2022 NFL Draft Prospects to Watch: Notre Dame vs. Wisconsin

Two top-20 teams square off in a neutral-site battle with several 2022 NFL Draft prospects on each side looking to make an impact.

#12 Notre Dame vs. #18 Wisconsin at Soldier Field in Chicago 12 PM ET FOX

The 3-0 Fighting Irish will take on the 1-1 Badgers on Saturday. Wisconsin is a 5.5-point favorite in this non-conference showdown. The big story line will be former Wisconsin quarterback and current Notre Dame signal caller Jack Coan suiting up against his former team.

Both teams have big games next week as Wisconsin hosts #19 Michigan who should be 4-0 by that time and Notre Dame hosts undefeated and 8th-ranked Cincinnati. This game will feature numerous 2022 NFL Draft prospects, especially in the trenches, and we’ll spotlight a few players to watch from each team in this Saturday’s game.

Notre Dame OL Jarrett Patterson

Since Brian Kelly got there, Notre Dame has been churning out quality offensive linemen and sending them to the NFL with assembly-line-like efficiency. Patterson could very well be the next one. 2021 will be the third straight season he made the Rimington Trophy watch list for the best center in college football.

The redshirt junior has NFL size at 6’5” 305 and his versatility should be intriguing to professional scouts as well. Jarrett Patterson was a prospect at offensive tackle coming out of high school, but this will be his third year starting at center for the Fighting Irish. His skill set would probably allow him to play guard as well if needed.

He’s a decent athlete that shows good burst getting out of his stance and can get to the second level to make blocks in the run game. When it comes to pass blocking, Patterson has a good anchor, and is rarely moved off of his spot. He’s skilled at using his hands in tight spaces, is a maximum effort player, and excels at staying low when blocking defenders.

The two main knocks on Jarrett Patterson are both physical: his length and his athleticism. He’s not very long and this will likely prevent him from playing tackle in the NFL and he’s not a superb athlete like some of the linemen that will be selected in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft.

Notre Dame RB Kyren Williams

Coming off a breakout season in which he rushed for 1,125 yards and 13 touchdowns on 5.3 yards per carry, Kyren Williams is looking to boost his stock for the 2022 NFL Draft. The 5’9” 195-pound junior from St. Louis is off to a blistering start this season as he’s already scored 4 touchdowns in 3 games.

NFL scouts appreciate Williams’ diverse skill set as he played some wide receiver in high school and has 471 receiving yards and 4 receiving touchdowns through 15 games at Notre Dame. Whether taking handoffs or running after the catch, Kyren Williams is dynamic with the ball in his hands. He’s a great athlete with the ability to make defenders miss and explode up through the hole and out of his cuts. His upper echelon agility is especially evident in the open field, and he has the top-end speed to turn big gains into long touchdowns.

Despite the obvious upside, Williams has a few shortcomings. The first is his size, as he doesn’t really project as an every down 20-carry-per game back at the next level. The second is related to his frame and it’s his relative lack of power when running. He would benefit by improving his core and lower body strength so that he can gain more yards after contact.