What to expect for former football Hawkeyes participating in the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine

IOWA CITY — With the NFL Draft looming in the near future, it’s time for former Iowa Hawkeyes to show off to NFL scouts.

The NFL Scouting Combine begins Monday in Indianapolis, giving the football Hawkeyes a chance to show off their skills on the biggest stage ahead of the draft in April. Although Iowa won’t see quarterback Mark Gronowski or defensive lineman Aaron Graves participate, nine former Hawkeyes will have their chance in front of scouts, general managers and NFL media.

Here’s a look at the nine Hawkeyes traveling to Indianapolis this week, and how to follow along.

Event details

When: February 23 - March 2 (Televised Feb. 26 - March 1)

Where: Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana

TV: NFL Network, NFL+ ($)

Gennings Dunker, G

Pro Football Focus position ranking: No. 17

ESPN overall ranking: 119

ESPN positional ranking: 14

Current NFL grade: 6.20

After capturing some national attention during the Senior Bowl, Dunker remains one of Iowa’s highly ranked prospects heading into the NFL Draft. A member of the Joe Moore Award-winning line, with 38 career starts, the Lena, Ill.-native said during the Senior Bowl he’s willing to play at any position along the offensive line.

Logan Jones, C

Pro Football Focus position ranking: No. 9

ESPN overall ranking: 74

ESPN positional ranking: 2

The reigning Rimington Trophy winner didn’t participate in any additional games after the ReliaQuest Bowl, but Jones is considered one of the best available centers in this year’s draft class. He finished his career with 51 career starts and was a part of the Hawkeye trio named First Team All-Big Ten in 2025.

Beau Stephens, G

Pro Football Focus position ranking: No. 4

ESPN overall ranking: n/a

ESPN positional ranking: n/a

Stephens has consistently been one of, if not the top-ranked Hawkeye in PFF throughout the season. The third piece in the First Team All-Big Ten line, Stephens received First Team All-America honors from the AP, USA Today and PFF.

TJ Hall, CB

Pro Football Focus position ranking: No. 92

ESPN overall ranking: n/a

ESPN positional ranking: n/a

Current NFL grade: 6.22

The Fresno, Calif., cornerback recorded 47 tackles in his first season as a starter, including 10 pass breakups and one interception. Despite battling some injuries throughout his Hawkeye career, Hall made some good impressions during the Senior Bowl and proved he can get key stops in 1-v-1 matchups.

Max Llewellyn, DE

Pro Football Focus position ranking: No. 276

ESPN overall ranking: n/a

ESPN positional ranking: n/a

Current NFL grade: 5.88

Llewellyn turned a few heads during the Senior Bowl, particularly when showing off his spin move. Llewellyn’s explosive energy off the line of scrimmage made him increasingly impressive in his one lone season as a starter, where he recorded 26 tackles and 6.5 sacks.

Xavier Nwankpa, S

Pro Football Focus position ranking: No. 330

ESPN overall ranking: n/a

ESPN positional ranking: n/a

Current NFL grade: 5.69

After starting in 32 games over four years, Nwankpa finished 2025 with 76 tackles, one tackle-for-loss, two forced fumbles and an interception. Nwankpa’s career-day against Minnesota on Oct. 25 helped cement the former five-star’s resume, with his speed and chase-down abilities boosting his productivity in 2025.

Karson Sharar, LB

Pro Football Focus position ranking: No. 169

ESPN overall ranking: n/a

ESPN positional ranking: n/a

Current NFL grade: 5.68

The Iowa Falls native recorded a team-high 83 tackles in 2025, including 12 TFLs, four sacks and a forced fumble. He was named an All-Big Ten Honorable Mention in his first year as a starter.

Drew Stevens, K

Pro Football Focus position ranking: n/a

ESPN overall ranking: n/a

ESPN positional ranking: n/a

Stevens finished his senior year making 22 of 28 field goals and 41 of 42 PATs, including a 58-yard kick against Oregon on Nov. 6. He sits second in program history for career points (352) and holds the school record for field goals made (76).

Kaden Wetjen, WR

Pro Football Focus position ranking: n/a

ESPN overall ranking: n/a

ESPN positional ranking: n/a

Wetjen will join the Combine as a wide receiver after recording 151 yards and one receiving touchdown last season. The two-time Jet Award winner is the only player in program history to record a receiving, rushing, punt return and kickoff return touchdown in a single season. During the East-West Shrine Bowl, Wetjen had two catches for 11 yards.

Notable non-Hawkeye invites

Beyond just the Iowa Hawkeyes, Iowa State’s Dominique Orange was the only Cyclone to receive a combine invite. He finished the season as an All-Big 12 Third Team member and a Phil Steele All-American Fourth Team and All-Big 12 First Team honor. Orange finished the season with 18 tackles, including 0.5 tackles-for-loss.

Comments: madison.hricik@thegazette.com, sign up for my weekly newsletter, Hawk Off the Press, at thegazette.com/hawks.