Notre Dame's NFL Footprint - Part 4

Over the first three parts of this article series, we examined the NFL careers of 34 recent Notre Dame alumni currently active in the NFL across the 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, and 2020 draft classes. In this piece, we'll cover 7 more alums from the 2019 and 2018 draft classes and see where they've ended up.

Photo via Notre Dame Athletics

2019 Draft Class

Drue Tranquill - Kansas City Chiefs - LB - 2019 - Round 04: Pick 130

Tranquill was selected in the 4th round of the 2019 NFL draft with the 130th overall pick by the Los Angeles Chargers. He joined fellow Notre Dame teammate Jerry Tillery, who the Chargers drafted in the 1st round. Tranquill’s rookie contract was worth $3.17 million over 4 years, including a $658,808 signing bonus. He began training camp in competition for the backup middle linebacker job but was named third-string middle linebacker as the season began. For a backup’s backup, Tranquill found a way to appear in 15/16 Chargers games in 2019, even earning 3 starts. He finished his rookie season with 75 tackles and 1 pass deflection, while the Chargers finished 5-11 and missed the playoffs.

Tranquill competed for the starting weak-side linebacker spot throughout training camp and the 2020 preseason but ultimately didn’t win the job. Instead, he moved up from 3rd string to 2nd and became a true backup with an expanded rotational role. During the Chargers’ 2020 season opener against the Bengals, Tranquill recorded a single tackle before leaving the game with an injury. It was later discovered that he’d sustained a broken ankle and was ruled out for the rest of the season. The Chargers finished with a disappointing 7–9 record that kept them out of the playoffs again and parted ways with then-head coach Anthony Lynn. 

The Chargers' new coaching staff decided to transition the defense to a base 3–4 and opened up the entire linebacking core to compete for their starting jobs. Even with the new opportunity, Tranquill was unable to win any of the 3 first-string spots and was once again named a backup linebacker. He eventually earned a few starts as injuries piled up, and he played incredibly well. However, he lost his momentum when he was sidelined with a chest injury, an ankle injury, and a positive COVID-19 test. By the end of the season, he’d played in 14 games, 7 of which he started, and compiled 76 tackles, 1.5 sacks, and 1 fumble recovery. The Chargers finished at 8-9 and once again missed the playoffs. 2022 was Tranquill’s breakout season. He finally secured a starting position in the linebacker unit and started 16/17 games for the first time in his career. He compiled a career-high 146 tackles, 5 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 4 pass deflections, and 1 interception. The Chargers finished at 10-7 and qualified for their first playoff berth of Tranquill’s career. They faced off with Jacksonville in the AFC wildcard game but lost 30–31. Despite the defeat, Tranquil recorded five tackles and an interception off Trevor Lawrence. 

For one reason or another, the Chargers did not offer Tranquill an extension, so he agreed with the Chiefs on a 1-year, $3 million contract, with a $1.44 million signing bonus. He arrived in Kansas City as the new backup middle linebacker and earned starting opportunities quickly as injuries began to arise.  He finished the season with 16 appearances and 8 starts, missing just one game due to a concussion. He finished the season with 79 tackles, 4.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, and 1 pass deflection. The 2023 Kansas City Chiefs finished with an 11-6 record and a wild-card game against the Dolphins, whom they beat handily 26-7. They just escaped a close one against the Bills, 27–24, before beating the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC championship, 17–10. The Chiefs matched up with the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII and won 25-22 on a last-minute touchdown pass from Patrick Mahomes. In his first year with a new team, Tranquill made it to the playoffs for only the second time in his career and won his first Super Bowl ring. He finished the 2023 playoffs with 21 tackles and 1 tackle for loss.

In March of 2024, Tranquill signed a 3-year, $19 million contract extension with Kansas City, including a $4.5 million signing bonus. He started 16 games in 2024 and finished the year with 94 tackles, 2 sacks, 2 fumble recoveries, and 2 pass deflections. The Chiefs finished the 2024 regular season with a stellar 15-2 record and beat the Houston Texans 23-14 in the divisional series. KC went on to win the AFC title in a thriller against the Buffalo Bills, squeaking out a 32-29 win to play in their third straight Super Bowl. Unfortunately, the Chiefs weren’t able to achieve the coveted three-peat and fell to the Eagles 22-40. Tranquill collected a team-high 11 tackles and 1 sack in the loss and finished the playoffs with 25 tackles and 2 tackles for loss over 3 games. Despite losing, it was Tranquill’s second Super Bowl appearance in 6 years. Regardless of how far the Chiefs go in 2025, Tranquill is in a position to make a serious impact and continue building one of the most promising careers amongst Notre Dame defensemen.

Jerry Tillery - Minnesota Vikings - DT - 2019 - Round 01: Pick 028

Tillery was drafted in the 1st round of the 2018 NFL draft with the 28th pick, going to the Los Angeles Chargers alongside fellow Notre Dame teammate Drue Tranquill. He signed a 4-year $11.42 million contract with a $6.32 million signing bonus and entered training camp in competition for a spot on the defensive line. Tillery didn’t win a starting spot but found heavy rotational usage, even for a rookie, appearing in 15/17 games with 3 starts. He finished the season with 17 tackles and 2 sacks. 

Tillery progressed in 2020, this time playing all 16 games along with 11 starts, and his numbers reflected the change. He finished the season with 29 tackles, 3 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 2 pass deflections, and 1 blocked kick. Tillery again used his improved performance as fuel and returned the following year with a vengeance. He played 16 games, starting 15, and set career highs in both tackles with 51 and sacks with 4.5. 

2022 was a different story. The Chargers declined Tillery’s 5th-year option just before training camp began, making him a free agent at the end of the season, and that’s when things began to go left. Tillery’s breakout performance the year prior fueled a belief that his role should increase, but the coaching staff didn’t share that sentiment. The Chargers' defense was in the middle of a rebuild, and Tillery lost his starting spot to free agent signing Austin Johnson. Everything came to a head when Johnson went down with a season-ending injury. Tillery expected to move up and back into his recently vacated role, but the coaches opened it up to competition, which began to cause issues.

Tillery appeared in just 7 games with no starts before, seemingly out of nowhere, the Chargers waived him, and he entered free agency ahead of schedule. Just days later, Tillery was claimed off waivers by the Las Vegas Raiders, where he played another 8 games to close out the season. The split didn’t come as a shock, as tensions between Tillery and San Diego seemed to be at a breaking point. When asked about the split, the Chargers coaching staff pointed to “competing visions” regarding playing time, which, when coupled with their declination of his 5th-year option, helped quickly deteriorate an already strained relationship. Tillery finished the 2022 season with 15 games between 2 teams, 18 tackles, 1 sack, and 1 forced fumble. Despite the turbulent year, Tillery and the Raiders agreed to a 2-year deal worth $6.8 million that brought him back to Vegas through the 2024 season. 

While his situation changed, Tillery found himself without a starting job once again and instead competed for rotational minutes. He only started 6 games in 2023 but appeared in all 17 for the Raiders and finished the season with 31 tackles, 2 sacks, and 1 fumble recovery. Despite having another year left on his contract, Tillery was released by new Raiders GM Tom Telesco, who originally drafted him to the Chargers and waived him in 2022. A free agent yet again, Tillery signed a 1-year, $2.7 million deal with the Minnesota Vikings for the 2024 season. Tillery went on to play all 17 regular-season games with 11 starts, collecting 28 tackles, 1 forced fumble, 2 pass deflections, and 1 blocked kick. The Vikings finished with a 14-3 record and earned a spot in the wild-card round, but fell to the Rams, 9-27. 

Tillery’s contract with the Vikings expired, and he entered free agency looking for a fresh start. On March 14th, 2025, news broke that Tillery and the Kansas City Chiefs have agreed to a 1-year deal for the 2025 season, worth $1.79 million. Tillerry’s experience playing both inside and outside on the defensive line makes him an excellent rotational piece for Andy Reid and the Chiefs, and he’ll play a significant role this season. The move will reunite Tillery with former Notre Dame and Chargers teammate Drue Tranquill.

Julian Love - Seattle Seahawks - S - 2019 - Round 04: Pick 108

Julian Love entered the 2019 NFL draft as a top 5 defensive back prospect but fell well beyond his projected spot. It wasn’t until the 4th round that the New York Giants used the 108th pick to select Love, signing him to a 4-year $3.29 million rookie contract. Love’s versatility allowed him to compete for a cornerback, safety, or nickelback job in training camp, and he was eventually named the third-string free safety for the start of the season. He played in 15 games and earned a start in 5 while collecting 37 tackles, 5 tackles for loss, 3 pass deflections, and 1 interception, which he returned for 30 yards. It was a solid rookie outing for Love, but a tough one for the Giants organization. The team missed the playoffs with an abysmal 4–12 record, and ownership parted ways with head coach Pat Shurmur. 

New head coach Joe Judge gave Love the chance to compete for the starting free safety spot against new arrival Xavier McKinney, and he won, beginning the 2020 season alongside strong safety Jabrill Peppers. Despite starting the first two games, Love would only start 6 games by the end of the year, but appeared in all 16 contests. His numbers improved dramatically with just one extra game compared to his rookie year, nearly doubling his total tackles with 64, reeling in 1 interception, 3 pass deflections, and 1 tackle for loss. The Giants improved, but barely, only mustering a 6–10 record and missing the playoffs once again.

Love was named the backup safety for 2021, playing in all 17 games with 5 starts. Once again, his numbers increased, finishing with a career-high 66 total tackles, 1 tackle for loss, a career-high 7 pass deflections, and 1 interception. It was Love’s third straight year with at least 1 interception, and the third straight season the Giants missed the playoffs with a losing record.

Once again, the Giants found a new head coach, and an exodus of player personnel opened up both starting safety positions. Although it was an open competition, Love ran away with the strong safety spot and earned his first starting job. Love had a career year, appearing in and starting 16 games, with the only exception being a week 18 scratch from the lineup to work in backup players. Love posted career highs in nearly every statistical category, collecting 124 total tackles, one sack, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, 6 tackles for loss, five pass deflections, and 2 interceptions. The Giants finished their season with a 9-7-1 record and secured a wildcard showdown with the Minnesota Vikings. 

After beating the Vikings 31–24, the Giants moved on to face the Philadelphia Eagles in the divisional round. Unfortunately, they fell 7–38, and Love’s first playoff run came to a close. He finished the playoffs with 12 total tackles and 2 tackles for loss over 2 games. 2022 was a career year for Love, and his performance significantly increased his market value. The Giants weren’t willing to compete financially for his services and ultimately let him walk. Love and the Seattle Seahawks agreed on a new deal that paid $12 million over 2 years, with a signing bonus of $4.82 million. 

Despite arriving to a new team, coaching staff, and city, Love beat out his competition and secured the starting safety spot for 2023. He only lasted four weeks in the role before head coach Pete Carroll pulled the plug and made him the primary backup. Despite the setback, Love regained his starting role late in the season and finished with another statistically impressive year. He collected 123 total tackles, one tackle for loss, a career-high four interceptions, a career-high 10 pass deflections, two forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery. For the first time in his career, Love was voted into the top 100 NFL players, coming in at number 95, and made it to his first-ever Pro Bowl. Despite his banner year, the Seahawks narrowly missed the playoffs with a 9–8 record.

Love faced a coaching staff and teammate exodus in Seattle, and both safety spots opened up. New head coach Mike MacDonald named Love one of the starters alongside Rayshawn Jenkins. Over the summer of 2024, Love and the Seahawks agreed to a massive 3-year $36 million contract extension with a hefty $10.5 million signing bonus, keeping him in Seattle through the 2027 season. It was an extravagant but well-deserved extension, and Love looks to be a multi-year starter with the Seahawks for the foreseeable future at just 26 years old.

2018 Draft Class

Scott Daly - Chicago Bears - LS - 2018 - CFA

Daly went unselected in the 2017 NFL draft and failed to make a team minicamp. He spent the entire 2017 season outside of football, but looked to try again in 2018. Despite signing with the Dallas Cowboys as a free agent, he wasn’t able to win the starting job, so he moved on to the AAF’s (Alliance of American Football) San Antonio Commanders until the organization ceased operations in mid-2019. Daly was then drafted into the XFL, joining the New York Guardians until the league halted operations in mid-2020. 

Finally, Daly made it to the NFL and signed with the Detroit Lions as a free agent in May 2021. He won the long snapping job during preseason play and went on to play all 17 games in his first two seasons with Detroit. Despite playing the first 8 games of 2023, Daly suffered a knee injury during week 8 that would end the rest of his season. Despite recently signing a new one-year deal with Detroit for 2024, Daly was released after losing the long-snapping job to a rookie. He then signed with the Chicago Bears' practice squad and was brought up to active duty in September 2024. He filled in for an injured Patrick Scales and played all 17 games for Chicago. Recently, news broke that the Bears had agreed to a 1-year deal with Scott Daly to bring him back for the 2025 season. It’s unclear how the playing time and depth chart positioning will play out once Scales is back and healthy, but at this point, Daly has the starting job.

Durham Smythe - Miami Dolphins - TE - 2018 - Round 04: Pick 123

Smythe was selected in the fourth round with the 123rd overall pick of the 2018 NFL draft by the Miami Dolphins. He was named the backup tight end out of training camp due to his impeccable blocking prowess and earned playing time in 15 games with 2 starts. It was a quiet year statistically, with only 11 targets and 6 receptions for 50 yards and 0 touchdowns, but Smythe’s blocking cemented his #2 TE spot for next year. He improved in 2019, appearing in all 16 games for the Dolphins, this time starting 14 of them, and putting up pretty similar numbers with 7 receptions on 14 targets for 65 yards and 0 touchdowns. The 2020 season was Smythe’s best yet, putting up a career-high 26 receptions and 208 yards, along with his first and second career NFL touchdowns, all in just 15 games. Once again in 2021, Smythe put up career highs with 17 games played, 34 receptions, and 357 yards, but did not score any touchdowns this time around. 

In the offseason, the Dolphins brought Smythe back on a 2-year deal through the 2023 season and got what they paid for. Smythe played 16 games in 2022, setting a career-high with 15 starts, but only managed 15 receptions for 129 yards, 1 receiving touchdown, and 1 rushing touchdown. It was a step back from 2021, but 2023 would be different. Smythe played another 16 games with 14 starts and set new career highs in receptions with 35 and yards with 366. He made his first two playoff appearances in ‘22 and ‘23 and has 4 career postseason receptions for 32 yards. 

Things changed in 2024 with the arrival of veteran tight end Jonnu Smith, and Smythe’s role began to dwindle. He’d begun his NFL career as a blocking tight end but found a way to flourish in a somewhat limited offensive role and make the best of the chances that came his way. Smith upset that balance when he won the starting job and put up 88 catches for 884 yards and 8 touchdowns. At that point, it doesn’t really matter how good you are at blocking - it will be hard to find starting playing time over that type of offensive talent. This shift also showed itself in Smythe’s stats. Although he appeared in all 17 games, he only started 4 of them and caught just 9 balls for 53 yards and 0 touchdowns. The Dolphins released Smythe in early 2025, and the seven-year veteran announced a 1-year deal with the Chicago Bears, reuniting with Notre Dame alum Cole Kmet. 

Quenton Nelson - Indianapolis Colts - OG - 2018 - Round 01: Pick 028

Quenton Nelson was considered a top 10 consensus pick for the 2018 NFL draft and was rated the highest offensive lineman in the entire draft. Like his predecessor, Ronnie Stanley, Nelson was selected in the 1st-round with the 6th overall pick. It gave him a similarly sizable, fully guaranteed 4-year rookie contract worth $23.88 million, including a $15.45 million signing bonus. Nelson had an impeccable rookie season with the Indianapolis Colts, appearing in all 16 games with over 1100 snaps. He was part of an Indianapolis offensive line that didn’t allow a single sack for over 150 dropbacks and helped earn 200 rushing yards in back-to-back games for the first time in 33 years. His performance earned him a Pro Bowl appearance and a first-team all-pro nod, two incredible feats for a rookie. 

The 2019 season was somehow even better for Nelson, as he appeared in and started all 16 games for Indianapolis, with over 1000 snaps, 0 sacks allowed, and just 3 penalties. It all combined for a second consecutive season with Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors, along with a 91.2 PFF grade and a spot in the NFL‘s top 100 players at #29. Nelson managed to do it again in 2020, once again playing all 16 games with over 1000 snaps, and this time only allowed a single sack with nine penalties. It was enough to earn him All-Pro honors and a Pro Bowl appearance for the third straight season. Despite this success, Nelson‘s rank within the top 100 NFL players dropped four spots to number 33. Just before the start of the 2021 season, Indianapolis accepted the 5th-year option on Nelson’s contract to keep him signed with the team through 2022. Unfortunately, he was forced to undergo surgery in August 2021 to remove a bone fragment in his left foot and was projected to miss between 5 and 12 weeks. Shockingly, he recovered quickly and made the regular season opener, but sustained a high ankle sprain in the Colts’ week 3 game. Despite the injuries, Nelson was able to start and appear in 13/17 games for Indianapolis. 

Nelson set 2 franchise records after the 2021 season: first, becoming the first guard in Colts franchise history to be named to 4 Pro Bowls and 3 first-team All-Pro selections, and second, becoming only the second player in franchise history to earn 4 straight Pro Bowl honors in his first 4 seasons. He was then named the 28th-best player on the NFL’s top 100 players list, the highest mark of his career thus far. Nelson and the Colts agreed to a 4-year, $80 million contract renewal in September 2022, making him the highest-paid guard in the league. He immediately proved the Colts right by playing all 17 games in 2022 and earning his 5th consecutive Pro Bowl nomination. He started all 17 games in both the 2023 and 2024 seasons, earning his 6th and 7th straight Pro Bowl appearances, along with his 5th All-Pro nod. In just seven years, Nelson has cemented himself as one of the best linemen in the entire league, has led his team to the playoffs twice, and has only missed 4 total games.

Mike McGlinchey - Denver Broncos - OT - 2018 - Round 01: Pick 006

Notre Dame produced the top two offensive linemen of the 2018 NFL draft: OG Quenton Nelson, who went in the 1st round with the 6th overall pick, and OT Mike McGlinchey, who was drafted in the 1st round with the 9th overall pick by the San Francisco 49ers. The top-10 draft spot earned McGlinchey a hefty 4-year rookie deal worth $18.34 million with a signing bonus of $11.41 million. He won the starting right tackle position rather easily and had an excellent rookie season, playing in all 16 games. In 2019, McGlinchey was only able to play 12 games due to a knee injury that kept him sidelined for 4 games, but he was a part of the Super Bowl LIV 49ers team that ultimately lost to the Kansas City Chiefs, 20–31. 

The following year, McGlinchey was back in full form, again starting and playing all 16 games for San Francisco without any injury issues. Before the start of the 2021 season, the 49ers picked up McGlinchey's 5th-year option and gifted him a $10.90 million salary for the 2022 season. He had an excellent start to the season, playing 8 straight before tearing his quad in week 9 of the 2021 season, and was out for the remainder of the year. As he’d done before, McGlinchey returned better than ever in 2022 and started all 17 games. He was also instrumental in San Francisco’s playoff run from a win over the Seahawks in the wildcard round to a divisional win over the Cowboys and ultimately, their loss to the Eagles in the NFC championship.

The stellar rebound season earned McGlinchey a lot of attention across the league, and the 49ers let him walk in free agency. That allowed him to sign a brand new 5-year contract worth $87.5 million with the Denver Broncos to become the new anchor of their front five. As upsetting as it was to San Francisco fans, there was just no way they were going to be able to match that kind of money. McGlinchey had a banner first year with the Broncos, starting 16 games and staying healthy as he acclimated to the mile-high city. Unfortunately, McGlinchey went down with an MCL sprain in Denver’s week 2 match-up of 2024 and was sidelined for 4 games, but ended the season with 13 starts and an appearance in Denver’s wild-card game against the Bills. 

McGlinchey is yet another elite Notre Dame offensive line talent who has found a way to thrive in the NFL. His time in San Francisco was so successful that they couldn’t hold onto him, and Denver was willing to pay top dollar for one of the NFL‘s premier offensive line free agents. It looks likely that McGlinchey has found his new home.

Next Article

In our next piece, we’ll cover the remaining Irish alumni still playing professional ball across the 2016, 2014, 2012, and 2008 NFL draft classes and explore their professional careers thus far.

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