Meet the four Hawkeyes headed to the 2024 NFL combine
With the Super Bowl officially in the rearview mirror, we have entered the football offseason. Specifically, we can say it’s NFL draft season.
While fans of some teams have been there for a few months, February is when it really starts to set in. It’s time for fans to try to cram an entire scouting process’s worth of research into two months, and there’s no better place to start than the good ol’ underwear Olympics.
The NFL scouting combine is one of the more divisive events in football. Some see it as a necessary tool to gauge just how athletic these prospects are because it’s hard to tell while going up against college athletes. Others find it completely useless, an underwear Olympics where some players undeservedly shoot up draft boards in one day. Don’t forget the folks out there who will constantly remind you that the interviews are the most important part of the week.
For me, I’ve always loved the combine. The spectacle of it always brings me in, and it helps that Iowa players have been killing it in Indianapolis in recent years.
This year, four Hawkeyes are scheduled to make their way to the 2024 NFL scouting combine. Here’s a look at the four Iowa players descending upon Indy.
A look at last year's draft class
Last year was fantastic for the Hawkeyes at the combine. Jack Campbell, Sam LaPorta, Lukas Van Ness and Riley Moss were some of the best athletic testers at their respective positions. It was no surprise all four were off the board before the end of Day 2.
Cooper DeJean, Defensive Back
Cooper DeJean is sure to turn some heads at this year’s NFL combine. The Odebolt, Iowa, native was one of the best players in the country, earning unanimous All-American honors. If he performs as well as expected at the combine, look for him to be selected very early in the 2024 NFL draft.
Over the course of his Iowa career, DeJean racked up 120 tackles, 20 pass breakups, seven interceptions and had three defensive touchdowns. He also returned a punt 70 yards for a score this past season versus Michigan State.
Logan Lee, Defensive Tackle
Logan Lee heads to Indy after a standout week at the East-West Shrine Bowl. The Phil Steele third-team All-Big Ten member played an underrated part of Iowa’s defense, finishing his Hawkeye career with 158 tackles.
Lee flew under the radar during his time in the black and gold. Defensive linemen are asked to do a lot of the dirty work for Phil Parker’s defense. A strong week at the combine could really help Lee get a chance at making it at the next level.
Erick All, Tight End
The shame is if Erick All had not gotten hurt this year, there would be more buzz around him heading into draft season. Despite missing half of the season due to injury, the Michigan transfer still ended up leading the Hawkeyes’ offense with 299 receiving yards and three touchdowns.
Coming off an ACL tear, it will be big to see where All’s health stands at the combine.
Tory Taylor, Punter
Finally, we finish with the star of the show, punter Tory Taylor. Taylor is coming off a record-breaking year in which he shattered the all-time mark for the most punting yards in a season. He became a national icon for the punter position and will put the football world on notice yet again by booming some huge punts in Indy.
Over the course of his Hawkeye career, Taylor averaged 46.3 yards per punt on 295 boots. An astounding 43.1% of his punts were downed inside the opponents’ 20-yard line.
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