Iowa in the 2024 NFL Draft: Who Could Get Taken?

After one of the most successful NFL Drafts for Iowa in the Kirk Ferentz Era, Iowa will look to make it 46 years in a row with at least one draft pick in 2024. Based on the players who will be eligible for next year's draft, it looks like a pretty safe bet that streak should continue for another season.

One trend that -- for now -- looks unlikely to continue is Iowa's recent hot streak in the first round. Iowa has had at least one first-round pick in four of the last five drafts, with six total in that span.

There isn't anyone on Iowa's roster in 2023 who projects at a first-round level right now, though that could change — after all, none of T.J. Hockenson, Noah Fant, Lukas Van Ness, and Jack Campbell were considered surefire first-round picks before their final seasons at Iowa, yet all four heard their names called on Day 1.

Still, at present it looks like Iowa's 2024 draft class may have more depth than high-end talent. Here's a position-by-position rundown of Iowa's 2024 NFL Draft possibilities.

Did you know that three of Iowa's last four starting quarterbacks have ended up being selected in the NFL Draft? Jake Rudock was a sixth-round pick in 2016 (albeit after a final season at Michigan), C.J. Beathard was a third-round pick in 2017, and Nate Stanley was a seventh-round pick in 2020. So Iowa's recent track record of getting turning starter quarterbacks into NFL Draft picks is fairly strong — perhaps stronger than its reputation for quarterback play.

Is it premature to suggest that a quarterback who has yet to take an official snap for Iowa could be a draft pick in 2024? Maybe, but obviously Cade McNamara isn't your normal new quarterback. He brings a strong track record of production from Michigan: 267/423 (63%), 3187 yards, 21 touchdowns, 7 interceptions. If McNamara is able to replicate that level of production at Iowa -- and that sure is an "if," right now -- then he would certainly be on the NFL Draft radar.

McNamara, like many of the players on this list, also has another year of eligibility he could use to return to Iowa for 2024.

Only one Iowa running back could be eligible for the 2024 NFL Draft: Leshon Williams. That said, his draft prospects seem fairly low. Barring an unwelcome development like a season-ending injury to Kaleb Johnson, it's unlikely that Williams will get enough work in 2023 to warrant draft consideration.

Iowa has enjoyed tremendous success in the NFL Draft during the Ferentz Era, but little of that success has been at the wide receiver position. In fact, the Hawkeyes have only had four wide receivers drafted in the Ferentz Era -- Kevin Kasper in 2001, Kahlil Hill in 2002, Marvin McNutt in 2012, and Ihmir Smith-Marsette in 2021.

Nico Ragaini could be Iowa's leading receiver in 2023, but he will probably need a substantial breakout season (and an incredible Combine/Pro Day showing) to get significant NFL Draft consideration. Given that Iowa's passing offense in 2023 seems likely to run through the tight ends heavily, that could be a tough ask.

Iowa looks to have its most potent 1-2 punch at tight end since the T.J. Hockenson-Noah Fant duo terrorized Big Ten defenses in 2018 and 2019. Luke Lachey and Michigan transfer Erick All, Jr. look poised to do big things as the replacements for the departing Sam LaPorta, who just became the fourth-highest drafted tight end in the Ferentz Era.

"Playing tight end at Iowa" has been one of the most reliable paths to an NFL Draft selection over the last 20+ years and there's no real reason to expect that to change with Lachey and All. Both players have the physical tools to get drafted, and they should get ample opportunities to shine in an Iowa offense set up to spotlight the tight ends.

The only real question regarding Lachey's and All's NFL Draft prospects might be whether they're options in the 2024 or 2025 NFL Draft -- both players will be eligible to return to Iowa for the 2024 season if they choose.

No position unit has produced more NFL Draft picks during the Ferentz Era than the offensive line, with 19 selections. Iowa was unable to add to that total in 2023 after a season that featured heavy use of underclassmen who, by the coaches' own admission, probably did not belong on the field in 2022. The Hawkeyes might yet be able to add to that total in the 2024 Draft, although that belief admittedly requires a bit of projection at this point.

Nick DeJong, Connor Colby, Mason Richman, Logan Jones, and Daijon Parker could all be draft-eligible after the 2023 season. None of them have played to a level that warrants NFL Draft consideration yet (Parker, like McNamara and All, has yet to take an official snap for Iowa), but given Iowa's pedigree at OL, breakout performances in 2023 could lead to some draft buzz next spring.

The decisions by Noah Shannon and Joe Evans to return to Iowa in 2023 provided a huge boost to Iowa's prospects next fall -- and they may also provide a boost to Shannon and Evans' NFL Draft prospects if both players can continue the progress they've shown through their Iowa careers thus far.

Shannon and fellow DT Logan Lee probably have the best odds of earning NFL Draft consideration from next year's defensive line. Both men are multi-year starters with a strong track record of productivity at the position — though Shannon's size at 6'0" will likely knock him down many teams' DT draft boards. Yahya Black is another player from the interior of Iowa's defensive line who might garner draft consideration with a breakout season.

Iowa has sent several defensive ends into the NFL in recent years, and Deontae Craig could further that tradition if the impactful displays he showed at the end of 2022 become a regular occurrence in 2023. Like Shannon, Evans looks like more of a fringe prospect given his size (6'2", 250 lbs), but a big senior year could help his cause as well.

The ILB-to-NFL-Draft-pick pipeline has been very solid at Iowa of late, thanks to impressive careers from Josey Jewell and Jack Campbell.

Jay Higgins is the Next Man In at that position. Given that Higgins has only played a limited role during his Iowa career so far, he'll need a big senior season to earn significant NFL Draft buzz. But if he delivers as hoped in 2023, a spot in the 2024 NFL Draft could be his a year from now.

The Cooper DeJean Show thrilled in its breakout season in 2022, and Iowa fans are eagerly anticipating the sequel in 2023. But there may be no 2024 in black and gold if DeJean opts to enter the NFL Draft early after his junior season. If his 2023 is as good or better than his 2022, that could be a very real decision for him to make next winter.

Alongside tight end, "playing strong safety/cash at Iowa" has also proven to be a very reliable pathway to the NFL Draft. The list of Iowa safeties who have been taken in the NFL Draft is legion and so far every man to play in the "cash" role has been drafted, from Amani Hooker in 2019 to Geno Stone in 2020 to Dane Belton in 2022. Current cash starter Sebastian Castro played his best football in Iowa's final games last season -- if he builds on that for a full season in 2023, there's a strong likelihood of him hearing his name called in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Quinn Schulte and Jermari Harris are two other projected starters who will also be draft-eligible next season. Multi-year starters in the Iowa secondary have a strong track record of getting drafted, which cuts in Schulte's favor, but his measurables may make him more of a fringe draft pick/undrafted free agent unless he has a huge senior season in 2023, much like recent graduate Kaevon Merriweather. If Harris is able to stay healthy and make a leap in his progress at CB, he could earn some draft consideration as well.

Tory Taylor probably would have been drafted in the 2023 NFL Draft if he hadn't opted to return to Iowa for one more year. His decision to come back was a big boost for Iowa for the 2023 season -- and hopefully for Taylor's own 2024 NFL Draft prospects as well.

There were three punters selected in this year's NFL Draft, with the first being Michigan State's Bryce Baringer in the sixth round. Baringer led the NCAA in total (49.0) and net (45.2) yards-per-punt averages. Just 8% of his punts went for touchbacks and 44% of his kicks were downed inside the 20-yard line. Taylor wasn't too far behind him on most of those stats (and was slightly ahead of him on punts downed inside the 20-yard line, at 46%), so another year of fine-tuning could make him into the top punting prospect in next year's draft.

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