We are breaking down the Notre Dame football prospects ahead of the NFL Draft which begins on Thursday, April 29th in Cleveland, Ohio. There will be no NFL Combine this year due to the pandemic. However, Notre Dame will hold its Pro Day on March 31st at 12:00 PM in South Bend.

Our series wraps up today with a prospect looking to sustain the legacy of Notre Dame left tackles in the NFL.

SPECS

Name: Liam Eichenberg
Position: OT
Height: 6-6 1/8
Weight: 302
Hometown: Cleveland, OH

BIO:

Eichenberg was one of the cornerstones to the 2016 recruiting class and to date is the 6th highest rated offensive lineman of the Brian Kelly era. With big expectations, he didn’t meet the hype right away though. After a redshirt, Eichenberg failed to win a starting job in 2017 instead being passed up by classmate Tommy Kraemer for the right tackle position.

However, in 2018 with the loss of Mike McGlinchey it was Eichenberg who won an off-season battle to become the next left tackle, a spot he would lock down for the next 3 seasons amassing 38 consecutive starts.

STRENGTHS:

Good size for the NFL. Combines proficiency with run blocking and pass blocking together without a major weakness in either area. Strong hands. Fires off the line well for a tackle. Smart player with really good technique. Highly experienced. Underrated toughness.

WEAKNESSES:

Not overly athletic. Footwork is good but struggles against top-level speed rushers. Questions about his ceiling at the NFL level. Less than ideal length for a left tackle.

OVERVIEW:

It’s been a bad couple of years to come out in the draft as a tackle. Last year, Eichenberg would’ve been competing with 6 tackles who went in the 1st round and most mock drafts have another 5 going in the 1st again in the 2021 draft upcoming this spring.

Eichenberg is somewhere in that 6 to 10 range for tackles and it’s unlikely he goes in the 1st round unless a team falls in love with him. As mentioned, his ceiling doesn’t seem to indicate that will happen as most scouts think he’s a decent left tackle option and more of a plug-and-play right tackle as a rookie.

PREDICTION:

2nd Round, 63rd Overall to the Kansas City Chiefs

The reigning AFC Champions are expected to target the offensive line in a big way this off-season. Most mock drafts have the Chiefs taking a guard with their top pick but I’d also look out for Eichenberg here with their second pick.

Kansas City does have a lot of money tied up with their 2 tackles ($25.2 million combined cap hit for 2021) but left tackle Eric Fisher may not be back in 2021 due to his Achilles injury and right tackle Mitchell Schwartz will be 32 years old and in the last year of his deal. Perhaps it’s a good idea to bring in Eichenberg to add depth (he could play guard early in his career) and protect Patrick Mahomes?

Edit: The Chiefs went super aggressive and cut both tackles Eric Fisher and Mitchell Schwartz on March 11th. This is great news for Eichenberg. Not only does it increase his odds of landing on a terrific offense like Kansas City, but it pushes up the need for tackles and nudges him closer to maybe sneaking into the 1st round. The Chiefs also dished out a back-loaded 5-year, $80 million free agent contract to former Patriots guard Joe Thuney in recent days. I would be shocked if Eichenberg wasn’t picked by the Chiefs in either the 1st or 2nd round.