Iowa Standout May Buck a Trend, and Not in a Good Way

This Iowa Hawkeyes standout does not appear to be headed on a very fruitful path entering the NFL Draft.

Feb 28, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Iowa tight end Luke Lachey (TE14) participates in drills during the 2025 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Iowa Hawkeyes are known as "Tight End U" for a reason. They have regularly been churning out star NFL talents at the position in recent years, ranging from George Kittle to T.J. Hockenson to Sam LaPorta. And there are more names to add.

That's why when Luke Lachey was entering his senior campaign at Iowa in 2024, there were lofty expectations, but he ended up logging just 28 catches for 231 yards.

Not that collegiate production is a be-all-end-all when it comes to determining professional success (Kittle didn't post great numbers for the Hawkeyes), but most of the time, it is a pretty decent indicator of how the player will fare on the next level.

In the case of Lachey, his final season at Iowa City was definitely a bummer, and he didn't exactly have a great Scouting Combine, either, ranking 21st in Next Gen Stats' total score among all tight ends.

Lance Zierlein of NFL.com posted a synopsis of Lachey, and it seems as if Zierlein believes that the 23-year-old is a fringe NFL talent, at best.

"He has NFL size but needs to prove he can more consistently sustain as a run blocker in order to become a trustworthy, three-down player in the league," Zierlein wrote. "Unless that happens, he’s likely to be fighting for a role as a TE3 or TE4."

Teams typically never carry four tight ends, so based on Zierlein's assessment, that could mean Lachey will be fighting for a roster spot.

Of course, it's entirely possible that Lachey, who stands 6-foot-6 and has solid all-around physical tools, will prove everyone wrong, but it's certainly not looking like he will uphold the tradition that Iowa has established since the turn of the century.

Read More Iowa Hawkeyes Coverage