4 draft prospects to watch in Notre Dame vs. Northern Illinois

The Chicago Bears kick off the 2024 NFL season tomorrow against the Tennessee Titans, but the work never stops for general Manager Ryan Poles and co.

We saw on “Hard Knocks” that Poles is already out scouting college prospects on Saturdays. Last week, he was at the big game between Clemson and Georgia, which ultimately won by the Bulldogs. Of course, he isn’t looking for a quarterback (after selecting Caleb Williams first overall this year), but there are still plenty of other positions for him to be looking at. Running backs, offensive linemen, and defensive linemen are always a need.

Even games that he doesn’t attend should have the attention of Poles and his staff. One game to watch on Saturday is the matchup between Northern Illinois and Notre Dame. Being the powerhouse program that they are, the Irish are the favorite, but the Huskies are always very pesky to power 4/5 schools.

Both sides have players for Poles and the scouting group to have their eyes on. These are the four players playing in this game to keep an eye on as potential selections in the 2025 NFL draft:

WR Trayvon Rudolph, Northern Illinois

The Bears have plenty of depth at receiver right now. With DJ Moore, Rome Odunze, and Keenan Allen in place, the room should be stacked this season. Drafting a depth guy like the Huskies' Trayvon Rudolph could do wonders for them. We don’t know how long Allen will be with the team, as he's only signed through this season, and nothing about this group is a surefire thing. Taking a chance on Rudolph late in the draft could be a wise decision. In Week 1 against Western Illinois, Rudolph had four catches for 104 yards and a touchdown. He also ran for 67 yards on two carries with a score. Western Illinois isn't great competition but he was spectacular and could continue to put up numbers like this.

RB Antario Brown, Northern Illinois

Northern Illinois has a great playmaker in Antario Brown. NFL teams should be looking at him as a potential running back to select in the latter rounds of the draft. Last week against Western Illinois, he wasn’t overworked because of the score, but he still had 69 rushing yards on only eight carries (8.6 yards per carry), which led the team. If Northern Illinois will have a chance to keep this game close, Brown will need to explode for a ton of yards. The Bears should have their eye on a guy like this, especially with Khalil Herbert set to become a free agent next offseason.

S Xavier Watts, Notre Dame

Notre Dame’s Xavier Watts may be an early-round pick in the NFL and he’s off to a great start to this season. Watts had two tackles and one assist in their Week 1 road win over Texas A&M. He also had an interception, which he returned for a touchdown. Defense like this at the college level could very well travel to the NFL. You can never have too many good safeties, and Poles has been good at developing the defensive backfield. A guy like Watts is a prospect to have your eye on. Against Northern Illinois, he will need to be a ball hawk out there and the Bears should be watching to see if he can be that type of impact guy.

CB Benjamin Morrison, Notre Dame

Like the position of safety, you can never have too many good cornerbacks. A player like Benjamin Morrison is one of those guys worth looking at in the 2025 NFL draft, even with a loaded cornerback group in Chicago. You may see Morrison line up against Rudolph in this game against Northern Illinois and that could be a great matchup. He was great against Texas A&M receivers so he should have no problem against the Huskies. When the draft comes around, Morrison could be a first-round pick. If the Bears feel that adding another corner to the mix is right for them, this Notre Dame star could be the guy.

This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: 4 draft prospects to watch in Notre Dame vs. Northern Illinois