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Iowa football: A look at which non-senior Hawkeyes may enter this years NFL Draft

By Andrew Wade

IOWA CITY, IOWA- SEPTEMBER 23: Running back Saquon Barkley #26 of the Penn State Nittany Lions is taken out of bounds during the third quarter by defensive back Amani Hooker #27 and Manny Rugamba #5 of the Iowa Hawkeyes on September 23, 2017 at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa. (Photo by Matthew Holst/Getty Images)
IOWA CITY, IOWA- SEPTEMBER 23: Running back Saquon Barkley #26 of the Penn State Nittany Lions is taken out of bounds during the third quarter by defensive back Amani Hooker #27 and Manny Rugamba #5 of the Iowa Hawkeyes on September 23, 2017 at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa. (Photo by Matthew Holst/Getty Images) /
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WEST LAFAYETTE, IN – NOVEMBER 03: Nate Stanley #4 of the Iowa Hawkeyes runs the ball during the game against the Purdue Boilermakers at Ross-Ade Stadium on November 3, 2018 in West Lafayette, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
WEST LAFAYETTE, IN – NOVEMBER 03: Nate Stanley #4 of the Iowa Hawkeyes runs the ball during the game against the Purdue Boilermakers at Ross-Ade Stadium on November 3, 2018 in West Lafayette, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /

Nate Stanley

This may be puzzling to some people reading this after watching Nate Stanley’s season, which was by no means disappointing, but a little frustrating at times. To NFL evaluators, Stanley fits the bill for a prototypical NFL quarterback. The guy is 6’4”, 242 pounds and has a great arm, and he plays in a NFL offense led by offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz who is a disciple of the Bill Belichick coaching tree.

The biggest knocks on him have to be his decision-making and accuracy at times, which as any Iowa football fan would know by watching games this year, can be questionable.

That being said, Josh Allen went in the top ten last year despite completing just 56.2% of his passes in college and throwing 21 interceptions in two seasons as the starter at Wyoming. Teams can fall in love with potential, and Stanley has all the potential in the world.

What makes this decision potentially more enticing is the lack of a top-tier quarterback in this class. Unlike other positions were a lack of high-end talent would not be an issue as teams would just wait to draft those guy, with quarterback it’s a whole different story. Just think EJ Manuel. Manuel was not a great prospect, but was the best of a bad bunch and managed to get drafted in the first round.

If Stanley had a great few months leading up to the draft, a team could fall in love with him and take him high.

While coming back would allow him to continue the refinement of his game, he would be without Noah Fant and senior wide receiver Nick Easley as well as potentially TJ Hockenson. Moreover, he would be then entering a class that predicts to be loaded at the quarterback position.

Next. Hawkeye nation ranks 22nd best fan base. dark

Ultimately though, I don’t think the NFL Draft Advisory Board will give him a first or second round grade, and he will return which would be pretty exciting news for the Iowa football team. With another season under his belt, he has the opportunity to break a few records and establish himself as one of the best quarterbacks in the history of the Iowa football program.

Verdict: Stays for senior season

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