Nine Iowa Players Invited to NFL Combine

After a strong season, nine Iowa Hawkeyes football players have been invited to the NFL Combine.

The Athletics' Scott Dochterman reported C Logan Jones, G Beau Stephens, OL Gennings Dunker, WR Kaden Wetjen, K Drew Stevens, DE Max Llewellyn, LB Karson Sharar, S Xavier Nwankpa, and CB T.J. Hall were all invited.

In his post, he noted QB Mark Gronowski and DT Aaron Graves weren't invited but there's still a chance they could join their teammates.

Iowa Continues to Develop NFL-Caliber Players

Iowa will have 9 players at the NFL combine later this month.
Invitees:
C Logan Jones
G Beau Stephens
OL Gennings Dunker
WR Kaden Wetjen
K Drew Stevens
DE Max Llewellyn
LB Karson Sharar
S Xavier Nwankpa
CB T.J. Hall

Not invited (yet):
QB Mark Gronowski
DT Aaron Graves
— Scott Dochterman (@ScottDochterman) February 10, 2026

Time and time again, Iowa is the place to be when it comes to developing NFL-caliber players. With five NFL Pro Bowlers this year being Hawkeyes, that's quite the selling point to bring in future recruit.

This year is no different as all nine of these players have a real shot at being drafted. Some are shoo-in's to see their name called quite early in the draft, but others can use this combine to their advantage.

Seemingly all three of their offensive lineman should hear their name called in the draft, but Iowa has a ton of defensive talent available as well. No matter what happens, seeing nearly double digits invited to the NFL combine shows how legit this team is and that's yet another feather in Kirk Ferentz' cap.

A Closer Look at the Nine Invitees

Nov 8, 2024; Pasadena, California, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes head coach Kirk Ferentz shakes hands with Iowa Hawkeyes offensive lineman Gennings Dunker (67) after a score in the second half against the UCLA Bruins at the Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Iowa won the Joe Moore Award this year which means they had the nation's best offensive line. Losing three seniors is no joke, but the likes of Jones, Stephens, and Dunker all have a chance to impress in the NFL. Dunker has been gaining attention left and right as he and Jones should both be drafted quite early.

Wetjen is far from the best receiver in the draft but there's absolutely a team out there that should draft him late as their new return specialist. He proved himself time and time again this year, and 32 teams would be crazy to pass up on him.

At the end of the day it wouldn't be surprising to see at least half of Iowa's defensive talent be drafted. Llewellyn lost a bit of steam this year, but Sharar and Hall both have a case to go in the middle of this draft. Nwankpa remains a solid safety who could give any secondary a boost, even if he doesn't receive a ton of playing time early in his career.

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