Where Iowa, Iowa State, UNI players were picked in 2024 NFL Draft

IOWA CITY — The 2024 NFL Draft brought some firsts for Iowa in the Kirk Ferentz era.

Tory Taylor became the first Iowa punter in the Ferentz era to be drafted when the Chicago Bears selected him in the fourth round on Saturday.

Cooper DeJean became the first Iowa defensive back to be taken in the first 40 picks when he went 40th overall to the Philadelphia Eagles on Friday. (The two others to be second-rounders were Bob Sanders and Josh Jackson.)

DeJean, Taylor, tight end Erick All and defensive lineman Logan Lee’s selections moved the all-time total for Ferentz era players drafted to 89. That’s the fifth-most in the Big Ten since 2000 behind Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State and Wisconsin.

Now with the draft complete, here is a rundown of all the prospects from Iowa, Iowa State and Northern Iowa who were drafted:

Iowa CB Cooper DeJean

Team: Philadelphia Eagles

Round: 2

Overall pick: 40

Positional rank: Fourth cornerback drafted

DeJean had to wait longer than expected, but he still became the highest-drafted Iowa defensive back in the Kirk Ferentz/Phil Parker era. His versatility and athleticism on defense and special teams will be a welcomed gift in Philadelphia.

What they’re saying: "The Eagles needed to continue to revamp their secondary with young talent, and they’ve done a hell of a job by adding DeJean to a draft class that includes Quinyon Mitchell,“ Yahoo Sports’ Charles McDonald wrote. (McDonald gave the pick an A-plus grade.)

Iowa TE Erick All

Team: Cincinnati Bengals

Round: 4

Overall pick: 115

Positional rank: Sixth tight end drafted

This pick is a homecoming for All, who grew up in the Cincinnati area. Health is a major question mark — he had season-ending injuries in back-to-back years — but the 6-foot-5 tight end has plenty of NFL potential.

What they’re saying: “A shaky medical history dampened his draft outlook a bit, as did playing last season in a dormant Iowa passing game,” NFL.com’s Eric Edholm wrote. “If All can stay healthy, he has enough athletic traits and blocking prowess to emerge as a quality TE2.”

Iowa P Tory Taylor

Team: Chicago Bears

Round: 4

Overall pick: 122

Positional rank: First punter drafted

Taylor is the second-highest-drafted punter in the last 10 years and the first Hawkeye specialist drafted since 2004. Some draft experts may knock the high selection of a punter; however, Taylor showed just how valuable he can be as Iowa went 34-15 in his four years despite a mostly-lackluster offense.

What they’re saying: “Far and away the best punter in this class,” CBS Sports analyst Chris Trapasso wrote. “Huge leg he showcased over multiple seasons and plenty of experience. Inside the 20, he's money too. But is this the best allocation of one of Chicago's four picks in this draft? No.”

Iowa State CB T.J. Tampa

Team: Baltimore Ravens

Round: 4

Overall pick: 130

Positional rank: 16th cornerback drafted

ESPN ranked Tampa as the 46th-best prospect in this year’s class, yet he fell all the way to No. 130 overall. He joins a Baltimore secondary that was tied for best in the NFL last year with only 5.9 passing yards allowed per attempt.

What they’re saying: "Tampa's slide is among the more surprising ones so far, as he has the length and coverage feel to be a good man corner,” NFL.com’s Edholm wrote. “He's still a bit raw as a converted receiver but might vastly outplay his draft position.“

Iowa DL Logan Lee

Team: Pittsburgh Steelers

Round: 6

Overall pick: 178

Positional rank: 14th defensive tackle drafted

Lee grew up as a Steelers fan. Now, he’s on the Steelers’ roster. It’s an ideal landing spot for Lee (and not just for sentimental reasons), as Pittsburgh is in need of help on the defensive line. The Steelers envision him as a defensive end in their 3-4 scheme.

What they’re saying: “High-caliber athlete who can win at any alignment up front although his productivity in college didn't match how good of an athlete he is,” CBS’ Trapasso wrote.

UNI DL Khristian Boyd

Team: New Orleans Saints

Round: 6

Overall pick: 199

Positional rank: 18th defensive tackle drafted

After not getting an NFL Combine invitation, Boyd helped his case when he had 38 reps on the bench press at UNI’s pro day. He now brings size and strength to a Saints defensive line that was tied for 28th in the NFL last year with only 34 sacks.

What they’re saying: Boyd “is the physical type to do the dirty work, while last year's first-round selection of Bryan Bresee can shoot gaps,” Bleacher Report’s Brent Sobleski wrote.

Comments: john.steppe@thegazette.com

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