Latest ESPN NFL mock draft sees six Iowa football players drafted

It's hard to believe, but the 2026 NFL draft is just a few weeks away.

This year's draft will take place in Pittsburgh , Pa., and will feature plenty of eligible Iowa football players looking to see their dreams come true. The Hawkeyes are no strangers to putting guys into the NFL. Last season alone, there were 41 different former Hawks scattered across NFL rosters. And with the crop of players entering this year's draft, that number should only grow in 2026.

The 2025 Hawkeyes had a ton of NFL talent on the roster, which will be shown on draft weekend later this month. But just how many former Iowa stars will hear their name called in Pittsburgh? One major sports media outlet gave its prediction.

ESPN's Matt Miller released his updated seven-round NFL mock draft , where he projected six Hawkeyes to find themselves on NFL rosters by the end of draft weekend.

ESPN's projected Iowa football NFL draft picks

Matt Miller has Gennings Dunker as the first Hawkeye coming off the board in the third round, with the Steelers taking him at the 76th overall pick. Dunker has seen his name in the first and second rounds quite a bit in other mock drafts, so this would be a draft steal for Pittsburgh should they nab him in the third. Here's what Miller had to say about that prediction:

With  Isaac Seumalo  departing in free agency, there's an opening at left guard that Dunker could slide into right away. -Matt Miller, ESPN

The next Hawkeye he had off the board was a bit more surprising. Matt Miller had TJ Hall getting selected with the 88th overall pick in the third round by the Jacksonville Jaguars . Hall was a productive defensive back in Iowa City, but many projections have him as a day-three pick. Here's what Miller had to say about Hall to Jacksonville:

Hall doesn't boast elite speed, but his timing and ability to win at the line of scrimmage with press technique make him a starting-caliber outside corner who would allow  Travis Hunter  alignment flexibility. -Matt Miller, ESPN

Those were the only day-two picks from the Hawkeyes that Miller is predicting. The other four Hawks are projected to be day-three picks and are as follows:

• OL Logan Jones :127th overall pick in the fourth round to the San Francisco 49ers

• DL Max Llewellyn :174th overall pick in the fifth round to the Baltimore Ravens

• OL Beau Stephens :213th overall pick in the sixth round to the Detroit Lions

• WR Kaden Wetjen:228th overall pick in the seventh round to the New York Jets

Iowa could have as many as eight to nine players drafted this year. That's a testament to Kirk Ferentz and the program he's built in Iowa City this century. Fans won't have to wait too much longer to see where these former Hawks land. The 2026 NFL draft starts on April 23.

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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Latest ESPN NFL mock draft sees six Iowa football players drafted