Iowa Sets Record as Seven Hawkeyes Hear Their Names at the 2026 NFL Draft

And yes, because the draft was held in Pittsburgh and Heinz tied a marketing stunt to the 57th pick, Jones also walked away with a lifetime supply of Heinz ketchup. Iowa kid lands in Chicago with free condiments. The universe is, occasionally, fair.

Round 3, Pick 96: Gennings Dunker — Pittsburgh Steelers

The mullet is going to Pittsburgh. The Steelers traded up for him — flipping picks 99 and 216 to Seattle to jump three spots — which tells you exactly how much Omar Khan wanted him in black and gold. Dunker started all 13 games at right tackle in 2025, was a first-team All-Big Ten selection, and was a load-bearing piece of the Joe Moore Award-winning offensive line that paved the way for 176.7 rushing yards per game while allowing just 18 sacks all year.

The projection is that he kicks inside to guard in the NFL, where his power and nasty disposition will play up. He also gets the bonus of reuniting with former Iowa running back Kaleb Johnson, who is entering his second year with the Steelers (and according to his new coach, his sins of last year have been forgiven). Pittsburgh’s interior line was a problem in 2025. They drafted a fix who already knows their starting back’s footwork. That is the kind of pick that quietly looks brilliant in three years.

As an aside to his potential on the field, Dunker and his mane have been cashing in on his newfound celebrity post-NFL Combine. The big man has been working with everyone from Casey’s to Buffalo Wild Wings to Head and Shoulders and SportClips. Good for you big fella.

Round 4, Pick 121: Kaden Wetjen — Pittsburgh Steelers

Two Hawkeyes, same building. The Steelers were back on the clock in the fourth round and grabbed Wetjen, the first-team All-American return specialist who turned Iowa’s special teams into a weapon nobody wanted to face. As mentioned in our spring open practice rundown, Wetjen was drafted on Saturday to applause inside Kinnick. What we didn’t mention is that Kaden himself was actually on the golf course when he learned he had secured the bag.

Wetjen finished 2025 with 1,039 return yards and four return touchdowns, the kind of game-flipping production that translates directly to the NFL on day one.

The slot/return specialist hybrid is a real role in Pittsburgh’s offense, and as we saw in the Senior Bowl prep, Wetjen has the route-running chops from his receiver work to push for snaps in three-wide sets. Realistically, his first-year impact comes on punt and kick return, where he is going to immediately be one of the best in the league. That is a fourth-round pick that pays for itself in field position alone.

The only real downside here is given the depth chart at RB, Wetjen may well be taking the job of the aforementioned Johnson, who had been essentially relegated to kick return with Jaylen Warren and Rico Dowdle in front of him in the backfield. I suppose if that’s the price we have to pay to have the highest drafted WR of the KF era and the third highest all-time behind only Quinn Early (1988 3rd rounder) and Tim Dwight (1998 4th rounder), that’s a sacrifice I’ll make. Time to start selling that, Tim Lester.

Round 5, Pick 148: Beau Stephens — Seattle Seahawks

The defending Super Bowl champions just added another Hawkeye to the offensive line room. Stephens, a 6-foot-6, 320-pound guard who started 25 games over his Iowa career, slides into a Seattle offensive line that is one of the best young units in football. He probably will not start as a rookie. He absolutely should be active on game days, and the Seahawks have a history of developing mid-round linemen into quality starters.

Stephens was the third Iowa offensive lineman taken in the 2026 draft and now joins former Hawkeye Mason Richman in Seattle. Three offensive linemen drafted from one program in a single class — that is what winning the Joe Moore Award gets you. NFL teams trust the Iowa pipeline at this position more than any other school in the country, and 2026 just reinforced why.

Round 6, Pick 183: Karson Sharar — Arizona Cardinals

The first defender off the Iowa board, and a deserved one. Sharar finished 2025 with 83 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, and 4 sacks, the kind of three-down linebacker production that the Cardinals are starving for. Arizona’s defense under Jonathan Gannon has been desperate for off-ball linebacker depth, and Sharar lands in a room where snaps are immediately available.

The thing about Iowa linebackers — Jack Campbell, Josey Jewell, the whole lineage — is that they show up to NFL camps already knowing how to read a guard’s hat and beat a zone-blocked back to the spot. Sharar is cut from that exact cloth. Sixth-round pick on paper, third-rounder by Thanksgiving. And like all Iowa LBs, he’s got special teams experience to rely on for early contributions to the team.

Round 7, Pick 219: TJ Hall — New Orleans Saints

The Saints needed cornerback depth in the worst way and they found a tough, instinctive one in Hall. He leaves Iowa with 75 career tackles, 12 pass breakups, and 2 interceptions, plus the kind of special-teams chops that make seventh-round corners stick on rosters. New Orleans’ secondary is in flux, and the path to a regular-season helmet is wide open for a guy willing to play gunner and dime corner while he develops.

Hall is the kind of pick that looks like a throwaway in April and a steal in October. Phil Parker’s defensive backs do not show up to NFL camps confused. They show up looking for the most physical receiver in the building and then introducing themselves.

Round 7, Pick 238: Max Llewellyn — Miami Dolphins

The last Hawkeye off the board, and one of the most fun ones to project. Llewellyn racked up 6.5 sacks and 9.5 tackles for loss as a senior, with the kind of bend-and-burst around the edge that translates against NFL tackles. Miami needed pass-rush depth behind Bradley Chubb and Jaelan Phillips, both of whom have spent more time in the trainer’s room than anyone would like.

The Dolphins also added Iowa quarterback Mark Gronowski as a UDFA the next morning, which means Llewellyn gets to walk into Hard Rock Stadium with a familiar face in the QB room. Not a bad way to start a rookie year. If Miami’s pass rush gets thin in October — and based on history it absolutely will — Llewellyn is going to get real snaps.

The Undrafted Free Agent Class

This is where it gets interesting. Iowa’s UDFA class might be the most talented group of post-draft signees in the country, and at least one of these names has a real chance to make a 53-man roster.

Mark Gronowski — Miami Dolphins. The South Dakota State legend turned 2025 Iowa starter signed with Miami, joining Llewellyn. He lands in a QB room with Tua Tagovailoa, Quinn Ewers, Malik Willis, and Cam Miller. Practice squad is the realistic ceiling, but his dual-threat profile is exactly the kind of thing NFL coaching staffs love to develop into a backup QB3 with package value.

Xavier Nwankpa — Kansas City Chiefs. The five-star ratings, the hometown-hero recruiting saga, the four-year safety production — it all ends with a UDFA contract from the back-to-back-to-back AFC champions. Andy Reid’s Chiefs are exactly the kind of organization that develops athletic safeties into special teams gunners and then starters. Of every Iowa UDFA, this is the one we’d put money on making the 53.

Aaron Graves — Baltimore Ravens. The defensive lineman from Dedham, Iowa, lands in maybe the best defensive front in football. Baltimore’s track record with developing interior linemen is excellent, and Graves’ motor is exactly what Mike Macdonald’s successor staff prioritizes. Practice squad is realistic; rotational depth by year two is plausible.

Hayden Large — Chicago Bears. A tight end/fullback hybrid heading to Chicago to reunite with Logan Jones. Large is a long shot to make the roster outright, but in an era where teams are rediscovering the fullback as a real positional weapon, he has a path. Special teams will decide it.

Drew Stevens – Washington Commanders. Iowa’s all-time leader in field goals made (76) and second all-time leading scorer had to wait a bit longer than most to get a deal done, but Drew Stevens signed with the Washington Commanders on Tuesday. He’ll be competing with incumbent Jake Moody, Michigan grad, for the job. Moody appeared in 6 games last year for the Commanders after bouncing from the San Francisco 49ers to the Chicago Bears before heading to Washington mid-season. He’ll have a legit shot here.

The Bigger Picture

Seven drafted Hawkeyes. Four UDFA signings already on the books. 12 Iowa players walking into NFL camps in May. The on-the-field product in Iowa City has been frustrating in spots. The development pipeline has not. NFL personnel departments keep voting with their picks, and that tells us everything we need to know about what’s actually happening in the Hansen Football Performance Center.

Now we get to spend the summer tracking which Hawkeye lands a starting job first. My money is on Jones in Chicago. My heart is on Wetjen housing his first NFL punt return on Monday Night Football in October. Either way, we’ll be watching.

Go Hawks!