In Part 1 of this article series, we examined the NFL careers of 20 recent Notre Dame alumni currently active in the NFL across the 2024, 2023, and 2022 draft classes. In this piece, we'll cover 8 players from the 2021 draft class and see where they've ended up and how they've panned out at the next level.
Photo by The Irish Tribune
2021 Draft Class - 8 Players
Robert Hainsey - Tampa Bay Buccaneers - OC/OG - Round 03: Pick 095
Hainsey was drafted in the 3rd round of the 2021 NFL draft with the 95th overall pick and signed a 4-year rookie contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He began the season far down the depth chart and out of the starting lineup but earned playing time relatively quickly by making the most of his chances. By season’s end, Hainsey had worked his way into the tackles rotation and appeared in 9 regular season games and 2 playoff matchups. If 2021 was his warm-up, 2022 was where he hit his stride. Tampa’s coaching staff was looking to shake things up along the offensive line, so they moved Hainsey from tackle to center to sure up their thinnest spot on the line. The position change thrust Hainsey into a true “prove it or lose it” situation, and he never looked back. By the end of his sophomore season, Hainsey appeared in and started all 17 of Tampa Bay’s regular season games at center and cemented his role as the offensive line’s anchor. Hainsey repeated his success in 2023, once again starting all 17 regular season games, but this time added another 2 in the playoffs.
Things changed after the 2024 draft, as Tampa Bay selected star lineman Graham Barton in the 1st round. Barton was the top prospect of Tampa’s entire draft class, which meant he’d have an inside edge on a starting lineman role that Hainsey didn't have in his rookie year, along with a higher draft stock and a bigger rookie contract. By the time the preseason came around, Barton came out on top, and Hainsey found himself on the bench after back-to-back seasons as the starter. It was a step back in his professional trajectory, but Hainsey stepped up and embraced his new role. Despite coming off the bench, Hainsey’s playing time remained substantial, and he appeared in all 17 regular season games with 1 start and 1 postseason appearance. Hainsey’s unique, nonlinear career path had helped him develop into an incredibly valuable asset to the Bucs in just 4 seasons.
It truly says something about a player that can rise from deep down the bench to a key rotational piece in their rookie year, to changing positions altogether and winning the starting job in year two, repeating that in year three, only to lose your starting spot to a rookie in your contract season, and still manage to perform at an elite level while appearing in every single game for the third straight season is remarkable. It may not have been the way Hainsey would have dreamed it up, but he has defined himself based on his work, not the situation he found himself in.
Hainsey signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars this offseason, and looks to be in a much better position to earn back a starting role on a team that could use the experience and talent along the offensive line.
Ben Skowronek - Pittsburgh Steelers - WR - Round 07: Pick 249
Skowronek didn’t come off the board until the 7th round of the 2021 NFL draft, going to the Los Angeles Rams with the 249th overall pick. He signed a 4-year rookie contract and immediately got to work. Skowronek wasn’t able to nab a starting spot but found his way into the receivers rotation and appeared in 14 games by the end of the season, one of which he started. He compiled 133 yards on 11 different catches but failed to register a touchdown. The Rams would go on to finish the regular season with a 12–5 record and secured themselves a spot in the playoffs. They confidently won their first game against the Cardinals in the wildcard round, 34-11, before taking down the Buccaneers 30- 27. They then faced the 49ers in the NFC championship and won a narrow 20–17 victory before heading to Super Bowl LVI. The Rams were able to hold off the Cincinnati Bengals 23–20. In his very first year, Skowronek not only managed to be on a team that went to the Super Bowl but won while pulling in 2 receptions for 12 yards.
Skowronek played another 14 games for the Rams in 2022, but this time started 11 games, pulling in 39 catches for 376 yards. While he didn’t have a receiving touchdown, Skowronek began taking reps at halfback and managed to score a 17-yard rushing touchdown for his first points in the league. 2023 was the first time Skowronek played in all 17 regular season games for the Rams, although this time, he didn't start any. He continued his hybrid wide receiver/fullback role but seemed to take a step back overall, only pulling in 8 receptions for 66 yards and 1 touchdown to go with 2 rushing attempts for 9 yards. Just before the start of the 2024 regular season, the Rams traded Skowronek for a 6th-round pick to the Houston Texans. The union was short-lived, as the Texans released him just over three months later before the season started. Skowronek managed to earn a spot on the Pittsburgh Steelers practice squad before being called up to the active duty roster. His role expanded to rotating in at wide receiver, halfback, and fullback, but he only appeared in 10 games, with 1 start in 2024. By the end of his first season with Pittsburgh, Skowronek only mustered 5 catches for 69 yards and 0 touchdowns.
Aaron Banks - San Francisco 49ers - OG - Round 02: Pick 048
With the 48th overall pick in the 2nd round of the 2021 NFL draft, the San Francisco 49ers selected Irish offensive guard Aaron Banks and signed him to a four-year rookie deal worth $7.07 million. In his first season, Banks appeared in 9 games as a rotational asset but did not start any and took a major step in 2022, appearing in and starting 16/17 of the 49ers regular season games. 2023 was a slight step back as turf toe injuries kept Banks sidelined, and he finished the season with 15 games played and 14 games started. Unfortunately, 2024 was cut short for Banks, as he missed several games due to concussion and knee injuries, and he only managed to appear in 13 games, starting all of them. The 49ers made the playoffs in each of Banks' first 3 seasons but failed to make it this past year. Regardless, he’ll be heading to Wisconsin as the new offensive guard for the Packers on a comfortable 4-year $77 million contract.
Nick McCloud - San Francisco 49ers - CB – CFA
McCloud went unselected in the 2021 NFL draft but signed with the Buffalo Bills as a free agent. He was waived at the end of the summer, just before the start of the season, before being scooped up by the Cincinnati Bengals off waivers. McCloud played two games for the Bengals in 2021 but had no recordable stats and was waived shortly after. He then signed with the Buffalo Bills practice squad yet again but was waived a second time. In late August 2022, the New York Giants scooped McCloud up off waivers and changed the trajectory of his career. McCloud would go on to play 14 games for New York, starting 8 of them for a total of 43 tackles, 1.5 sacks and 7 pass deflections. McCloud would see his first postseason action with a 31–24 win over the Vikings in the wildcard round before losing to the Eagles 7–38. In those two games, McCloud compiled 3 tackles and 1 forced fumble. McCloud saw even more action at the cornerback spot in 2023, playing all 17 regular season games for the Giants but only starting three. He finished the season with 28 tackles, 3 forced fumbles, 3 fumble recoveries, 2 pass deflections, and 1 interception.
McCloud had cemented his spot as a starting cornerback at the Giants special “money maker“ CB/LB hybrid position. He’d been highly complimented by the Giants coaching staff for the last two seasons, but 2024 was when things started to come apart. After only four games, McCloud and his agent were contacted by New York’s front office and asked to take a pay cut from the one-year $2.98 million free agency deal he had signed in the off-season. Understandably, McCloud and his team declined, stating they wished to remain with the Giants as a starter but for the original salary negotiated. The Giants front office apparently threatened to get rid of McCloud the first chance they got, and he played five more games for them before getting released on November 5, 2024. The Giants were 2-7 when he was released and lost seven of their next eight games. Thankfully, McCloud’s exit seems to be a product of the Giants' organizational dysfunction and less about his abilities or trajectory as a starting defensive back. He was able to sign with the 49ers practice squad and was promoted to the active duty roster at the end of November 2024. Now on his second team of the year, McCloud immediately worked his way into the defensive back rotation and played an additional eight games with San Francisco before the end of the season. He finished his stint with San Francisco with 11 tackles.
McCloud has had a good start to his professional career but was almost derailed by a dysfunctional organization. Whether it’s with San Francisco or somewhere else, McCloud, will find a way to get his time on the field.
Liam Eichenberg - Miami Dolphins - OG/OC - Round 02: Pick 042
The Miami Dolphins drafted Liam Eichenberg in the second round of the 2021 NFL draft with the 42nd overall pick, signing a four-year $8.01 million rookie contract with a $3.18 million signing bonus. Like so many Irish linemen before him, Eichenberg was seen as a safe and talented prospect. He earned the starting left tackle role in his rookie season, playing all 17 games with 16 starts, over 1,100 snaps, and 7 penalties.
Eichenberg moved to the left guard spot for the 2022 season but suffered an MCL spray in week eight, causing him to miss seven games. He was able to rehab quickly and make it back for Miami’s final two games, and finished the year with 10 games played and 10 starts. The Dolphins were just able to make the playoffs and lost a 31-34 heartbreaker to the Bills in the wild-card round. 2023 was a return to form for Eichenberg, playing 16 games with 12 starts, the most since his rookie season. Due to injuries on the offensive line, Eichenberg moved over to center for the first time in his professional career. While it wasn’t necessarily a seamless transition, it was proof positive that Eichenberg was not only capable of playing both the tackle and the guard but was able to hold down the center position as well.
2024 looked to be an even better year for the young offensive lineman, but he struggled mightily. While he managed to play in all 17 games and even start 14 of them, Eichenberg had a rough season and a poor overall performance, receiving an abysmal 49.7 PFF pass-blocking rating and a 58.7 run-blocking rating. It was a disappointment to both Eichenberg and the coaching staff, and all signs pointed to a mutual parting of ways. To everyone's surprise, it was recently announced that Miami would be bringing Eichenberg back on a one-year deal through the 2025 season. While partially motivated by free agency departures on the line, the Dolphins were smart enough to recognize just how versatile alignment they had despite his struggles. 2025 will be sure to be a redemption campaign for Eichenberg.
Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah - Cleveland Browns - LB - Round 02: Pick 52
Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the second round of the 2021 NFL draft with the 52nd overall pick. The highly talented linebacker signed a 4-year rookie deal worth $6.47 million with a $2.06 million signing bonus. Owusu-Koramoah found a way into the linebacking rotation quickly and finished the season with 14 games played and 10 starts. If it hadn’t been for a high ankle sprain in week 6, he would’ve likely played all 17 games for the Browns. Owusu-Koramoah finished his rookie season with a solid 76 total tackles, three tackles for loss, four past deflections, two forced fumbles, and 1.5 sacks. The Browns just missed the playoffs with an 8–9 record. 2022 looked to be a breakout year for Owusu-Koramoah, but the sophomore linebacker suffered a knee sprain in week seven and a foot sprain in week 14 that sidelined him for six games. Despite this, he finished with 11 games played, and 10 games started with nearly identical numbers to the season before. He collected 70 tackles, 7 tackles for loss, 4 past deflections, and 2 force fumbles. With a 7–10 record, the Browns once again failed to qualify for the postseason.
Owusu-Koramoah’s injury setback in 2022 disrupted what was supposed to be a big season for the developing linebacker, but he made up for it in 2023. Owusu-Koramoah played 16 games and started 13 of them, only sitting out the Browns' week 18 matchup. Now fully recovered from his injury, Owusu-Koramoah posted career highs in tackles with 101, sacks with 3.5, pass deflections with 6, interceptions with 2, tackles for loss with 20, and 1 forced fumble. This comeback season was made all the more sweet because the Browns qualified for their first playoff appearance of Owusu-Koramoah’s career and he was named to his first Pro Bowl. The Browns 11–6 record earned them a match-up with the Houston Texans in the wildcard round, but they lost 14–45. In his first playoff game, Owusu-Koramoah recorded 9 tackles and 4 tackles for loss.
Just before the start of the 2024 season, the Browns agreed to bring Owusu-Koramoah back on a 3-year $37.5 million with a $6.99 million signing bonus. The deal would keep the 25-year-old in Cleveland through the end of the 2028 season. 2024 was a particularly rough season for the Cleveland Browns, as they failed to build on the momentum of 2023 and responded with an embarrassing 3–14 record. Owusu-Koramoah was on an absolute tear through the first eight games of the season, starting all eight and on track to set a career-best in nearly every category. That was until a freak injury occurred on a routine tackle that saw Owusu-Koramoah carted off the field on a board to the hospital. There has been little information about his injury since then, but the severity of the injury has led many to question what exactly his future will be. Prior to the injury, Owusu-Koramoah had compiled 61 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 3 pass deflections, and 1 interception. At this moment, his potential return for the 2025 season and the status of his career as a whole are unclear.
Tommy Tremble - Carolina Panthers - TE - Round 03: Pick 083
Tremble was picked up by the Carolina Panthers in the third round of the 2021 NFL draft with the 83rd overall pick. He signed a 4-year rookie deal worth $4.9 million with a $942,860 signing bonus. He was named a starter for the 2021 season and played in 16 games, 11 of which he started. Coming out of college, Tremble was primarily known as a vicious and imposing blocker, but he managed to pull in 20 receptions for 180 yards and 1 touchdown. The Panthers missed the playoff with a 5-12 record. 2022 was a slight improvement for Tremble, playing in all 17 of the Panther's regular season games but only starting 4 of them. His numbers were comparable across the board, with 174 yards on 19 receptions, but with a career-high 3 touchdowns. The team also improved slightly, going 7–10, but once again did not qualify for any postseason action. 2023 was statistically Tremble‘s best season yet. He played in 16/17 games, starting 8 of them and missing only 1 due to illness. He posted career highs in receptions with 30, yards with 194, and touchdowns with 3. Unfortunately, the Panthers regressed, and they finished with an embarrassing 2–15 record.
The 2024 Carolina Panthers once again underwhelmed with a 5–12 final record and yet another missed postseason. Despite the team's struggles, Tremble found a way to improve individually while battling a week one hamstring injury, a week four knee injury, a week five concussion, and a week nine back injury. He finished the season with a career-low 12 games played but with 11 starts, collecting 23 receptions, a career-high 234 yards, and 2 touchdowns. While his 2024 statistics are relatively similar to those of 2023, Tremble recorded nearly identical production on nearly a third fewer games. This is an incredibly promising sign for 2025 if Tremble can remain healthy. There’s enough evidence to suspect his production will keep improving as he continues his career. Tremble recently signed a new 2-year $10.5 million salary with a $4 million signing bonus, keeping him in a Panthers uniform through the 2026 season.
Brock Wright - Detroit Lions - TE - CFA
Wright was not selected in the 2021 NFL draft but was signed by the Detroit Lions as a free agent. He was promoted to the active duty roster in early November 2021 and went on to appear in the 10 remaining games, starting five of them. By the end of the season, Wright caught 12 balls for 117 yards and 2 touchdowns. It was a solid statistical performance but was made all the more impressive when considering Wright’s rookie season didn’t officially start until week seven. The Lions finished with a 3–13 – one record and did not qualify for the postseason, but it was just the beginning of Dan Campbell‘s reign.
The small sample size was enough to impress the Lions, and it was enough to sign him to a deal through the 2023 season. The Lions bet quickly paid off, and Wright appeared in all 17 games for 2022, starting 10 of them and posting career highs in receptions with 18, yards with 216, and touchdowns with four. The Lions improved significantly to 9–8 but narrowly failed to make the playoffs. 2023 was a bit of a step back for Wright. He lost the starting job to TJ Hockenson, affecting his statistics, and suffering from a bruised hip that sidelined him for three games. The step back was evident, as Wright posted just 91 yards on 14 catches for just 1 touchdown. All of this came in 14 games, with only 4 starts.
Following the 2023 season, Wright became a restricted free agent and was offered a three-year $12 million contract by the San Francisco 49ers. The Lions, unwilling to lose their tight end, decided to match the offer and keep Wright in Detroit through 2026.
Thankfully, the 2024 season was a slight improvement for Wright, despite remaining the second-string tight end, now behind Sam LaPorta. Wright caught 13 balls for 100 yards and two touchdowns. While his production hasn’t been top-notch over the last two years, his sizable contract extension goes to show just how valuable he is to this team as a blocker in the trenches.
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