Iowa keeps 48-year NFL Draft streak going in 2026. How it compares.

Schools like LSU (1994), Oklahoma (1996) and Ohio State (1999) have the next-closest active streaks. Wisconsin's streak, going back to 1979, just ended after no former Badgers were selected in 2026.

The 1977 draft spanned 12 rounds and included 335 selections, yet none came from the Hawkeyes.

For perspective, the last time the University of Iowa failed to produce an NFL draft pick, 21‑year‑old Connecticut linebacker Kirk Ferentz had just wrapped up his senior season with the Huskies, and 43‑year‑old Chuck Grassley was one year into his second term in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Iowa State had three players drafted in 1977. Iowa had 120 former players drafted into the NFL between the league's inaugural draft in 1936 and 1976.

Iowa football players drafted in 2026

Sep 13, 2025; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes offensive lineman Gennings Dunker (67) looks on before the game against the Massachusetts Minutemen at Kinnick Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

Seven former Iowa players got selected in 2026,  an Iowa program record for a single 7-round draft. They are:

• Logan Jones, offensive lineman: No. 57 to the Chicago Bears
• Gennings Dunker, offensive lineman: No. 96 to the Pittsburgh Steelers
• Kaden Wetjen, wide receiver: No. 121 to the Pittsburgh Steelers
• Beau Stephens, offensive lineman: No. 148 to the Seattle Seahawks
• Karson Sharar, linebacker: No. 183 to the Arizona Cardinals
• TJ Hall, cornerback: No. 219 to the New Orleans Saints
• Max Llewellyn, defensive end: No. 238 to the Miami Dolphins

Cooper Worth is a service/trending reporter for the Des Moines Register. Reach him at cworth@gannett.com or follow him on X @CooperAWorth.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: At 48 years, Iowa has one of the NFL Draft's longest streaks