Isaiah Foskey, EDGE Notre Dame: Offseason 2023 NFL Draft Profile

Foskey was a four-star recruit from De La Salle High School in Concord, Calif. in the class of 2019

Isaiah Foskey led the Notre Dame Fighting Irish with ten sacks last season. The former four-star recruit already has some analysts placing him in the first round of mock drafts. Foskey currently projects as a top 50 player in the 2023 NFL Draft with the potential to go even higher.

Visit my Twitter account @Sam_Teets33 for more updates and previews of the 2023 NFL Draft Guide.

Isaiah Foskey, EDGE Notre Dame: 2023 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Senior defensive end from Antioch, Calif.

Background: Foskey was a four-star recruit from De La Salle High School in Concord, Calif. in the class of 2019. He was the No. 211 recruit according to 247Sports and No. 205 for On3.com. Foskey was an unranked three-star recruit for Rivals. ESPN ranked him 209th in the nation with an 82 grade out of 100. Foskey helped De La Salle High School reach the 2018 North Coast Section Open Division championship. He participated in the 2019 All-American Bowl in San Antonio, Texas.

2021 Production: 13 games, 52 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, 32 pressures, 10 sacks, 6 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries, 1 pass defensed

2020 Production: 12 games, 20 tackles, 5 tackles for loss, 18 pressures, 4.5 sacks, 1 pass defensed

2019 Production: 4 games, 5 tackles, 2 pressures

Injuries & Off-Field: Suffered a lower-body injury against North Carolina (2021) but didn’t miss playing time

Awards: 2021 First-Team All-Independent (Phil Steele)

Pros: Special teams experience on the kick return, kick coverage, punt return, and field goal block units, never penalized, good pursuit speed and effort, rips the ball out, has the length to get off blocks and redirect to the football, looks comfortable in coverage carrying running backs out of the backfield, relentless pursuit of the quarterback, good burst off the line, when his hands are active they attack and nullify the tackle’s hands to create an outside rush lane, flashes of a cross chop and pull through, occasionally converts speed to power, plus arm length allows for some one-armed moves, extends inside arm to put tackles on their heels and send them stumbling backward, successful speed rusher, mild success with power rushes, attempts to poke the ball away from quarterbacks with his long arms, Notre Dame feels comfortable playing him at off-ball linebacker several times per game

Cons: Bites on screens and play action, sometimes late activating hands which invites linemen into his pads, limited experience in coverage, not immune to missed tackles, some hesitation when reading QB-RB exchanges, very few wins to the tackle’s inside shoulder, doesn’t consistently display high-level bend off the edge, struggles to flatten his angle at the top of his rush, needs to play with better leverage, doesn’t make plays as a backside run defender, block shedding isn’t consistent, gets washed down the line in the run game by linemen occasionally, doesn’t set a hard edge, spins and swims aren’t present in his game

Overview: Foskey is unofficially listed at 6'5", 265 lbs. He applied pressure on roughly 11.8% of his pass rush attempts in 2020 and 11.3% in 2021. Foskey possesses terrific burst and arm length. His explosiveness off the line was often the key to beating tackles in 2021. When he doesn’t win outright, Foskey has the long arms and active hands to either deploy a one-armed bull rush or cross chop and pull himself through around the tackle’s outside shoulder. His pursuit speed and range make him a threat to run down quarterbacks who escape the pocket. Foskey is a high-motor player who shows some savvy when it comes to stripping or poking the ball out. There are flashes of him converting speed to power and using his long arms to lift tackles out of their stances and walk them back to the quarterback. Notre Dame occasionally has Foskey play off-ball linebacker, where he displays good range in coverage and enough polish to stick with running backs on routes. Foskey’s arm length helps him disengage blocks and redirect to the football against the run. However, Foskey is an inconsistent run defender who sometimes struggles to set the edge and can get washed down the line. The senior’s tendency to bite on screens and play action means he’s drawn out of position frequently, and he often misreads quarterback-running back exchanges. Foskey is late activating his hands, which allows tackles to get into his pads and nullify his length advantage. Foskey’s pad level and bend around the edge are average at best. He struggles to flatten his angle at the top of his rush and hasn’t shown many instances of successfully working back to the tackle’s inside shoulder. Foskey’s pass rush arsenal doesn’t consist of basic spin or swim moves, and he relied heavily on his athletic tools to win in 2021 instead of polished moves.

Overall, many of Foskey’s 2021 sacks were high-effort plays, but only a few displayed the bend and pass rush plan NFL teams desire in first round picks. He projects as a solid Day 2 selection with quality physical traits and upside if he adds more moves to his arsenal.

Role & Scheme Fit: Outside linebacker in a two-point stance in a 3-4 scheme

Round Projection: Early Second to Late Second

Player Comparison: N/A

Submitted: 09-01-22