Iowa football: 10th player from 2018 Hawks signs with NFL team

The talent on the 2018 Iowa football team is showing pretty clearly as 10 players have officially signed with NFL teams with Jake Gervase going to LA.

Although only four players were selected in the 2019 NFL Draft, based on the UDFA signings in the last two weeks, the NFL thought very highly of the 2018 Iowa football team.

Four players signed deals pretty quickly after the draft process with Nick Easley heading to the Bills, Matt Nelson heading to the Lions, Keegan Render heading to the Eagles, and Ross Reynolds heading to the 49ers. Meanwhile, two others had to fight and grind some more to get their NFL opportunities.

The NFL Draft cycle works like this.

First, there are seven rounds of the NFL Draft.

Then, there is the craziness of UDFA signings where you see most the remaining talent gobbled up quickly.

Finally, NFL teams schedule tryouts (typically during their rookie minicamps) to assess an additional group of players. If you’re a player in this bucket, you’re basically on your last life. Don’t get signed after a tryout, and your NFL dreams are fading quickly.

Parker Hesse went to three tryouts before securing a deal with the Tennessee Titans as a TE this weekend. Jake Gervase, meanwhile, had to spend a few days in California before he could sign a deal.

After failing to impress enough at Oakland’s tryouts, Gervase apparently made an impression on the Super Bowl runner-up Los Angeles Rams, and he will now be joining their crowded safety room. The first news was reported by none other than a few former Iowa football players themselves on the Washed Up Walkons show before being confirmed by Scott Dochterman after Los Angeles posted this tweet.

https://twitter.com/RamsNFL/status/1128319760947539968

Gervase will be joining a safety room that is relatively crowded with veteran safety Eric Weddle leading the charge. After that, there is 2017 3rd round pick Josh Johnson penciled in as the other starter and 2019 2nd round pick Taylor Rapp as depth behind Weddle.

After those three guys though, there is quite an opportunity. Just based on draft position and acquisition mechanism, Gervase has a shot. There are two former seventh-rounders (one from 2018 and one from this year’s draft), one guy picked up off waivers from a horrible Arizona team and two other college free agents.

For a guy who went from walk-on to Honorable Mention All-Big Ten and starting for the 6th ranked defense in the nation, the uphill battle should feel like the norm for Gervase.