Iowa Hawkeyes Star Could Replace 49ers' George Kittle

The Iowa Hawkeyes are renowned for their ability to produce elite NFL tight ends, and San Francisco 49ers star George Kittle is one of them.

Kittle spent four years at Iowa between 2013 and 2016 before being selected by the 49ers in the fifth round of the 2017 NFL Draft and has gone on to establish himself as one of the best pass-catchers in football.

But could San Francisco already be eyeing his replacement, and could Kittle's successor actually come from Iowa City?

Pro Football Network seems to think so, as it is projecting the Niners to select Hawkeyes tight end Luke Lachey in the fourth round of the NFL Draft.

Here's the thing, though: Lachey was actually a rather significant disappointment in 2024.

The 23-year-old logged just 28 catches for 231 yards without reaching the end zone this past season, and while Iowa's shaky quarterback situation certainly played a role in Lachey's shoddy production, it also isn't a very good look heading into the draft.

Lachey joined the Hawkeyes in 2020, but did not begin earning serious playing time until 2022 when he hauled in 28 receptions for 398 yards and four touchdowns.

It appeared that Lachey was an ascending player at the time, but in 2023, he snared just 10 balls in three games before an anke injury ended his season prematurely.

Over the course of Lachey's career at Iowa, he totaled 74 receptions for 893 yards and four scores.

To be fair, Kittle didn't post great cumulative numbers with the Hawkeyes either, but not every tight end is going to be great just because they come from Iowa.

Hopefully, Lachey can elevate his game on the professional level.