The NFL is back tomorrow, and there's going to be plenty of Hawkeyes to follow across the Week 1 slate.
College football has dominated the headlines over the past few weeks, but it will soon be eclipsed by the return of the NFL.
The league traditionally opens its season on a Thursday night, but everything has changed this year.
The Super Bowl rematch between the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots will take place on Wednesday evening in Seattle to accommodate the international game in Australia between the Los Angeles Rams and the San Francisco 49ers. Fans are still grappling with the change, but it's still football at the end of the day.
The Iowa Hawkeyes have been an NFL factory under Kirk Ferentz. One hundred one former Hawkeyes have earned the distinction of hearing their name called in the NFL Draft, and there's a lot of guys to keep an eye on as the 2026 season begins.
Looking to follow your favorite former Hawks in Week 1? We've got you covered with the top names to watch here.
San Francisco 49ers: OL Connor Colby, TE George Kittle
Kittle is questionable after suffering an Achilles injury in the playoffs last year, but Colby is one of the best stories on this 49ers team right now. The seventh round pick was thrust into the guard spot due to injury, but his play was impressive enough to maintain the starting spot for good.
Pittsburgh Steelers: OL Gennings Dunker, WR Kaden Wetjen
Dunker was one of the best offensive lineman in college football last year, and now he gets to protect one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play the game - Aaron Rodgers. Wetjen should also play a big role on special teams after an electric preseason.
Minnesota Vikings: TE T.J. Hockenson
Injuries and poor quarterback play have prevented Hockenson from being a key player in this Vikings offense, but maybe new starting quarterback Kyler Murray will finally be the answer for Minnesota? They've certainly got the weapons to be a lethal offense up there.
Washington Commanders: K Drew Stevens
Stevens was signed by the Commanders as an undrafted free agent, but won the starting job in training camp. Really cool story brewing in the nation's capital.
Detroit Lions: LB Jack Campbell, TE Sam LaPorta
Detroit was a Super Bowl favorite in 2025, but wound up missing the playoffs after losing both of its star coordinators to head coaching jobs. The Lions are expected to return to contention in 2026, and they're going to depend on Campbell and LaPorta to have big seasons.
Chicago Bears: C Logan Jones, P Tory Taylor
The Bears were one of the league's surprise teams last year and won a playoff game for the first time in 15 years. Jones will compete for the starting center job after Drew Dalman's sudden retirement, while Taylor will continue doing his thing on special teams.
Philadelphia Eagles: OLB A.J. Epenesa, CB Cooper DeJean
DeJean couldn't have scripted a better start to his NFL career. He won a Super Bowl during his rookie season and followed that up by earning his first Pro Bowl selection in 2025. He's one of the faces of an Eagles team looking to return to championship glory again.
On the flip side, Epenesa enters his first season in Philadelphia after spending six successful seasons with the Buffalo Bills.
Denver Broncos: CB Riley Moss
The Broncos rode one of the best defenses in the league all the way to the AFC Championship Game last season. Moss played a big role, starting all 17 games and recording 80 tackles and one interception. He and Denver should be in line for another big campaign in 2026.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: OL Tristan Wirfs
Wirfs is on the right track to earning a bust in the Pro Football Hall of Fame if he stays healthy. He played in a career-low 12 games last season due to injuries, but still managed to record a fifth consecutive Pro Bowl season (two All-Pro honors in that stretch). He'll be once again counted on to protect quarterback Baker Mayfield.
Green Bay Packers: OLB Lukas Van Ness
There's a lot of concerns on this Green Bay team right now, but Van Ness isn't one of them. With Micah Parsons not due to come back from his ACL injury until mid-October, the Packers are going to rely on guys like Van Ness to step up early in the year.
Didn't see your Hawkeye here? Click this link to see where the rest of the former Hawkeyes are playing.
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HawkeyeRoundtable publisher Brad Schultz has covered the Iowa Hawkeyes since 2023. To send him story ideas, scoops, or criticize his writing, reach him at [email protected]
