Two Former Iowa High School Football Standouts Selected In NFL Draft

Logan Jones goes to Chicago, Eli Raridon to New England on second night of draft.

West Des Moines Valley's Eli Raridon (88) gets tackled by Ankeny's Will Cornwell during a Class 5A semifinal football game, Friday, Nov. 12, 2021, at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls, Iowa. 211112 Valley Ankeny Fb 010 Jpg | Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK

Two former Iowa high school football standouts joined Kadyn Proctor in hearing their names called Friday night during the 2026 NFL Draft.

Proctor, a former Southeast Polk High School star, was picked in the first round Thursday by the Miami Dolphins. The draft is taking place from Pittsburgh, airing live on ESPN, ABC and NFL Network this season.

Joining Proctor on the draft big board were Logan Jones and Eli Raridon.

Logan Jones Selected By Chicago Bears In Second Round Of NFL Draft

Jones was selected by the Chicago Bears in the second round with the 57th overall pick. He was a dominating force at the University of Iowa, as the center earned the Rimington Trophy and was named a unanimous first team All-American this past season.

Prior to his arrival in Iowa City for the Hawkeyes, Jones was a star at Lewis Central High School for the Titans, playing a variety of positions. He was an Iowa high school football all-stater as a senior, making the Elite all-state team during his junior season.

Jones was a four-year football letterman, as Lewis Central reached the Iowa High School Athletic Association State Football Playoffs all four seasons, including runs to the semifinals his junior and senior years. A team captain, Jones had 8.5 quarterback sacks and 14 tackles for loss as a senior on the defensive side of the ball while also playing offense.

In addition to his success on the football field, Jones was a three-year letterwinner in basketball and four-year letterwinner in track. He won the shot put and discus as a junior at the Iowa high school state track and field championships.

Eli Raridon To New England Patriots In Third Round

Raridon, meanwhile, went to the defending AFC champion New England Patriots in the third round at pick No. 95 overall. The tight end attended Notre Dame, seeing time as a backup his first three years before being elevated to the starting role as a senior.

This past year, Raridon had 32 catches for 482 yards, averaging 15 yards per catch, for the Irish.

The 6-foot-6, 245-pounder was an all-stater for West Des Moines Valley High School, catching 53 passes for 627 yards and 10 touchdowns as a senior for the Tigers. He was named Elite all-state, helping West Des Moines Valley to a state runner-up finish as a sophomore.

Like Jones, Raridon played a variety of sports in high school, earning all-state honors as a basketball player at West Des Moines Valley.

Gennings Dunker, who played offensive tackle alongside Jones at Iowa, was born in Norwalk, Iowa before moving to Illinois when he was a youth. Dunker played at Lena-Winslow High School in Lena, Illinois.