It seems everywhere you look in the NFL, there's some player making noise who once played ball for the Iowa Hawkeyes. Iowa isn't like your Alabama's or Ohio State's with constant high-profile players sent to the next level. But that doesn't mean some truly special players didn't come from the Hawkeye program.
In the 2024 NFL Draft, three of the four names in the class from Iowa are expected to go somewhere between the late third round to the end of Day 3. While Cooper DeJean soaks up headlines, and justifiably so, teammates Erick All, Logan Lee and Tory Taylor could be the next diamonds in the rough for lucky NFL franchises.
Despite so many great players joining the NFL from Iowa, the NFL still insists on overlooking the Hawkeyes - well, except for tight ends. But more on that later. Let's get into the five best former Hawkeyes to hear their names called much too late in the draft.
Mike Daniels racked up 15.5 sacks and 27 tackles for loss over four seasons for the Iowa Hawkeyes. In the 2012 NFL Draft, he waited until the fourth round to hear his name called as 12 defensive linemen were chosen ahead of him.
While Daniels didn't end up being the best of the class, which included Fletcher Cox, he was easily in the top five when his career was all said and done. Daniels played his best years with the team that drafted him, the Green Bay Packers, notching 29 of his 30 career sacks and 47 of his 51 career tackles for loss across seven seasons.
Daniels earned a trip to the Pro Bowl in 2017.
Geno Stone is both the youngest player on this list and the lowest-drafted player of the five. He just finished out his rookie contract with the Ravens and is looking to cash in on a successful first four years in free agency.
At Iowa, Stone was versatile, showing ball skills in 2018 with four interceptions and playing in the box more in 2019 with 70 tackles, three for loss and a sack. After watching his name get passed over more than 200 times, the Ravens finally called him at 219 to give him a job.
Stone had a breakout season in 2023, grabbing seven interceptions, which was second in the league. He did that while effectively sharing time in the defensive backfield with veteran Marcus Williams, who was signed in free agency to ensure the inexperienced seventh-rounder wouldn't be given too much responsibility. Turns out that was an unnecessary move as Stone will take his talents to the rival Cincinnati Bengals in 2024.
Stone was the 20th safety selected in his class in 2020, which has turned out to be a fairly strong class overall. Still, it's safe to say he's far better than the 20th best now in 2024.
Before there was Geno Stone, there was Micah Hyde. While Stone is still young in his career, Hyde has more than a decade of incredible success in the NFL.
Hyde quickly became a staple in the Green Bay Packers' defensive backfield starting in his second season in 2014. After three strong years, he hit the free agent market as one of the best safeties in the NFL at the time and landed in Buffalo where he has since been a premier player on a perennial Super Bowl contender. Ironically, he paired up with Jordan Poyer in Buffalo, a seventh-round pick from the same draft class.
Hyde has 24 interceptions in his career and over 600 tackles. Not bad for the 38th defensive back selected in the 2013 NFL Draft.
To be fair, the third round is often where the NFL finds its best value. These guys are usually locks to make the team their rookie season and are expected to contribute in a meaningful manner before their rookie contracts expire. But finding a bonafide Hall of Famer is a completely different story.
Marshal Yanda was the first Hawkeye selected in the 2007 NFL Draft and the 12th offensive lineman taken. In a class that already has four Hall of Fame inductions, Yanda is sure to be one of the next to be enshrined in Canton from the class. Of course, of those Hall of Fame caliber players, Yanda was the only one selected outside of the first round.
Yanda went to eight Pro Bowls, topped only by Joe Thomas from the class, and was twice named First-Team All-Pro. He won a Super Bowl with the Ravens and for a solid decade was recognized as the best right guard in the NFL.
Sure, Yanda wasn't an afterthought in the 2007 NFL Draft, but he sure could've been drafted higher for everything his career gave to the league.
Yanda isn't the only future Hall of Famer that scouts and general managers in the NFL overlooked from the Iowa Hawkeyes. Despite Iowa being TE-U, George Kittle wasn't selected until the fifth round in the 2017 NFL Draft.
Of course, Kittle was one of the leaders in giving Iowa that distinction as he's easily one of the top five tight ends in the NFL. Coming out of Iowa with 48 receptions for 738 yards and 10 touchdowns, Kittle was overlooked as the ninth tigth end selected.
Of the tight ends still in the league from his class, most of them now look up to Kittle. He has since established a National Tight Ends Day in the NFL and set up Tight End University for tight ends around the league to come together to bond and continue to build upon an increasingly more important position in the game.
Kittle has had an excellent career so far with the San Francisco 49ers, having played in two Super Bowls, making multiple Pro Bowls and being named to All-Pro teams multiple times as well. He's well on his way to the Hall of Fame early in his career, so the best could still be yet to come for one of the greatest Hawkeyes in the NFL ever.
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