Buccaneers NFL Draft Target: Notre Dame Defensive End, Isaiah Foskey

The explosive edge rusher holds the Fighting Irish’s all-time sack record and possesses the qualities to become an NFL sack artist.

• Isaiah Foskey
• DOB: 10/30/2000
• Height: 6’ 5”
• Weight: 264 pounds
• Position: Defensive Line/EDGE
• Hometown: Antioch, CA
• High School: De La Salle High School, Concord, CA
• College: University of Notre Dame

Combine Results:

• Hands: 9 7/8”
• Arms: 34”
• Wingspan: 81 5/8”
• Forty: 4.58 seconds
• Shuttle: 4.41 seconds
• 10-yard split: 1.66 seconds
• Vertical: 34”
• Broad jump: 10’ 5”
• Three cone: 7.28 seconds
• Bench press: 22 reps

High School Achievements: Isaiah Foskey attended De La Salle High School in Concord, California, where he played defensive end, and tight end. He was selected to the 2019 All-American Bowl and was a top-210 recruit nationally. Foskey was rated a 4-star recruit by ESPN and 247Sports. He committed to the University of Notre Dame after being heavily recruited by top SEC schools, and other Power Five schools around the country.

College Career: As a freshman in 2019, Foskey played in four games, had five tackles, and blocked a punt. In 2020, he became a productive reserve, playing in 12 games, and recording 4.5 sacks. In his junior season, Foskey became the starter and played a total of 564 snaps. He led the Irish with 12.5 tackles for loss, had 11 sacks, and tied for the national lead with six forced fumbles. In 2022, his senior season, Foskey played in 563 snaps, and tied for sixth in the FBS with 11 sacks. He also had 14 tackles for loss and blocked the third and fourth punts of his career. He played in the 2023 Senior Bowl and was a First Team All-American on the AFCA, Walter Camp, and Consensus teams.

Strengths:

• Very productive athlete with elite size, speed, and explosiveness.
• Hustles all over the field and is always looking to make a play.
• Is very instinctual and is able to process the best path to pursue and tackle.
• Uses his long arms to post and pivot as an edge rusher.
• Possess good core strength and foot agility that allows him to slip through crevices and get home on twists and stunts.
• Has top end speed, and an outstanding initial burst, that enables him to beat offensive linemen off the snap.
• Blocked four punts and returned a punt for a touchdown in his college career.

Weaknesses:

• Plays too high, too often, and loses ground at the point of attack.
• Loses containment on the edge and doesn’t have consistent anchoring depth.
• Is more fast than quick, so he struggles to adjust and change direction if his initial move fails.
• Needs to set hands and use more hand violence when pass rushing.
• Relies on his speed to win battles and doesn’t play the game with great physicality.
• Has tight hips, which decreases his ability to bend and turn the corner with efficiency.

How he fits in with the Bucs:

Isaiah Foskey had an outstanding college career and is still learning the nuances of being an edge rusher. He has tremendous potential to become a great NFL player, but will need some time to develop his skills, and strength. He’s very similar to the Bucs 2021 1st round draft pick Joe Tryon-Shoyinka. Tryon-Shoyinka has flashed at times and struggled at times during his two years with the Bucs. I could see the same path being taken by Foskey. With Shaq Barrett coming back from an Achilles injury, the Bucs could use another young pass rusher to solidify their rotation.

Isaiah Foskey is projected to be a late second round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Should the Tampa Bay Buccaneers make him their number two pick? Let me know your thoughts below!

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