Iowa Hawkeyes in the NFL: Undrafted Greg Mabin, Cole Croston are in

Twenty-two former Iowa players are on NFL active rosters as this is being written, which is about the annual number give or take a couple.

Four Hawkeyes were drafted between the third and fifth rounds last spring, and it's no surprise whatsoever that C.J. Beathard, Jaleel Johnson, George Kittle and Desmond King stuck with the clubs that chose them.

I've said it before in other forums, but I think all may have been under-valued. It won't surprise me a bit if any or all become highly productive NFL players. Why King fell to the fifth round is a mystery. I guess he wasn't big enough for some. 'Measurables,' you know. But the Los Angeles Chargers got a player.

Another rookie defensive back from Iowa is in the NFL, too. Greg Mabin, undrafted, signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the spring and quickly was cut.

'Great experience, great organization,' Mabin said after his release. Which said a lot more than that, really.

Mabin signed with the Buffalo Bills about a month later, then proceeded to impress the organization. In Buffalo's second preseason game, Mabin tore the ball away from a Philadelphia receiver and returned it to the Eagles' 9-yard line with five minutes left. He also had a pass-interference penalty on the Eagles' next possession.

No matter. In the Bills' final preseason game, Mabin had three tackles, deflected a pass, and intercepted one.

'We pick him up in a workout on a day where we're just working out a bunch of different DB's and we saw some traits that we liked,' Bills defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier said. 'For him to come in and pick up the system and to go out and compete the way he has in these preseason games and make the number of plays that he has, it's been impressive.

'He has some traits that you look for. The length, the long arms, the ball skills he's displayed. … He's done some things to make you say 'This is a guy that's worth taking a look at,' and credit to him. He could've come in with his head down thinking 'I don't really have a chance,' but he competed every day and now he's being rewarded for it.'

Offensive tackle Cole Croston is the other Hawkeye from last year's team to go from undrafted to an opening-day NFL roster, and with no less than the New England Patriots.

So here's Croston's story: Former walk-on who became a starter at Iowa. Undrafted free agent who is playing for the world-champions. From Sergeant Bluff, Iowa, to the top of the football world.

Croston was on the field for more plays than any other Patriot in the preseason. Here's an NESN.com story about him.

The other 16 Hawkeyes on active NFL rosters are veterans. They are …

Austin Blythe, OL, Los Angeles Rams

Bryan Bulaga, OL, Green Bay

Adrian Clayborn, DE, Atlanta

Mike Daniels, DT, Green Bay

Carl Davis, DT, Baltimore

Andrew Donnal, OT, Los Angeles Rams

C.J. Fiedorowicz, TE, Houston

Anthony Hitchens, LB, Dallas

Micah Hyde, DB, Buffalo

Christian Kirksey, LB, Cleveland

Karl Klug, DE, Tennessee

Casey Kreiter, LS, Denver

Riley Reiff, OT, Minnesota

Brandon Scherff, OG, Washington

Matt Tobin, OT, Seattle

Marshal Yanda, OG, Baltimore

Ex-Hawkeyes on NFL practice squads are …

James Ferentz, OL, New England

Henry Krieger Coble, TE, Indianapolis

Riley McCarron, WR, Houston

Injured reserve

Adam Gettis, OL, New York Giants