Ranked By: Joe 412 and John Toth
Isaiah Foskey, a former 4-star recruit out of De La Salle High School in California, showed improvement in each of his four years at Notre Dame, culminating in a 12-sack season in 2022. To put his Irish career into perspective, he leaves the school as its all-time sack leader.
Foskey has what Mike Tomlin loves—athleticism enough to earn a high-level role as an edge rusher or outside linebacker in a 3-4 defensive scheme at the next level. He even started his career in South Bend as a two-way player, grabbing some time as Tight End.
Foskey has quick hands, gaining separation from larger blockers, and he’s even quicker when looping inside, disrupting the pocket. It’s strange to say this for a man so fast, but if he has a weakness amongst all of his explosiveness, it’s that he doesn’t always get “off the ball” as fast as he could. Draft 412 believes with some seasoning and professional coaching, Foskey could be a late first-round talent or a possible steal in round two.
Here is a look at Edge/OLB-Isaiah Foskey’s pros and cons:
Height: 6’5”
Weight: 262 lbs.
40 Time: n/a
Arm: 33 ¾”
Hand: 10”
Span: 81 5/8”
Pros
Strong hands, powerful punch
Explosive first step
Hard to block one-on-one, uses reach well
Accomplished pass rusher
Will give a DC some flexibility with DL, and LB traits.
Cons
Can be flat-footed and slow at times
Trouble with stopping and changing direction
Had an up and down week at Senior Bowl
Run defense needs improvement
Does not use his length as much as he should
Final Analysis
Isaiah Foskey had a unique week at the Senior Bowl. Early in the week, scouts were
clamoring that he has some Micah Parson traits, but by the end of the week, they
were talking about lack of consistency. Foskey could be a valuable pass rusher in the NFL
if he finds his niche.
Projected Draft Position
Foskey projects as a late first or early second round pick. With his size and pass rushing
ability, he could have a 3-4 team like Pittsburgh jumping early for him. He needs a
nice combine to help his performance with an up and down Senior Bowl
performance.
Photo courtesy of Irish Sports Daily.