2023 NFL Draft Player Profiles: Notre Dame LB Isaiah Foskey

From now until the 2023 NFL Draft takes place, we hope to scout and create profiles for as many prospects as possible, examining their strengths, weaknesses, and what they can bring to an NFL franchise. These players could be potential top 10 picks, all the way down to Day 3 selections and priority undrafted free agents. Today, we’ll be profiling Notre Dame LB Isaiah Foskey

#7 ISAIAH FOSKEY/LB NOTRE DAME – 6046, 265 (SENIOR)

Senior Bowl Participant

MEASUREMENTS

— Prototypical size for an edge defender in a 3-4 defense
— Great overall athletic ability with good foot speed and change of direction
— Can win a rep on his athletic ability alone
— Good use of hands to bat down incoming punches
— Solid use of the long arm technique to convert speed to power
— Willing run defender who isn’t afraid of contact
— Good mental processing while tracking running backs, flowing with the play and keeping his eyes in the backfield
— Good competitive toughness, hustling to the ball even when he is on the back side of the play
— Smooth back pedal and speed to drop into coverage when needed
— Provides value on special teams with multiple punts blocked throughout college

— Adequate timing off the snap with his first step
— Lacks nuance in his pass rush plan, if speed-to-power fails he doesn’t have an effective counter that showed up consistently
— Leans his body weight on his opponent, ends up on the ground more than he should
— Struggles to recover if the opposing tackle lands the first punch
— Does not consistently turn the corner at the top of the arc due to just adequate bend and hip flexibility
— Gets stuck on blocks and has trouble disengaging

— 22 years old (DOB: 10/22/00)
— From Antioch, CA, played at storied high school program, De La Salle
— Two way player in high school (TE/OLB)
— 4-star recruit out of high school
— Played in 41 games through four years at Notre Dame, starting his last two seasons
— 26.