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Which undrafted free agents from Iowa, Iowa State, UNI found best fits in NFL
Noah Shannon among players to have favorable landing spots
IOWA CITY — The path to an NFL team’s 53-man roster is far from easy for an undrafted free agent.
Former Iowa safety Kaevon Merriweather made the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ roster last year, but he was the exception from the state of Iowa.
His Iowa teammate Monte Pottebaum retired from football more than a month before the 2023 NFL season. Former Iowa linebacker Seth Benson lasted most of the month of August before getting cut. Iowa State’s M.J. Anderson also did not make an NFL roster.
Northern Iowa’s Benny Sapp III eventually saw game action for Green Bay in 2023, but that was after starting the year on the Packers’ practice squad.
As three Hawkeyes, one Cyclone and two Panthers try to make the same jump Merriweather did last year, here is a look at how well they currently fit with their new NFL teams:
Iowa DL Noah Shannon
Team: Las Vegas Raiders
Earning a spot on an NFL training camp roster is an impressive enough feat by itself for Noah Shannon after he missed the entire 2023 season with a sports wagering suspension. Now, his opportunity with the Raiders appears to be relatively favorable.
Christian Wilkins, John Jenkins and Adam Butler are the Raiders’ top three defensive tackles. Byron Young was a third-rounder in 2023 who played in six games as a rookie.
After that, there are potentially two roster spots up for grabs at the position. Shannon’s current competition includes one other undrafted free agent and a trio of NFL players who combined to appear in four games last year.
Iowa EDGE Joe Evans
Team: Baltimore Ravens
Joe Evans is expected to make the move from being a 4-3 defensive end at Iowa to being a 3-4 outside linebacker with the Ravens.
The Ravens already have four outside linebackers with decent NFL resumes — veteran Kyle Van Noy, former first-rounder Odafe Oweh, former second-rounder David Obajo and immediately-contributing 2023 rookie Tavius Robinson.
If Baltimore is willing to take a fifth outside linebacker, Evans' main competition would appear to just be Malik Hamm, who did not see game action after signing as an undrafted free agent in 2023. Otherwise, Evans’ path to the 53-man roster would be more difficult.
Iowa TE Steven Stilianos
Team: Tennessee Titans
It’s been an impressive past nine months for Steven Stilianos, who has gone from being the fourth-string tight end at Iowa to having a shot at an NFL roster. Making the Titans’ 53-man roster would require another four impressive months.
The Titans’ top two tight ends from last year — Chigoziem Okonkwo and Josh Whyle — are back for 2024. Stilianos’ competition for the third tight end spot includes 2023 practice squad player Thomas Odukoya and fellow undrafted free agent David Martin-Robinson.
Iowa State S Ben Nikkel
Team: Washington Commanders
Ben Nikkel will be competing in a young-but-talented Commanders secondary.
Darrick Forrest, Jeremy Chinn and Percy Butler have all started 10-plus games in either of the last two seasons. Quan Martin, meanwhile, played 365 defensive snaps last season, according to Pro Football Focus. After that, there is a drop-off in talent.
Nikkel’s competition for what might be one roster spot includes five-year player Jeremy Reaves, 2024 fifth-round selection Dominique Hampton and fellow undrafted free agent Tyler Owens of Texas Tech.
UNI CB Woo Governor
Team: Las Vegas Raiders
Woo Governor certainly does not have the easiest path to a 53-man roster in Las Vegas.
Three of the seven cornerbacks on the Raiders’ active roster before the draft had 300-plus defensive snaps last year, per PFF. That’s in addition to Brandon Facyson, who had 17 career starts before joining the Raiders in 2023.
The Raiders also used fourth and seventh-round picks, respectively, on cornerbacks Decamerion Richardson from Mississippi State and M.J. Devonshire from Pittsburgh.
UNI WR Sam Schnee
Team: Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans already have plenty of returning experience at the wide receiver position, highlighted by several-time Pro Bowler DeAndre Hopkins.
Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, Kyle Philips and Treylon Burks — all three had 15 or more receptions last year — are among the other returning wideouts. The Titans then made a splash with the signing of former Falcons standout Calvin Ridley and used a sixth-round pick on Tulane’s Jha’Quan Jackson.
If the six aforementioned players all make the 53-man roster, there could be potentially one roster spot open for Schnee, one other undrafted free agent and three players already on the active roster to vie for.
Things to note
- How teams allocate roster spots among positions can vary from year to year. What appears to be two open roster spots right now, for example, might actually be one (or three) in August.
- These outlooks come with plenty of fluidity. As NFL free agency continues, a favorable situation for an undrafted free agent in April might not remain favorable in August.
- Players who have received minicamp invitations are not included. They have an especially uphill climb to try to get on an NFL roster.
Comments: john.steppe@thegazette.com
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