Iowa Football: Which Hawkeye Has Most To Gain In Senior Bowl?

1. C.J. Beathard

The last time we saw C.J. Beathard, Florida’s defense was chasing him around the field, he was hobbled and ended the Outback Bowl on the sideline with his helmet in his hand. Showing teams he’s healthy is important, especially considering the constant debate about where he’ll be picked.

C.J. Beathard is the 11th best quarterback in the draft and projected to be picked in the seventh round, per CBS Sports. That far from guarantees Beathard even being drafted, let alone a late round steal like Todd McShay said.

The good news is Beathard looks healthy, and there is already a clip of him connecting with Louisville receiver Jamari Staples for a touchdown over teammate Desmond King. It is a beautiful throw and catch, and Beathard will need more like that in the Senior Bowl.

After his role in the offense decreased as a senior, the pre-draft process is when Beathard will have to catch NFL teams’ eyes. Dobbs, CBS Sports’ 10th ranked quarterback, Webb, 7th, Sefo Liufau, 12th, and Nate Peterman, 6th, are also playing on Saturday.

It’s crazy to think one good exhibition game from Beathard would shoot him way up draft boards and ahead of five quarterbacks, but it’s not crazy to think it could push him in the top 10.

He has a chance to showcase his skill set compared to other top quarterbacks in the draft during a game he hopefully has more chances to throw in than when he played with Iowa.

Next: Iowa Basketball: Get To Know Ohio State Buckeyes

When it comes down to it, a team will Desmond King in the first two rounds, Jaleel Johnson is as close to a lock as they come to be drafted this year, but the verdict is still out on C.J. Beathard. This is his final live game chance to prove he’s an NFL-caliber quarterback.