Notre Dame lineman Jarrett Patterson goes to Houston Texans on Day 3 of NFL Draft
Mike BerardinoMore:Michael Mayer, Isaiah Foskey give Notre Dame Football a pair of 2nd-round NFL Draft picks
SOUTH BEND – Jarrett Patterson, the two-time Notre Dame football captain who overcame multiple injuries as a four-year starter on the offensive line, is headed to the Houston Texans.
Patterson was chosen in Saturday’s sixth round with the 201st overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft. The Laguna Hills, Calif., product was the third and final Notre Dame player taken in this year’s draft, following Friday’s second-round selections of tight end Michael Mayer (Las Vegas Raiders) and defensive end Isaiah Foskey (New Orleans Saints).
Safety Brandon Joseph, the Northwestern transfer who left school with two remaining years of eligibility, went undrafted. Joseph agreed to sign with the Detroit Lions as an undrafted free agent.
Just three Notre Dame offensive linemen (all in 2021) had been selected over the previous four drafts: Aaron Banks and Liam Eichenberg in the second round and Robert Hainsey in the third.
Notre Dame has had five players drafted over the past two Aprils, including first-round safety Kyle Hamilton (Ravens) and fifth-round running back Kyren Williams (Rams) last year.
Patterson, 6-foot-5 and 306 pounds, was selected 24 picks into the 40-player sixth round. Four rounds earlier, the Texans took Penn State center Juice Scruggs as they look to rebuild up the middle in front of franchise quarterback C.J. Stroud, this year’s No. 2 overall pick from Ohio State.
Patterson allowed just nine quarterback pressures (one hit, zero sacks) in 382 true pass sets at guard, according to Pro Football Focus. Including his time at center, Patterson allowed zero sacks in 1,686 career pass sets.
His technique also benefited from working last season with former NFL offensive line guru Harry Hiestand.
The Texans are on their fifth head coach (DeMeco Ryans) since the fall of 2020 and have gone 11-38-1 over the past three seasons. Their new offensive line coach is Chris Strausser, who spent the past four seasons in the same role with the Indianapolis Colts and franchise guard Quenton Nelson.
Former Notre Dame captain Kurt Hinish, who made 23 tackles and had a sack as a rookie, is a promising defensive tackle for the Texans. Any Patterson-Hinish battles in offseason practice sessions should be highly entertaining.
According to Spotrac.com, the rookie wage scale projects Patterson for a four-year, $4.01 million contract that includes a signing bonus of $169,972.
Lorenzo Styles transfers to Ohio State
On the first offensive snap of Notre Dame’s 2022 season, Lorenzo Styles caught a quick screen pass from Tyler Buchner and turned it into a 54-yard gain at Ohio State.
Now both players are headed elsewhere.
Styles, a junior wideout who experimented at cornerback before entering the transfer portal on April 21, announced via social media on Saturday evening he is committed to Ohio State. His namesake father is a former NFL linebacker and Ohio State star, while younger brother Sonny is a promising safety on the current Buckeyes roster.
Notre Dame plays host to the Buckeyes on Sept. 23.
Buchner, who entered the portal three days after a disappointing outing in the Blue-Gold Game, announced on Thursday he will follow former Irish offensive coordinator Tommy Rees to Alabama.
Two other members of Notre Dame’s 2021 signing class, running back Logan Diggs and linebacker Prince Kollie, entered the transfer portal this week but have yet to announce their next program.
Notre Dame's undrafted free agents
Undrafted Notre Dame players who signed as free agents after Saturday’s draft:
- Kicker Blake Grupe, the Arkansas State grad transfer who agreed to terms with the Saints.
- Safety Brandon Joseph, the Northwestern transfer who agreed to terms with the Detroit Lions. Joseph was an All-American as a freshman in 2020 but had just one interception while missing three late-season games with a high ankle sprain in 2022.
- Defensive tackle Jayson Ademilola with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
- Defensive end Justin Ademilola, Jayson's twin brother, with the Green Bay Packers.
- Defensive tackle Chris Smith, a Harvard grad transfer and Detroit native who agreed to terms with his hometown Lions.
- Linebacker and special teams captain Bo Bauer with the Seattle Seahawks. Bauer, coming off a torn ACL last October, made 36 tackles on punt and kickoff coverage during his five-year Irish career, which saw him take the field for 1,014 total plays on special teams. He's also added long-snapping to his skillset.
- Versatile offensive lineman Josh Lugg, who made 33 career starts after signing in 2017, agreed with the Chicago Bears.
Follow Notre Dame football writer @MikeBerardino on Twitter.