Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay have released the 2.0 versions of their mock drafts, and Notre Dame again looks like it will get multiple players taken in the first round if all goes well. Whether that number reaches three, though, now looks like a bigger question mark.
Stephon Tuitt, the biggest early departure from the Irish this past season, is no longer on Kiper's mock
, falling out of Round 1 after checking in at No. 23 (Kansas City Chiefs) in Kiper's initial mock, last month. The draft guru still has a pair of Irish players going in the first round, however, as he has Louis Nix III Pittsburgh-bound at No. 15 and Zack Martin filling in on a Miami Dolphins offensive line that could use a few extra bodies. (Miami picks 19th.)
As for McShay? He actually sees the exact same thing playing out with both players. The one difference, at least for this purpose, between Kiper's and McShay's mocks? McShay still sees Tuitt as a first-rounder, placing him at No. 29 to the New England Patriots, though he says it is possible that the end could go significantly higher. (McShay previously had Tuitt going at No. 16 to the Dallas Cowboys.)
Again, this could be the first draft with three Irish first-rounders in 20 years, as the 1994 draft saw Bryant Young (No. 7), Aaron Taylor (No. 16) and Jeff Burris (No. 27) all go in Round 1.
