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On Tuesday, on-field action kicked off at the 2023 Reese’s Senior Bowl. Showcasing the top seniors in all of college football, former Notre Dame standout defensive end Isaiah Foskey and offensive lineman Jarrett Patterson were in action and ready to test their talent against other top 2023 prospects.

The day kicked off with the weigh-ins, where Foskey was one of the more impressive athletes physically in attendance. Patterson also checks a lot of boxes in that area, boasting a clean and athletic frame for an offensive lineman.

Foskey, who is the all-time sack leader for the Irish, also had the chance to present to the media yesterday morning. He was chosen as one of the two presenters to kick things off along with TCU quarterback Max Duggan.

Each player participated in the National team practice, bringing much different results.

FOSKEY SHOWS BIG UPSIDE

The 6-5, 262-pound pass rusher got the day of practice started off with a bang. On his first rep in pass rush one-on-ones, he was able to showcase his outstanding power and length to easily win a rep against former Michigan offensive tackle Ryan Hayes.

On that rep, he showed explosiveness, power in his hands and ability to transition and finish quickly. Everything that makes Foskey such an impressive talent was on display on that one play.

For the most part, Foskey followed that start up with a really nice overall day. Ohio State offensive tackle Dawand Jones did win a rep in pass protection, catching him and winning with a snap trap at the top of the track. Otherwise, Foskey rarely lost a rep the rest of the day.

In the run game portion of practice, he again showed his combination of power and length to set a firm edge. As Foskey continues to fill out his frame, he has the makings of an outstanding run defender on the next level.

ROUGH FIRST DAY FOR PATTERSON

The first day of practice was much more mixed for Patterson, who spent the majority of the practice at guard. In the one-on-one pass rush portion of practice, it was a mixed result but Patterson did showcase some good reps.

On his first rep of the day, he showed a really nice initial contact in pass protection. He was able to stun and force the defensive lineman to counter quickly.

Patterson’s pad level did rise a bit too much and allowed for some difficulty redirecting inside. Still, it was a solid win to start the day.

One of the more impressive reps he had in that section of practice was a chance to face off against Georgia Tech defensive lineman Keion White, a player that NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah just had as his No. 8 overall prospect in his recent top 50 big board.

White attempted a push pull on Patterson, quickly forcing his momentum downward. Somehow, he was able to maintain his balance and run White past the pocket for a win.

That was an underrated rep against a talented defensive lineman who is regarded as one of the more talented athletes of the defensive line group in the 2023 NFL Draft. Patterson showed that he was more than capable of matching up against the best on his better reps.

The rest of the day was less than stellar. Patterson gave up some quick wins throughout, demonstrating the concerns with his length to maintain leverage throughout.

When they got to the team section of practice, Patterson did show some nice movement skills to pull and work in space. There was way too much miscommunication during that section of practice, giving up way too much penetration. It was an overall day to forget for Patterson with some good moments sporadically throughout the day.

WHAT’S NEXT?

For Foskey, he must show more consistency from a pass rush plan perspective. He showed the high level talent he had but it was still predicated around his power profile. Showing some change ups as a rusher would be big time.

He must also show that he can get the better of offensive tackles like Dawand Jones (Ohio State) and Jaelyn Duncan (Maryland). If he can, the first round is very much in play.

It is a much different vibe for Patterson. The first day was not great. He will need to stack a couple of good days to end the week of practice.

There is a lot more talent and upside there for Patterson’s NFL he must demonstrate that. Countering some of the top interior defensive lineman in attendance will need to be a big thing to prove. It must be better.

This article first appeared on FanNation Irish Breakdown and was syndicated with permission.

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