𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

At Iowa, 94 players have become draft picks under coach Kirk Ferentz. This weekend, not only does Ferentz have a chance to reach No. 100, but Iowa will surpass the program record of six in a single draft (since the AFL-NFL merger).

I see five Iowa players as near locks for selection, with six other Hawkeyes as draft candidates. Here is a mock of where the players could land in the draft.

OL Gennings Dunker: LA Chargers, Round 2, pick 55. Dunker probably plays guard as a rookie, but he still could wind up eventually at right tackle, where he started for three seasons. He’s the biggest “life of the party” player at Iowa since George Kittle. In fact, Dunker’s personality was even more boisterous.

C Logan Jones: Minnesota, 3-82. Jones doesn’t fit every team, but with the Vikings’ shift to a wide-zone run scheme, Jones is a perfect fit. Although his weight is below ideal, Jones holds Iowa’s program record with a 705-pound squat and ranks second in hang clean at 470 pounds (Tristan Wirfs leads at 500). The L.A. Rams also would be a great fit.

G Beau Stephens: Las Vegas, 4-102. The Raiders need OL in front of Fernando Mendoza and Ashton Jeanty, and Stephens is tough, physical, fundamentally sound and nasty, like Tyler Linderbaum. He’s perhaps not as athletic as Dunker or Jones, but he’s a plug-and-play guy. Stephens is the meanest Iowa O-lineman I’ve seen since Brandon Scherff. He’ll take the shot if it’s there.

DE Max Llewellyn: Jacksonville, 4-124. Llewellyn probably is best in a four-down base defense, which Jacksonville operates. He has some rotational assets as a pass rusher that would suit the Jaguars.

CB T.J. Hall: Indianapolis, 5-156. Although Hall didn’t test great at the combine, his experience, steadiness and coverage skills would make him a value pick in the fifth round. He could play right away.

S Xavier Nwankpa: Washington, 6-187. Could Nwankpa become a versatile subpackage defender with special teams flexibility? Nwankpa, a former five-star recruit, has plenty of talent (4.48 40 time) and is a tremendous hitter. If he could bulk up, he could be in line to play linebacker on passing downs.

WR Kaden Wetjen: Green Bay, 6-201. The Packers could use a boost in the return game, and Wetjen is a legit weapon comparable to Dante Hall, who was very raw as an offensive player early on. I covered Hall during his incredible run in the early 2000s, and Wetjen’s senior season parallels what I saw in Kansas City.

QB Mark Gronowski: Detroit, 7-222. It’s 50-50 whether he gets drafted, but he’s got the skill, toughness and acumen to become a team’s No. 3 QB as a rookie. No quarterback has won more games in college football history than Gronowski. With his powerful running ability — Gronowski tied a Big Ten single-season record with 16 rushing TDs by a quarterback — Detroit could devise specific short-yardage plays for him. With how the Lions go for it on fourth down, Gronowski would fit beautifully.