Iowa Football: Five Hawkeyes Invited to NFL Combine
By Kenny Levine
Tuesday morning, Invitations to the 2018 NFL Scouting Combine were announced. Five Hawkeyes made the list of invitees. They were cornerback Josh Jackson, running back Akrum Wadley, offensive linemen James Daniels and Sean Welsh, as well as linebacker Josey Jewell.
With the NFL Draft fast approaching, invitations to the scouting combine were announced on Tuesday. Of the 326 players invited to the NFL combine, five were from the Iowa Hawkeyes. Here is a quick rundown of the Iowa players that will be going to Indianapolis:
Josh Jackson, CB: After backing up All-American Desmond King for his first two years, Jackson burst onto the scene this season. Jackson established himself as one of the top defensive backs in all of college football. He tied a school record set by King and Nile Kinnick with 8 interceptions and had 18 passes defended. Jackson was robbed of the Jim Thorpe Award for best defensive back in college football. Jackson bypassed his senior season to enter the NFL Draft. Most mock drafts have Jackson going in the middle of the 1st round.
James Daniels, OL: The other Hawkeye besides Josh Jackson to delare early for the NFL Draft. Daniels started each of the last two seasons at center for Iowa and made a name for himself as the next in a long line of elite Iowa offensive linemen. There was not a lot of buzz about Daniels leaving early until the bowl game when he showed up as the number 2 ranked draft eligible center, according to Todd McShay. Most mock drafts have Daniels being selected in the first two rounds.
Josey Jewell, LB: From walk-on, turkey farmer to All-American linebacker. Josey Jewell has an unlikely and fascinating story as to how he became a great linebacker. Jewell finished his career at Iowa with a ton of accolades. He started each of his last three years and had over 120 tackles in each of them, leading the Big Ten in 2016 and 2017. In 2017, Jewell was a unanimous first-team All-American and won the Jack Lambert Award for top college linebacker. Despite all those accolades, most mock drafts have Jewell being a middle round pick.
Sean Welsh, OL: Welsh was a four year starter who moved all around the offensive line throughout his Iowa career. For the past two seasons, Welsh started primarily at guard. Additionally, he was a stabilizing force on the offensive line even as others got injured. He earned an invite to the 2018 Senior Bowl. Many mock drafts expect Welsh to be a middle-to-late round draft pick.
Akrum Wadley, RB: The story of Akrum Wadley is a little similar to Josey Jewell, minus the turkeys. Wadley was an undersized running back buried on the depth chart as a freshman. Thanks to injuries, Wadley saw action against Northwestern in 2014 and made the most of it. Wadley ran for 106 yards and a touchdown in that game and never looked back. Wadley was a key contributor for Iowa the last three seasons. He ran for over 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2016 and 2017. Wadley often saved his best games for the biggest stages, most notably his performance in the 2016 upset of Michigan. He is expected to be drafted around the 3rd or 4th round.