Seven Hawkeyes were selected, the most the program has ever had since the NFL switched to the modern seven round format.
While Iowa football's annual open spring practice was being held inside Kinnick Stadium, several of Kirk Ferentz's former players were hearing their dreams come true in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Three Hawkeyes were likely guaranteed to hear their names called before the draft began, but Iowa ended up producing its best draft haul in the modern NFL Draft Era, which kicked off when the NFL added seven rounds ahead of the 1994 draft.
Seven Hawkeyes were selected, which was not only the best mark for a Ferentz- coached team, it's the best figure Iowa has produced in the so-called "modern era" of the NFL Draft.
But which players heard their names called? We'll be profiling these players later on to see how they could fit with their respective new teams, but until then, read through HawkeyeRoundtable.com's NFL Draft recap to find out the names you may have missed.
Draft Selections
C Logan Jones, Chicago Bears: Many expected Gennings Dunker to be the first Hawkeye off the board, but the nod instead went to Jones, who was selected by Chicago with the 57th overall pick in the second round.
OL Gennings Dunker, Pittsburgh Steelers: The beloved offensive lineman nearly fell out of Day 2, but was swooped up by the Steelers with the 96th overall pick in the third round.
WR Kaden Wetjen, Pittsburgh Steelers: Everyone (including Wetjen himself) expected Wetjen to be a sixth or seventh round selection, but the Steelers took him with the 121st overall pick in the fourth round. Wetjen learned of the selection while playing a round of golf.
OL Beau Stephens, Seattle Seahawks: Iowa's offensive line won the Joe Moore Award last season, and it's only fitting to see three of the members from that line get drafted. The defending champion Seahawks selected Stephens with the 148th overall pick in the fifth round.
LB Karson Sharar, Arizona Cardinals: After a four-sack season in 2025, the Cardinals selected Sharar with the 183rd overall pick in the sixth round.
DB TJ Hall, New Orleans Saints: The Saints selected Hall with the 219th overall pick in the seventh round. Hall was the 100th player of the Ferentz era to be selected, a remarkable milestone.
DE Max Llewellyn, Miami Dolphins: Miami selected Llewellyn with the 238th overall pick in the seventh round.
Undrafted Free Agent Signings
QB Mark Gronowski, Miami Dolphins
DB Xavier Nwankpa, Kansas City Chiefs
DL Aaron Graves, Baltimore Ravens
TE Hayden Large, Chicago Bears
DL Ethan Hurkett, Kansas City Chiefs
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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 bradschultz@roundtable.io