Iowa Hawkeyes Send Six More Players to NFL via Draft; 3rd in Nation

Published: 1^st May 12 1:41 pm

by Andrew Fisher
NFL, NBA, MLB, USA

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Iowa Hawkeyes Send Six More Players to NFL via Draft; 3rd in Nation

Byron Hetzler-US PRESSWIRE

The Iowa Hawkeyes have established themselves as one of the premier NFL talent pools in the nation.

Over the last three seasons the Hawkeyes have sent 18 players to the NFL via the draft, which puts them in a tie for 3rd most in the nation, and 1st in the Big Ten.

Iowa has had a player selected in the first round each of the past three years. The only other team that can make that claim, is defending national champion Alabama.

Here’s a list of the Hawkeyes taken in this year’s draft:

(1) Riley Reiff – Detroit Lions – 1st round, pick 23

(2) Mike Daniels – Green Bay Pakers – 4th round, pick 37

(3) Adam Gettis – Washington Redskins – 5th round, pick 6

(4) Shaun Prater – Cincinnati Bengals – 5th round, pick 21

(5) Marvin McNutt – Philadelphia Eagles – 6th round, pick 24

(6) Jordan Bernstine – Washington Redskins – 7th round, pick 10

In addition to the six players drafted, Iowa had 5 more players sign rookie free agent deals: Markus Zusevics (Patriots), Brad Herman (Patriots), Broderick Binns (Cardinals), Tyler Nielsen (Vikings), and Eric Guthrie (Tampa Bay).

According to the report, since 2003, no school has had more offensive linemen drafted than Iowa, with a total of 13 being selected.

These are very impressive draft numbers, but it begs the question, if Iowa is at the top of the Big Ten in producing NFL talent, then why are they not on top of the league standings more often?

One answer could be that it’s not the players, it’s the coaches. Now obviously coaches develop players, and they deserve a lot of the credit for the NFL production, but clearly something is not working.

Luckily for the fans screaming for a change in Iowa City, the team has 2 new coordinators with Greg Davis on offense, and Phil Parker on defense. This hopefully will provide a much needed spark for the program, which just felt stale after 7-6 season a year ago.

There aren’t any expectations for the Hawkeyes in 2012, so at this point, I’m just glad to see them near the top of the standings for something. I hope for the sake of the program, that future recruits take notice of the NFL potential Iowa presents to them.

Follow Andrew Fisher on Twitter @the_realfish

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