Success in the NFL draft is paramount to any franchise’s longterm success. The best franchises manage to consistently find diamonds in the rough in the NFL draft’s later rounds, too.
That’s easier said than done, though. Once you get into the later rounds, there’s usually a reason why prospects aren’t viewed as “can’t-miss” types. Whether it’s lack of production, injury concerns, or the individual athleticism of a draft prospect isn’t the same as earlier on the board, typically there’s a layer of drafting and hoping once you get into the fourth round and beyond.
Identifying a starter on day three and a team has done well. Find a superstar in the fifth round or later? Now, your scouting department has really done something special.
Yet, every year those types of success stories and players will emerge. The Iowa Hawkeyes have delivered those types of players in the past.
ESPN’s Blake Baumgartner tabbed current San Francisco 49er George Kittle as the Iowa Hawkeyes’ greatest “late-round NFL draft find” from the Iowa Hawkeyes dating back to 1994.
Kittle battled for extended playing time throughout his tenure in Iowa City thanks to a deep tight end room. In his final two seasons as a Hawkeye (2015 and ’16), he tallied 42 catches for 604 yards and 10 touchdowns. The 49ers were fortunate enough to jump on him in the fifth round of the 2017 draft, and he has rewarded them handsomely. A four-time Pro Bowler and an All-Pro selection in 2019, Kittle has 395 receptions for 5,254 yards and 31 touchdowns in his career. – Baumgartner, ESPN.
It’s tough to argue that any one player has been a better late-round get from the Hawkeyes than Kittle.
There were flashes on display during his final two seasons in Iowa City, but even the most ardent Hawkeye fans probably didn’t see this coming from Kittle’s NFL career. He’s been a bonafide superstar for the 49ers.
Kittle is also one of the game’s most likable stars. He just seems to really enjoy playing football. All of this is quite the walking billboard for what Hawkeye football can do for future prospects.
Heading into the 2023 NFL draft, safety Kaevon Merriweather seems like the Hawkeye draft prospect that might make a team very, very happy as a day three selection.
The 2023 NFL draft begins with the first round on Thursday, April 27 at 7 p.m. CT from Union Station in Kansas City, Mo.
[mm-video type=video id=01gx3xm80y8bdmtzhj4d playlist_id=01fvdcxf97xrgg1awc player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gx3xm80y8bdmtzhj4d/01gx3xm80y8bdmtzhj4d-95a2079750a5c39dcced9d9896563b26.jpg]
[lawrence-auto-related count=5]
Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes, and opinions.
Follow Josh on Twitter: @JoshOnREF