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While the majority of the Patriots’ coaching staff puts Shrine Bowl players through their paces in Las Vegas, DeMarcus Covington is getting an up-close look at the Senior Bowl participants in Mobile while serving as defensive coordinator for the American squad.
He might have a few interesting prospects on his side of the ball to report back on, including one who could be an heir-apparent to Matthew Judon.
That would be Notre Dame edge defender Isaiah Foskey, who stood out on Day 1 of Senior Bowl practices this week.
Foskey, who plays on the National squad, was a mainstay and captain for a tough Fighting Irish defense his last two seasons, notching double-digit sacks in both campaigns (20.5 combined sacks). He also forced a ridiculous six fumbles in 2021 and showed off his knack for the football by punching a ball out for a turnover in 11-on-11 drills on Tuesday.
The 6-5, 265-pounder created one of Tuesday’s biggest highlight moments by destroying Michigan right tackle Ryan Hayes in 1-on-1 pass-rush drills with a lethal punch to the chest and consistently dominated as a pass-rusher in team segments on Wednesday, earning “sacks” and drawing holding penalties.
Foskey didn’t win every rep and got swallowed up a few times by massive Ohio State tackle Dawand Jones in 1-on-1s — to be fair, so did everyone else who went up against the Trent Brown-sized Jones. But his size, explosiveness and raw tools should have teams like the Patriots envisioning him as an early Day 2 pick at latest.
What might really make him a future Patriot, though, is his enthusiasm for special teams. The Fighting Irish defender blocked four punts in his college career, including two in one game against UNLV, and recovering one for a touchdown.
Bill Belichick hasn’t drafted a player from Notre Dame since defensive back Mike Richardson back in 2007, but Foskey might be the type of Golden Domer to make him reconsider.