The 2025 NFL Draft gets underway tonight (7 PM CT, ABC/ESPN/NFL Network) from Green Bay, Wisconsin. Iowa has had a player selected in the draft every year going back to 1978. That streak is expected to continue, with a handful of Hawkeyes likely to hear their names called over the next three days.
Iowa has also had a player selected in the first round of the draft in four of the last six seasons (and could have been five of the last six if not for future Super Bowl champion Cooper DeJean falling to the Philadelphia Eagles in the second round of last year's draft). The Hawkeyes are very unlikely to add to that trend this season, though. The highest-projected Hawkeye to be drafted in 2025 is running back Kaleb Johnson and there's a pretty firm consensus around him being a Day 2 pick (Friday) and being selected in the second or third round.
In fact, let's look at where this year's crop of draft-eligible Hawkeyes is likely to be taken.
Kaleb Johnson
Johnson is 72nd on Mel Kiper's big board for ESPN, which would put him squarely in Round 3 consideration. ESPN's Field Yates has Johnson at #61 on his rankings board and as the fifth-best running back. ESPN's Jordan Reid has Johnson going 75th to the San Francisco 49ers in his 7-round mock draft.
ESPN's Matt Bowen (an Iowa alum) thinks Johnson would be an excellent fit with the Chicago Bears: "The Bears could target Johnson early on Day 2 to pair him with D'Andre Swift in the backfield. He's a linear glider with the north/south acceleration to create big plays. Last season at Iowa, he rushed for 21 touchdowns and added 43 carries of 10 or more yards. Johnson would be a good fit for the outside zone scheme that new coach Ben Johnson has run in the past. And with an uptick in usage in an NFL pass game, he'd produce on screens and backfield releases for Chicago."
The Athletic's Dane Brugler has Johnson going at #65 to the NY Giants; he also rates Johnson as the third-best running back in the draft and compares him to DeMarco Murray: "He is at his best when he can quickly read and set up his blocks and anticipate backside/frontside lanes to find yardage that isn’t there (No. 2 in the FBS with 21 carries of 20 yards or more in 2024). He tends to run upright, giving defenders a large target, but has the build and determination to be a bruiser as a forward-leaning, north-south runner. Overall, Johnson isn’t a dynamic make-you-miss athlete, but he is a patient and powerful one-cut runner with the instinctive vision to crease the defense using run angles and foot quickness. His play style is reminiscent of DeMarco Murray with a three-down skill set to thrive in a zone-based NFL scheme."
Other 7-round mock drafts:
USA Today: 3rd round: #77, New England Patriots
33rd Team: 2nd round: #58, Houston Texans
NFL.com: 3rd round: #72, Chicago Bears
Johnson should be the first Hawkeye off the board this year, but that probably won't be until Friday evening in either the second or third round of the draft.
Yahya Black
Black is prospect with significant range in his projections. Mel Kiper has him as his #66 prospect overall (ahead of any other Iowa prospects) and 7th best defensive tackle prospect. He noted him as a player that could go anywhere from Round 2 to Round 5 in the draft.
On the other hand, Field Yates, Kiper's ESPN colleague, doesn't have him in his Top 200 overall prospects, or in his Top 25 defensive tackle prospects. Black also showed up in only three of the five 7-round mock drafts that I looked at. NFL.com gives him a 5th or 6th round draft grade.
ESPN.com: 7th round: #242, Atlanta Falcons
The Athletic: 5th round: #165, Philadelphia Eagles
USA Today: 5th round: #160, San Francisco 49ers
33rd Team: n/a
NFL.com: n/a
If an NFL team is as high on Black as Kiper, then he could be a surprise riser in this year's draft. Otherwise, he seems more likely to go somewhere in the final rounds on Saturday.
Sebastian Castro
Castro doesn't make Kiper's Top 150, but he is rated the 12th best safety prospect. Yates has Castro at #165 overall (5th round draft grade) and 13th among safeties. NFL.com rates him as a 7th round/free agent prospect.
Like Black, he was absent from two of the 7-round mock drafts, and appeared in the 5th, 6th, and 7th rounds in the three mocks that did include him.
ESPN.com: 7th round: #235, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Athletic: 6th round: #193, Cincinnati Bengals
USA Today: n/a
33rd Team: 5th round: #176, Baltimore Ravens
NFL.com: n/a
If he's taken, it won't be until Saturday, likely in one of the later rounds.
Luke Lachey
Lachey does not make Kiper's Top 150, but is the 9th rated tight end prospect. Lachey is #148 (fifth round grade) in Yates' overall rankings, as well as the 9th rated tight end prospect. NFL.com rates Lachey as a Round 6-7 prospect.
All five 7-round mock drafts included Lachey, although they ranged from as high as the 147th pick to one of the final picks at #251.
ESPN.com: 5th round: #166, Houston Texans
The Athletic: 7th round: #251, Kansas City Chiefs
USA Today: 7th round: #236, Houston Texans
33rd Team: 6th round: #194, Jacksonville Jaguars
NFL.com: 5th round: #147, San Francisco 49ers
Lachey's potential and Iowa's pedigree as a TE factory should see Lachey get drafted, although probably not until Day 3, and possibly fairly late in the draft.
Jay Higgins
Higgins isn't in Kiper's Top 150 or Yates' Top 200, though Kiper does rate him the 29th best off-ball linebacker prospect. Higgins is rated as a free agent prospect by NFL.com
Higgins appears in three of five 7-round mock drafts below, though two of them are 7th round selections.
ESPN.com: n/a
The Athletic: 7th round: #219, NY Giants
USA Today: n/a
33rd Team: 5th round: #171, New England Patriots
NFL.com: 7th round: #225, Arizona Cardinals
Despite Higgins' tremendous college production, concerns about his size and athleticism seem to limit his draft potential. If he's selected, it will be on Day 3.
Connor Colby
Not ranked in the Top 150 by Kiper or Top 200 by Yates; 15th best offensive guard prospect per Kiper. NFL.com rates him as a free agent prospect.
ESPN.com: n/a
The Athletic: n/a
USA Today: n/a
33rd Team: 6th round: #197, Denver Broncos
NFL.com: 5th round: #170, Buffalo Bills
Colby shows up in a few 7-round mock drafts, but the overall buzz on him is pretty low as a potential draft pick. He's probably more likely to be an undrafted free agent signing than a draft pick, though he could be a late round selection.
Jermari Harris
Not ranked in the Top 150 by Kiper or Top 200 by Yates; 36th best cornerback prospect per Kiper. NFL.com rates him as a Round 7 pick or free agent prospect.
ESPN.com: 7th round: #229, Pittsburgh Steelers
The Athletic: n/a
USA Today: 4th round: #121, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
33rd Team: n/a
NFL.com: n/a
Nick Jackson
Not ranked in the Top 150 by Kiper or Top 200 by Yates; 35th best off-ball linebacker prospect per Kiper. He's not in the NFL.com prospect database.
Jackson showed up on just one of the five 7-round mock drafts I looked at.
ESPN.com: n/a
The Athletic: n/a
USA Today: n/a
33rd Team: 7th round: #218, Atlanta Falcons
NFL.com: n/a
It would be a pretty big surprise if Nick Jackson was selected during the seven rounds of the NFL Draft. If he's going to crack the NFL, it's almost certainly going to come via the undrafted free agent ranks.
Quinn Schulte
Not ranked in the Top 150 by Kiper or Top 200 by Yates; 52nd best safety prospect per Kiper. He's not in the NFL.com prospect database.
Schulte, like Jackson, showed up on just one of the five 7-round mock drafts I looked at.
ESPN.com: n/a
The Athletic: n/a
USA Today: n/a
33rd Team: 7th round: #218, Atlanta Falcons
NFL.com: n/a
Like Jackson, Schulte's path to the NFL will almost certainly involve the undrafted free agent ranks.
Luke Elkin
Not ranked in the Top 150 by Kiper or Top 200 by Yates; not ranked among the top-5 long snapper prospects by Kiper.
Elkin showed up in none of the 7-round mock drafts I looked at.
ESPN.com: n/a
The Athletic: n/a
USA Today: n/a
33rd Team: n/a
NFL.com: n/a
Long-snapper is an odd position and certainly not one that teams often use a draft pick on. Elkin will need to latch on to a team via free agency to continue his football career.
