For five former Hawkeyes, the focus has completely shifted from the NFL Draft to proving they are worthy of a spot on the 53-man roster.
Iowa set a new program record with seven players selected during this year's draft, but a handful of former Hawkeyes have an even bigger uphill battle after not hearing their names called.
Aaron Graves (Baltimore), Ethan Hurkett (Kansas City), Hayden Large (Chicago), Mark Gronowski (Miami), and Xavier Nwankpa (Kansas City) were all signed as undrafted free agents, and one of the five had a simple response to not being selected.
Xavier Nwankpa has all the motivation to prove 31 NFL teams wrong
Former five-star prospect Xavier Nwankpa, from Iowa high school football powerhouse Southeast Polk, is not letting his undrafted status shake his confidence.
Bet. Watch this.
— Xavier “X” Nwankpa (@xaviernwankpa01) April 25, 2026
"X" had a simple response to going undrafted on social media, saying, "Bet. Watch this."
Nwankpa has never lacked confidence, and he proved he is ready to embrace the challenge of making an NFL roster.
As a former five-star prospect and one of the highest-ranked in Iowa program history, Nwankpa never really took off as most people expected. That is not saying he wasn't talented, but he often got lost in the shuffle until his senior year.
Nwankpa shifted positions from strong safety to free safety and had his best year in the black and gold. He has the versatility and the athleticism to be a solid player at the next level, but he needs to find the right system with the right coach.
The Kansas City Chiefs have just the right guy in DC, Steve Spagnuolo, a defensive mastermind with four Super Bowl titles on his resume.
Nwankpa has a tough few months ahead of him, but he is ready for the challenge.
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