Ronnie Stanley might have lost a chance at the College Football Playoff Saturday, but if NFL Media analyst Mike Mayock is right, the Notre Dame left tackle be a big winner come next April.
Mayock views the senior as a top-10 pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, praising Stanley and the rest of the Fighting Irish offensive line on his newly launched Twitter feed Saturday.
Due in large measure to the play of Stanley and the rest of the Notre Dame offensive front, the Fighting Irish reached the final week of the regular season with a CFP berth still within reach despite losing starting quarterback Malik Zaire. That opportunity was almost certainly dashed in a 38-36 loss to Stanford, but not before Stanley & Co. paved the way for 299 rushing yards against the Pac-12's third-ranked rush defense.
Stanley entered the season ranked as college football's No. 2 offensive tackle, behind Ole Miss' Laremy Tunsil, according to NFL Media analyst Lance Zierlein. He has been a dominant presence this season, though he did have some trouble in Notre Dame's other loss, against Clemson. He incurred a holding penalty, and Tigers defensive end Shaq Lawson gave Stanley some problems while recording 3.5 tackles for loss.
As a senior, Stanley will be available in the draft while Tunsil, a junior, has yet to announce whether he intends to apply for early draft entry. Offensive tackle is a premium position in the draft for NFL clubs in need of improved pass protection, and 12 offensive tackles have commanded a top-10 pick over the last seven drafts.
Follow Chase Goodbread on Twitter @ChaseGoodbread.
