB | Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Grade: A-
Jamel Dean’s availability and consistency have been issues recently, and Zyon McCollum is still growing into his premier role in Tampa Bay’s CB room. Both factors likely led the Buccaneers to select Benjamin Morrison with the 53rd overall pick, and Morrison was one of the best scheme fits still on the board.
Morrison’s hip injury will be carefully considered as he works back to 100%, but if he’s fully healthy, Morrison is a borderline first-round talent with gnat-like mobility and claustrophobia in close coverage.
He’s not shy about getting in his receiver’s grill, and with his elite short-area twitch and reactive athleticism, he can match, plant-and-drive, and generate pivotal incompletions.
Xavier Watts NFL Draft Grade
- Round 3, Pick 96
Xavier Watts, S | Atlanta Falcons
Grade: A+
The Falcons had a rough Round 1 in the 2025 NFL Draft, but they made up for it with their move to select Xavier Watts at the tail end of Round 3. Watts was a top-50 prospect on my board. With 13 interceptions over the past two seasons, he’s in a tier of his own as a playmaker, but those ball skills mask an incredibly complete profile beneath.
At 6’0” and over 200 pounds, Watts has a strong and compact build, and that build holds up well in run support, where he can respond downhill, attack blocks, and make tackles.
In coverage, however, he’s just as proficient, with smooth pedal mobility, elite processing speed, and a type of range that’s insulated by his rare instincts. He’s a perfect complement alongside Jessie Bates III on the back end for Atlanta.
Jack Kiser NFL Draft Grade
- Round 3, Pick 96
Xavier Watts, S | Notre Dame
Grade: A+
The Falcons had a rough Round 1 in the 2025 NFL Draft, but they made up for it with their move to select Xavier Watts at the tail end of Round 3. Watts was a top-50 prospect on my board. With 13 interceptions over the past two seasons, he’s in a tier of his own as a playmaker, but those ball skills mask an incredibly complete profile beneath.
At 6’0” and over 200 pounds, Watts has a strong and compact build, and that build holds up well in run support, where he can respond downhill, attack blocks, and make tackles.
In coverage, however, he’s just as proficient, with smooth pedal mobility, elite processing speed, and a type of range that’s insulated by his rare instincts. He’s a perfect complement alongside Jessie Bates III on the back end for Atlanta.
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