Former Iowa Fifth-Rounders Jump Into First Round in 2017 NFL Re-Draft

Ignore whatever ‘Pro Potential’ grades you may see in College Football 26 in your Iowa Hawkeyes dynasties. The program may not send an obscene number of first-rounders to the NFL, but plenty of the prospects that do come from Kirk Ferentz's program make a name for themselves in the league regardless of where they are drafted.

Pro Football Focus recently re-drafted the incredible 2017 NFL Draft that featured the likes of Patrick Mahomes, Myles Garrett, and T.J. Watt. In that draft, four Hawkeyes were selected between the third and fifth rounds. The two fifth-round picks from Iowa were sent up to the first round in PFF’s re-draft.

Retrospective Praise for Iowa’s NFL Overachievers

We’ll start with Desmond King II, who was initially drafted No. 151 overall by the Los Angeles Chargers. PFF shed the mid-round grade and made him the final pick of the first round to the New Orleans Saints after netting an 85.5 career PFF grade.

King has bounced around the league playing for five different teams. However, when he’s been on the field, he’s been a solid player, especially early in his career. In his second season, he was named an All-Pro, and across his career, he’s scored three defensive touchdowns, matching his total at Iowa.

Again, most of King’s success came early in his career. He’s currently a free agent after bouncing between the Houston Texans, Baltimore Ravens, and Pittsburgh Steelers over the past few years. He only played in three games last season and turns 31 in December, so his career may be coming to a close.

On to the next re-draft pick, it’s no surprise that George Kittle would be considered a first-rounder in the 2017 re-draft if teams knew then what they know now. A bona fide future Hall of Famer, PFF sent Kittle to the Jacksonville Jaguars with the No. 4 overall pick, which would have made him one of the highest-drafted tight ends in NFL history.

Kittle, who turns 32 this October, has a career 93.9 receiving grade, but is also known as one of the NFL’s best blocking tight ends. For the 49ers, Kittle has 538 catches for 7,380 yards, and 45 touchdowns. He’s also played in two Super Bowls and two more NFC Championship Games. 

While he likely would have put up some solid stats with Blake Bortles, it’s hard to see him achieving the same team success in Duval with the Jags. Still, it’s not as though the NFL saw Kittle coming. While he was a solid tight end for the Hawkeyes, he caught just 48 passes for 737 yards and 10 touchdowns in Iowa City.

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