Category: Hawks in the NFL

Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta surpasses NFL great in recent win vs. Chicago

Sam LaPorta overtook a legend in one statistical category during the Lions’ recent win over the Bears.

After a standout 2023 rookie campaign with the Detroit Lions (13-2, 5-0 NFC North), former Iowa Hawkeyes tight end Sam LaPorta has continued his meteoric rise amongst the position’s top talents with another impressive year.

So far this season, LaPorta has 47 receptions for 599 yards and six touchdowns for a Lions squad competing for their second-consecutive NFC North division crown and possibly the NFC’s No. 1 seed entering the playoffs.

LaPorta’s four receptions for 43 yards and a touchdown in Sunday’s 34-17 victory vs. the Chicago Bears (4-11, 0-5 NFC North) from Chicago’s Soldier Field had the former Hawkeye join an exclusive NFL club.

LaPorta’s early third-quarter touchdown reception passed Rob Gronkowski (132) for the third-most receptions logged by a tight end through their fist two career seasons.

LaPorta’s 133 receptions only trail Jim Phillips (138) and Keith Jackson (144) for the top spot in the niche statistical category.

LaPorta also became the second tight end in Lions franchise history with multiple seasons of 500-plus yards and five-plus touchdowns (2023, 2024), joining Charlie Sanders (1970, 1971, and 1976).

During his time with Iowa from 2019-22, LaPorta recorded 153 receptions for 1,766 yards and five touchdowns in 46 career games. LaPorta would later be selected by the Lions 34th overall in the second round of the 2023 NFL draft.

With only two games remaining in the regular season, LaPorta’s chances of surpassing Jackson for the top spot may be slim, but the Detroit fan favorite has shown no signs of slowing down.

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Former Iowa football star feared to have suffered season-ending injury

A former Iowa football star is feared to have suffered a season-ending knee injury.

In a promising rookie season with the Cincinnati Bengals, former Hawkeyes tight end Erick All Jr. is feared to have suffered another significant right knee injury during Sunday’s game versus the Las Vegas Raiders.

During his lone season at Iowa after transferring following four years with the Michigan Wolverines, All played in seven games for the Hawkeyes. All caught 21 receptions for 299 yards and three touchdowns with Iowa.

Unfortunately for All, his 2023 season was cut short after he suffered a torn ACL in his right knee versus Wisconsin.

All went on to be drafted by the Bengals in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL draft with the 115th overall pick. The 6-foot-5, 253 pound tight end had started developing decent chemistry with quarterback Joe Burrow until his injury on Sunday.

Following the team’s 41-24 victory over the Raiders, Bengals head coach Zac Taylor expressed concern that All’s injury could be serious.

“I hate to think about it,” Taylor said of Allā€™s injury. “I donā€™t know all the information yet with Erick, because he was having such a tremendous rookie season. Heā€™s just an all-around great football player. Heā€™s got that mindset, and he means a lot to this offense. When he went out, it certainly affected a lot of things.”

The rookie tight end will undergo an MRI on Monday to determine the extent of the injury, but the initial suspicion is another torn ACL in his right knee.

Fox NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported that the fear from the Bengals is a torn ACL.

All finished with two catches for 24 yards Sunday, and he has 20 receptions for 158 yards in nine games this season with the Bengals.

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Cooper DeJean ready to play wherever for the Philadelphia Eagles

Cooper DeJean is good playing anywhere in Philadelphia’s defensive backfield.

One of the biggest debates about Iowa defensive back Cooper DeJean has been about his position. Could he stay at the outside cornerback position where he became a unanimous consensus All-American, or would his skillset be better suited for a move to safety?

For the Philadelphia Eagles and Cooper DeJean, they couldn’t care less, just get him on the field.

On draft night, Eagles general manager Howie Roseman declined to give a specific position for his second-round draft pick.

“I think whatever he does heā€™s going to do at a high level,” Roseman said late Friday night. “Obviously, we’ll get him in here, and like everything else on this team, see how the pieces fit when Coach (Nick Sirianni) and his staff get their hands on these guys.”

Position changes aren’t anything new for DeJean. He came to Iowa as a safety after playing the position all throughout high school. Iowa would give him his first action on the field as a sophomore in their CASH position, the Hawkeyes’Ā special hybrid position that takes elements of the slot corner, safety, and linebacker positions.

DeJean excelled in the role early. Early that season, injuries to Iowa’s secondary forced DeJean to move to the outside, opposite of current Denver Bronco Riley Moss. Once again, DeJean excelled right away. The next year as a full-time starting outside cornerback, DeJean was named an unanimous consensus All-American.

Of course, this all comes after DeJean’s true passion in high school was being a quarterback. The Odebolt, Iowa, native was debating on going to schools smaller than Iowa to play quarterback until defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach Phil Parker convinced him to become a Hawkeye.

For DeJean, those transitions are just normal. He isn’t locked down to one position. He’s simply a football player.

“I’m a football player,” DeJean said Friday during a Zoom interview. “You put me on the field and Iā€™m going to go play football, whether itā€™s inside, outside, at safety, wherever it is.”

While he’s excited to simply get out on the field and play for the fans at Lincoln Financial Field, don’t think that DeJean wouldn’t love a shot to show everyone that he can be a lockdown corner.

But, ultimately, he’s ready to help wherever needed.

“If they put me out there, Iā€™ll be excited to play out there on the edge at the corner position. If I donā€™t, thereā€™s no hard feelings,” DeJean said.

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Former Iowa WR Ihmir Smith-Marsette traded to Carolina Panthers

The former Hawkeye and Kansas City Chief is on the move and has his new home. Ihmir Smith-Marsette has been traded to the Carolina Panthers.

Former Iowa Hawkeye Ihmir Smith-Marsette has found a new home. It was announced on Tuesday that the Carolina Panthers would be trading for the former Hawkeye receiver. Ian Rappaport reported early Tuesday morning that the Panthers would be swapping conditional 2025 seventh-round picks for Smith-Marsette.

Carolina marks the fourth spot for the former 2021 fifth-round NFL draft pick. Smith-Marsette signed with the Chiefs early into last season, spending most of the year on the practice squad. He would be promoted to the active roster ahead of the playoffs, winning a Super Bowl with Kansas City.

The trade occurs after a strong preseason showing for Smith-Marsette. He finished the preseason with nine catches for 195 yards and two touchdowns. He faced stiff competition to make the Kansas City roster, battling against multiple high draft picks at wide receiver.

The Newark, N.J., native hopes to make a Panthers wide receiver group that’s currently banged up with multiple injuries. Anyone familiar with Carolinaā€™s roster knows that they desperately could use an influx of speed at the position.

Throughout the preseason, their wide receiver room has looked slow and struggled to separate. An athletic playmaker like Smith-Marsette could be a nice weapon off the bench for rookie quarterback Bryce Young.

Smith-Marsette can also provide competition to Raheem Blackshear at kick returner. He was a prolific return man at Iowa City, winning theĀ Big Ten’s Rodgers-Dwight Return Specialist of the Year award in 2018.

During his Iowa Hawkeyes career, Smith-Marsette registered 110 receptions for 1,615 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns in 44 games played and across 20 starts. Smith-Marsette also tallied 1,520 kick return yards during his Iowa career.

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Tristan Wirfs opens up about mental health struggles in left tackle transition for Bucs

Tristan Wirfs opened up about how the Tampa Bay Bucs’ team psychologist has helped him manage his anxiety as he transitions to left tackle.

It is important to remember that all athletes are humans. They are no different than you and me besides an ability to play the game of football way better. As football season heats up, especially with the ever-growing popularity of fantasy sports and sports gambling, it is important to not lose sight of that fact.

Tristan Wirfs is well-regarded as one of the best players in the NFL. He is amongst the elite offensive linemen, and a true game-changer whenever he steps foot on the field. This has been the story since his time in Iowa City as a Hawkeye.

Even with his success, he reminded us all on Friday that he is still a normal person just like the rest of us. He goes through the same worries and anxieties as we all do. He opened up to the Tampa Bay media about his mental process accompanying his transition from right to left tackle.

“I was in a really rough spot mentally,” Wirfs described in a recent media availability. “I was really nervous. I was like playing the season in my head over and over again, like ‘Oh, what if it goes this way? What if it goes this way?’ You know, and Iā€™m like, itā€™s freaking May. Iā€™m like, youā€™ve got to calm down.”

Wirfs faces a difficult transition for any offensive lineman in switching sides on the line. Many forget that real football isn’t like Madden. Players cannot just pick up other positions like it’s nothing. Even at the two tackle positions on the offensive line, there is a huge learning curve when switching to the other side. This is especially true for a player like Wirfs who has played exclusively on the right side since his days with the Iowa Hawkeyes.

To give yourself an idea of how difficult the transition is, try going about your day using your non-dominant hand to do everything. When you switch sides of the line, sure a lot of the principles and responsibilities are the same, but you are so used to doing things on your natural side. That’s where all of your reps, and possibly more importantly your mental reps come from.

Even for a player like Wirfs, a two-time AP All-Pro offensive tackle, that is a worrying transition. Wirfs has benefited greatly from the Tampa Bay team psychologist for helping him through this process.

“I donā€™t know if it’s necessarily subsided. I think just the negative thoughts have kind of been outweighed by the positive thoughts now,” Wirfs said.

While those anxieties haven’t completely subsided, Wirfs is doing everything he can to trust himself and the work he’s put in so far.

“It’sĀ been a lot better. Just kind of trusting myself and having confidence in my abilities and knowing the work that I put in is going to pay off. And come out here every day having the best attitude I can, especially having young guys kind of look up to me now.

“We’ve got these two, Silas (Dzansi) and Raiqwon (Oā€™Neal). They’re asking me questions and stuff. It’s weird. Silas is freaking older than me, but I’m kind of helping those guys out the best I can. Sometimes in team drills it might not look like how I’m saying it, but I know what I’m talking about. I’m trying to do it. Just trying to stay as positive as I can. It’s helped me mentally quite a bit,” Wirfs said.

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George Kittle shares how he hilariously welcomed Brock Purdy into the NFL

In typical George Kittle fashion, he recapped his hilarious Hawkeye welcome for San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy into the NFL.

George Kittle gave Brock Purdy a true Hawkeye welcome into the NFL.

As starring figures on opposite sides of the Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series spectrum, Kittle made sure to remind Purdy of just that fact when the former Cyclone joined the San Francisco 49ers last season.

Speaking with Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports, Kittle shared what he knew of Purdy as he arrived in San Francisco ahead of 2022 for his rookie NFL season.

“Ish. Well, Iowa State kid, so I had to like mildly bully him just a little bit,” Kittle said.

And how exactly did you do that?

“I hung an Iowa jersey in his locker. That’s about all I did,” Kittle explained.

Of course, any jokes between the two are all ancient history now. Pressed into action as a rookie after Jimmy Garoppolo was lost to a season-ending foot injury, Purdy performed admirably and developed quite the rapport with Kittle.

The 6-foot-1, 220 pound signal-caller went from Mr. Irrelevant to the brink of a Super Bowl trip. With Purdy as a starter, San Francisco went 7-0 and advanced all the way to the NFC Championship before the Philadelphia Eagles had other ideas.

Philadelphia linebacker Haason Reddick applied a hit that tore the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in Purdy’s elbow. That forced Purdy out of the contest and abruptly ended San Francisco’s Super Bowl chances.

Purdy finished last season with 1,374 passing yards and 13 touchdowns against just four interceptions across nine games.

With Purdy back healthy alongside Kittle who is still smack dab in the midst of his prime, San Francisco can once again dream of capturing that elusive sixth Lombardi Trophy.

Kittle ended last season with 60 grabs for 765 yards and a career-high 11 touchdown receptions.

“Brock was a guy instantly that could kinda talk smack back to you if you gave him, chirped each other a little bit. He was there every single morning. His locker was kind of close to mine, too, so you’re engaging with him all the time. So, had a relationship with Brock from the start, and it just kind of grew throughout that. Seeing him kind of tear apart our defense all of last year on the scout team, which was really fun.

“And then when he stepped in as a rookie middle of the Miami Dolphins game facing Cover 0, hey, he didn’t even blink. Just stood in the pocket, delivered footballs and just had a great time out there. So, I knew…when you’re playing along with a guy who has that much fun and that much energy, it gets the whole team going, too. So, our relationship is we’re having fun, we’re scoring a lot of touchdowns with him. It’s been a good time,” Kittle said.

San Francisco opens its 2023 NFL season at Pittsburgh on Sept. 10 at noon on FOX.

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ESPN snubs Iowa from ‘Tight End U’ title, top among other ‘Position U’ rankings

ESPN has snubbed the Iowa Hawkeyes from being “Tight End U” in their “Position U” rankings. The Hawkeyes do get rewarded at other positions.

George Kittle. T.J. Hockenson. Noah Fant. Sam LaPorta. Dallas Clark. Tony Moeaki. C.J. Fiedorowicz. All NFL tight ends that the Iowa Hawkeyes have produced year after year that have gone on to have successful professional careers.

But, ESPN has snubbed the Hawkeyes from the crown of “Tight End U” in its Position U rankings. A bit curious to say the least. Few schools produce as consistently as Iowa does at the tight end position. To call this debatable decision-making by ESPN would be nice.

Nonetheless, Iowa has proven its ability to develop talent on both sides of the football time and time again. The Hawkeyes do find themselves among some of the top-10 teams at multiple other positions. Admittedly, there are some additional snubs by ESPN, but that is their mistake.

Have a look at where the Hawkeyes have flexed their muscles among some of the best programs at developing talent.

Pro Football Focus ranks George Kittle, Tristan Wirfs as top-50 NFL talents

With the 2023 NFL season right around the corner, Pro Football Focus ranked both George Kittle and Tristan Wirfs as top-50 NFL talents.

Football is right around the corner. With training camp not quite here yet and the Hall of Fame Game about two weeks away, that itch for anything and everything related to football is pretty much unbearable.

You know what that means, list season! It’s everyone’s favorite (heavy emphasis on the sarcasm) and much-maligned portion of the NFL season where we produce rankings for the upcoming season. People love to read them and equally love to hate them. They will certainly let you know their feelings online. Everyone claims to hate rankings and things of that nature, but football fans just can’t get enough of the content!

Sam Monson of Pro Football FocusĀ released his top 50 NFL playersĀ heading into the 2023 season and it features a pair of Iowa players. Coming in at No. 39 and still clinging to his spot in the top 50 is San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle.

“Kittle would likely be even higher on this list if the 49ers didnā€™t keep adding other athletic freakshows to steal his spotlight. Kittle is the one tight end in the league who can rivalĀ Travis KelceĀ as a receiver ā€” and heā€™s a better blocker than Kelce, too ā€” but the limelight is shared around in San Francisco far more than in Kansas City. Last year, passes thrown Kittleā€™s way generated aĀ passer rating of 140.0. –Ā Monson,Ā Pro Football Focus.

Kittle is a player who is still sticking as one of the top tight ends in the league, despite a good number of folks thinking he’d fall off by now. Just when you think he’s done, he’ll still show you that top-end talent. He may not be as consistent as he was in 2018, but real football fans know not to take George Kittle lightly in 2023.

Joining Kittle on the list is Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs at No. 26.

One of the best tackles in football from the moment he stepped foot on the field at this level,Ā WirfsĀ will now get the opportunity to prove he can also do it on the left side as he swaps to left tackle for the 2023 season. He gave up an absurd five total pressures in 13 games last season and has allowed the lowest pressure rate since entering the NFL, aided byĀ Tom Bradyā€™s league-quickest average time to throw. –Ā Monson, Pro Football Focus.

Last year Tristan Wirfs was a second-team All Pro, just behind one of the best linemen of his generation in Lane Johnson. He will have a chance to establish himself as one of the truly elite at left tackle in 2023.

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Lukas Van Ness highlights 247Sports’ 2020 All-3-Star Team

Another shining example of Phil Parker and Iowa’s development wizardry, Lukas Van Ness was named to 247Sports’ 2020 All-3-Star Team.

One of the best things about sports is that a star can come from anywhere.

As sports fans, we are obsessed with the underdog. Sports history is littered with these magical surprise moments, from Appalachian State’s historic upset victory over Michigan to Holly Holm’s knockout of Ronda Rousey. Fictional sports legends such as Rocky and Rudy have formed because of the underdog.

In football, it is the same way. While many fantastic players were highly-touted recruits, we have seen time and time again an undervalued recruit defy the odds and push their way into superstardom.

Chance Linton of 247Sports recently created an All-3-Star team for the 2020 recruiting class, highlighted by former Iowa defensive lineman Lukas Van Ness.

The lone first-round pick on the list,Ā Van Ness redshirted in his first season at Iowa before emerging as a difference-maker for the Hawkeyes while playing both defensive end and tackle. The 6-foot-5, 269-pounder notched 71 tackles (19.5 for loss), 13.5 sacks and one pass breakup over 27 career games, earning second-team All-Big 12 honors in 2022. He was selected by the Green Bay Packers with the No. 13 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. –Ā Linton, 247Sports.

I don’t imagine Van Ness will remain the only first-rounder on this extremely talented list, with Penn State offensive tackle Olu Fashanu likely pushing for a top-10 selection this upcoming year. There are a ton of other notable players included, such as All-American running back Deuce Vaughn, and Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year Tuli Tuipulotu.

However, going into the 2023 season, Iowa’s defensive lineman Lukas Van Ness is the cream of the crop. Entering Iowa City as a three-star, 240-pound defensive end, the Hawkeyes helped develop Van Ness to fit his “Hercules” nickname. An impressive blend of size and speed, Van Ness was a second-team All-Big Ten selection last year before going 13th overall to the Green Bay Packers in the 2023 NFL Draft.

Van Ness ended his Iowa career with 71 tackles, 19.5 tackles for loss, 13.5 sacks, and one pass defensed across 27 games.Ā Lukas Van Ness is just the latest example of the great player development and NFL pipeline at the University of Iowa.

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Pair of Hawkeyes highlight 247Sports’ 2019 All-3-Star Team

From three-star to NFL star. 247Sports highlighted Jack Campbell and Dane Belton as two of its 2019 All-3-Star Team.

If you are a three-star recruit looking to boost your chances of making it to the NFL, you may want to consider the Iowa Hawkeyes. Player development is one of the Hawkeyes’ specialties, churning out NFL players every year despite other teams earning more five-stars.

In Chance Linton of 247Sports’ look at college football’s All-3-Star Team from the 2019 recruiting class, two former Iowa Hawkeyes were featured on the list. Two three-star recruits who came to Iowa, earned All-Big Ten accolades, and found themselves drafted into the NFL.

Starting out is a look at former Iowa defensive back and current New York Giant Dane Belton.

Belton was a three-and-done player for the Hawkeyes, appearing in 30 career games with 26 starts over three seasons before leaving early for the NFL. He notched five interceptions and 12 pass breakups to go along with 46 tackles and three tackles for loss in his final season to earn first-team All-Big Ten nod. He was selected by the New York Giants in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft (No. 114 overall). –Ā Linton, 247Sports.

Belton was one of the latest successes on Phil Parker’s defense, particularly from the CASH position. He is actually the second from that position to find himself in the NFL, following current Tennessee Titan Amani Hooker.

Per 247Sports, Belton arrived in Iowa City as a three-star signee, the nation’s No. 64 safety and the No. 87 player from the Sunshine State. He left Iowa with 112 tackles, 17 passes defensed, 6.5 tackles for loss, five interceptions, one sack and one forced fumble in 30 career games, including 26 starts.

Joining Belton on this list is one of the greatest players to ever don the black and gold, linebacker Jack Campbell.

The highest-drafted player on this list, Campbell was selected by the Detroit Lions with the No. 18 overall pick in the first round. The 6-foot-5, 250-pounder was a 28-game starter for the Hawkeyes, racking up 305 career tackles with 13.5 tackles for loss, three sacks and five interceptions and winning the Butkus Award as the nationā€™s top linebacker in 2022. 247Sports was significantly higher on Campbell than the rest of the recruiting industry, rating him as a four-star prospect. –Ā Linton, 247Sports.

That’s right, Iowa currently has the two highest drafted three-star recruits in back-to-back years with Lukas Van Ness highlighting the 2020 recruiting class.

Jack Campbell is a player who etched his name into the history of Iowa football. One of college football’s best defenders in recent years, Campbell won the Butkus Award as the nationā€™s top linebacker in 2022. Campbell was twice named a first-team All-Big Ten member and was an unanimous consensus All-American last year. Campbell was recently drafted No. 18 overall in the 2023 NFL draft by the Detroit Lions.

He arrived as a three-star signee in the 247Sports composite rankings. The composite rankings rated Campbell as the nation’s No. 662 player overall, the No. 44 outside linebacker and as the No. 4 player from Iowa. During his Hawkeye career, Campbell racked up 305 tackles, 15 passes defensed, 13.5 tackles for loss, five interceptions, three sacks, three forced fumbles and one defensive score in 43 career games and 28 starts.

Jack Campbell and Dane Belton are just two recent examples of Iowa’s famed player development.

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