Locked On Hawkeyes - Daily Podcast On Iowa Hawkeyes Football & Basketball - Iowa Football NFL Draft Recap & Iowa Baseball splits with Penn State

Episode Date: May 1, 2023

Trent Condon is back to look at the 2023 NFL Draft and how it went for the Iowa Hawkeye football players.The Packers took Lukas Van Ness at #13, we get into the fit in Green Bay.The Lions select both Jack Campbell and Sam LaPorta and both look to be instant starters in Detroit.Riley Moss is going to Denver to play cornerback.And the chances for the undrafted free agents, Kaevon Merriweather, Monte Pottebaum & Seth Benson.Plus a split for Iowa baseball.Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!Built BarBuilt Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKEDON15,” and you’ll get 15% off your next order.FanDuelMake Every Moment More. Don’t miss the chance to get your No Sweat First Bet up to ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS in Bonus Bets when you go FanDuel.com/LOCKEDON.FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Four Iowa Hawkeyes go in the first round of the NFL Draft. Who's going to make the biggest impact? Who's got a chance to break into the lineup right away? We break it all down today. Plus, those undrafted free agents. Who's got the best chance to stick? Plus, a little Iowa baseball after a split over the weekend against Penn State. A busy day on Locked on Hawkeyes.

Our Locked on Hawkeyes. Your daily podcast on the Iowa Hawkeyes. Part of the Locked on Hawkeyes. Our Locked on Hawkeyes, your daily podcast on the Iowa Hawkeyes. Part of the Locked on Podcast Network, your team every day. Hey, welcome in. I'm Trent Condon, and this is the Lockdown Hawkeyes podcast. Thanks for making Lockdown Hawkeyes your first listen every day. Today's episode is brought to you by FanDuel Sportsbook, official sportsbook of Lockdown. Make every moment more. Visit FanDuel.com slash locked on today to get started. Starting things off with a recap of what we saw over the weekend. I was in Kansas City for the opening round of the NFL

draft and what a just incredible environment that they put together there. I've been to Kansas City plenty of times and never been in the Union Station area though, at least right where the draft was set up and what a scene that it was. Just an absolute picture-perfect venue for an event like that. Of course, he had the ability for the people up close. I talked to some people that, yes, got those tickets up close or had the opportunity to purchase them at $2,500 a pop. Not exactly for me. Didn't need to be that close to the action. We were way back there, but I'll tell you, even being way back,

just being part of that environment, how cool it was. The beers were flowing, $13 at a time, but we had a great time in Kansas City. And of course, got to see two Hawkeyes off the board to get things started. So we're going to run through the prospects today, talk about each of the four guys that were drafted, their positions, what it's going to look like, their opportunity to stick. You know, this is such a big part of Iowa football fandom. You don't have to be a big NFL fan to be somebody that can be enamored with the NFL and not have an individual team. Now, most everybody does have their team that they root for. I understand that, but it's just so cool on a Sunday to flip on a random game. You know, you might be stuck with something that doesn't have a whole lot of rooting interest

for you, but more times than not, you're going to have a Hawkeye out there. And that continues here with the four guys that were drafted, three guys that will have an opportunity at minimum in the undrafted venue, making their way to camp and possibly making a roster. So we're going to talk about all those prospects. Also got to get into a little baseball here today, but I'm a big fan of the NFL. College football is always number one for me when it comes to my football fandom. And it's not just the Iowa perspective of it.

It's everything. I like the pageantry. I like everything that goes along with the college experience, the difference that you see in the game where, you know, the NFL is pretty cookie cutter. Yeah, there has been an evolution. There's been changes. But ultimately, you have a quarterback, you got a quarterback, you got a chance. In college, you can do things a little bit differently.

And obviously, we've seen that at the University of Iowa with some OK quarterback play throughout the years, but nothing at elite level and all the success that the Hawkeyes have had. So let's kick things off at the top pick for the Iowa perspective. And that is, of course, is Lucas Van Ness. No, no surprise that Van Ness went off the board when we went through and pre-draft went through my predictions. Item going at number nine to the Bears. The Bears traded down a pick to number 10, ultimately took an offensive tackle with that pick. He ends up though going in the NFC North and going to the Green Bay Packers. So this one's really intriguing for Van Ness. Of course, you have the component of exactly how he fits in a 3-4 scheme. That's a transition going from the 4-3 to a 3-4. Now he's already a big guy, all right? We've talked about his physicality, the way that he is

just physically put together. Looks like Hercules, that was his nickname in the locker room early on in his tenure at the University of Iowa. So you have that component with Van Ness. The other component, though, with him, a lot of people talk about the pass rush and just how good he is off the edge, the speed, along with the punch that he has, doing those kind of things. So most people believe that he's going to be a 5 technique in the 3-4 that the Packers run. Now, possibly he can move inside, but the 5 technique is an outside linebacker. Not an outside linebacker as maybe you think of it in the Iowa scheme. Yeah, that wouldn't make a whole lot of sense.

In a 3-4, it is different, and he'll be playing the 5 technique at least early on. And if he gets bigger, you know, if he still adds to that frame and puts on another 15 pounds, maybe he becomes a defensive end in the 3-4. But I think it makes a whole lot of sense for him starting out in that route. He's going to be able to get to the quarterback. I don't think there's any problem with that. And really a high upside guy.

We continue to talk about lucas van ness being that high impact player early on in his tenure when you keep it simple when it is simply be a pass rusher do these types of things now he also is going to have to work on having a few more moves in his repertoire there's got to be a little bit more than just the power guy that he had had that spin move from time to time he's going to add more to the game in order to get to that highest level and an absolute perfect Packers pick right now you know I one thing I pondered he grew up a Bears fan growing up a Bears fan yes you're getting paid you're going there but just how odd it's got to be especially and I don't know how hardcore of a Bears fan Lucas VNS was but I mean just got to be a especially, and I don't know how hardcore of a Bears fan Lucas Vanness was, but I mean, just got to be a little bit weird. I understand it's business. You're playing football. You don't

care about the other team, but maybe the first time he plays the Bears, I don't know. Maybe that's just my stupid Bears fandom starting to peak through there. But I am betting on Lucas Vanness. I think he is more of a developmental guy. His best football still in front of him. We've talked about that in the past, but every day or certainly know that I like what Van Ness is I know what his upside can be and he can ultimately become an elite level pass rusher in this league I think there's that kind of upside then we go to one of the first surprise of the NFL draft now a bigger one might have come at number 12 with the Detroit Lions as they went out and got Gibbs the running back back from Alabama. A little bit of a misnomer, too. In today's day and age, he is a perfect complement. Elite level speed, but what he does as a pass catcher, I think is going to be very good for the Lions.

But they got another pick. They're sitting at 18, and what happens? They make the call. Jack Campbell. Of course, Dan Campbell, the head coach there, he loves tough guys, right? And you're not going to find a tougher guy to play in the middle of your defense than what you're going to get with Jack Campbell. He is a day one starter. He is going to go in there. You know, people continually talked about the Lions. Did they miss on this pick because they could have got him later?

And I completely get that. I understand some of the temptation out there and wanting to get value, right? You want to have that value. If you can get a guy at 28, you don't want to take him to 18. Completely understand it. Here's the problem. You got to have teams that are willing to move up. You have to have teams that are willing to take those phone calls and do those kind of

things. And if nobody's willing, you take the guy that you want. And there was no doubt about it. The Lions absolutely positively wanted Jack Campbell. We know what he is as a football player. He is an elite-level athlete with huge size, 6'5", 249 pounds. What you wonder is how it's going to translate in the passing game. We've seen guys like Fred Warner in the middle be able to get great depth

at that middle linebacker spot, and that makes them impactful, not just as a run stuffer and doing the things that we've all remembered middle linebackers being able to do. Going back to way back in the day, we're talking about Dick Buckus and company all the way to today. That's what your middle linebacker does in the run game. The pass game though, as it's evolved in the NFL, you got to be able to do both. And with the size, with the speed, I think that Jack Campbell has a chance to be not just good elite. I believe Jack Campbell is going to be a multi-time pro bowler. I think he's going to be an all pro. I think he has a chance if he stays healthy to be a guy that we are talking about for a long, long time. The Lions are on the come. They are the betting choice right now at

FanDuel to win the NFC North. They are one of the betting favorites to win the NFC and get to the Super Bowl. Yeah, we're talking about the Detroit Lions. And if it was any other logo on the side of their helmets, I might agree with it. I can't get, well, for me, 43 years of awfulness get off the page. But they are doing things the right way, and they are set up in an incredible way. Jack Campbell, he goes there, but he was not alone. We'll continue in our run-through here of the NFL Hawkeye draft picks

as we will go to the second round, the Lions with another selection. We will get into that, talk about, of course, Sam Laporta, Riley Moss, and the undrafted guys. How good of a chance do those guys have of sticking after they sign their deals? Seth Benson, Kayvon Merriweather, and Monty Ponebaum. We'll get into that as we roll through. Plus a little Iowa baseball all today here. More in a moment.

This is the Locked On Hawkeyes podcast. Today's episode of Locked On Hawkeyes is brought to you by FanDuel. Time to make a fast break to FanDuel right now during the NBA playoffs. Right now, new customers can get a no-sweat first bet up to $1,000. That's $1,000 back in bonus bets if your first bet doesn't win. Great promotions going on. Of course, we got to see a Game 7 today. Disappointing, though Keegan Murray was very good once again

and, well, shut me up from where we were a week ago when I was wondering where Keegan was. He turned it around as that series went on. Certainly looked the part. You got to feel big things going forward. But that means we get Lakers Warriors in the second round. Yeah, sign me up for that. Suns Nuggets already underway. We get the Sixers and the Celtics.

They're going to get started in game one also today with the Heat. How are they doing it? I have no clue. They keep winning games. Hey, no better place for you to bet on all the playoff action than America's number one sportsbook. Visit FanDuel.com slash locked on and get that no sweat first bet up to a thousand dollars. That's FanDuel.com slash locked on fanduel official sports betting partner of the nba trent kata back with you again here on locked on hawkeyes as always thanks for making locked on hawkeyes your first listen every day so tip two picks down with an iowa perspective two more to go thought we were gonna going to get five. It didn't happen. Let's get into that second round.

So after Thursday night finishes up, I do my radio show Friday from Char Bar down in Kansas City. And a little bit bleary-eyed. I tied one on Thursday night. I was hanging out with my youngest cousin on my mom's side of the family, young Dalton. And the youngster drank me under the table. I couldn't keep up with the young buck anymore. And I was feeling it come Friday morning. That is for sure.

I got up, though, raring to go, and as we were talking about things, a lot of the conversation was Matthew Mayer was still there. He had the kid from Oregon State. A lot of people really liked having an injury-plagued season for him this season. Then he had Laporta, and the question was, well, Mayer's going to go first out of these tight ends And then he had Laporta. And the question was, well,

Mare's going to go first out of these tight ends, but where's Laporta going to go? And I just had a sneaking suspicion that there were a couple of teams that still had Laporta higher than Mare because though Mare was an incredible talent, that Notre Dame offense had all kinds of issues a year ago. They didn't have a whole lot of juice in the passing game,

much like the Iowa Hawkeyes. He is still more of that inline guy. And Laporta, he is the full combination. Does he have work to do at the NFL level as a blocker? Sure. Every tight end does. But the things that we saw CM Laporta do, the athleticism that he played on, what he did after a pretty big injury and coming back and playing what was a meaningless bowl game, I think said a lot. In a place like the Lions, with a coach like Dan Campbell, you can absolutely see why he wanted to have a guy like Sam Laporta in his room.

What a story he was, too. The Laporta guy grew up very close to Champaign. Illinois didn't want him. I believe maybe he got an offer late. It was after he was already locked and loaded to go to the University of Iowa. But Iowa was certainly out of those two, the first to identify from a small town there in downstate Illinois, a kid that would become a second round NFL draft pick. And it goes to show you again what playing tight end at the University

of Iowa means. And we go through, obviously, the T.J. Hawkinsons and the George Kittles of the world and go way back and what Anthony Mowiacki was. And on and on and on, we can play this game and we've seen so many good ones. Dallas Clark, and it's a long list. And it's not just those guys, but then it's that next tier of guys, the guys that carve out four, five, six, seven years in the league at the tight end position. Now, as a Hawkeye fan and somebody that cares more than anything about what the Hawkeyes do, it's incredibly frustrating when you see the recruiting world and you see Iowa involved in some of the top end prospects at the tight end position and why they can't see the light. They take guys like Laporta, an under-recruited guy. They take George Kittle and turn him into a guy that's selected

even without the statistical profile you think about and then what George Kittle obviously has become. This game, go back to, I don't know, an Eric Jansen. You think of some of the players deeper down and what they're able to do. That's amazing. Allen Reisner, guys that carve out a career, make some money in the league. Some of them get the four years, get vested, and they're able to make money

all throughout their lives. It's just it is wild that Iowa, their recruiting pitch, look, tight end is more valid at the University of Iowa than almost anywhere in the country. We put guys in the league, not just our starters, not just our studs, not just the Noah fans and the TJ Hockons. We put most everybody in the league and why they don't have

more success recruiting some of the tight end, top end tight ends that they recruit year after year. Hey, it still works. And I'll tell you, the room that they have right now at tight ends, we know about the starters and Luke Lachey and Eric Hall, but you throw in Addison Estrago, what we've seen from him just in the early portions of his career. Those are three more guys that are going to hear their name feels like in the NFL draft. We'll talk about the future prospects here in the later days and weeks here. You everydayers, you got to locked and loaded every day on the Lockdown Hawkeyes podcast, and we greatly appreciate that. Laporta goes at number 34, and one more selection, and that was Riley Moss.

Riley Moss, a guy that saw play a ton at the high school level, saw him on track and what he was able to do, track speed. So at the time, on Friday night, I was watching the ABC coverage. So it bounced around a little bit. Again, I was there Thursday, so didn't have a specific channel that I was watching because I was there and just given the feed that we were given being at the NFL draft. Friday night, bouncing around. And again, just happened.

I think maybe we're getting the kids ready for bed. I can't remember the timing exactly, or maybe I just laid them down, whatever it was. And on ABC right away, the first thing that jumps out to me is, then listen to safety. We went through this whole process at the Senior Bowl, and it was the lazy narrative, the white cornerback, he's got to be a safety, right? And it was a big part of the conversation with Rileyiley moss but to a t most every evaluator out there from scout to gm whatever range you're looking at said no riley moss at least to start he is going to be a cornerback and yet what is abc drought out there safety he's not a safety. Now we also got to see Riley sing a little bit. Got to see that piece of it as well. He's talking about his affinity for karaoke. You know,

it's just absolutely incredible. Just some of the laziness that still happens in spots like this. And if you just look at him and think, well, it's a white cornerback. There's no way he can stick. Look at the numbers. Look at what he did at a speed it's a white cornerback. There's no way he can stick. Look at the numbers. Look at what he did at a speed. This is a track guy. There's a guy that was an elite level track kid in high school. He's got the speed. He has the fluidity to be a cornerback.

Will it stick? We'll see. And he's got somebody that he's going to be able to learn on. And Patrick Sertain, who's already one of the best corners, if not in the top five of all of NFL. That's how good he is. There's depth there. He's not going to be asked to come in right away. And I also do wonder, you know, if there's teams, and I don't know this, if the Broncos are one of those teams that do look at him maybe as more of a slot corner or in a way what Iowa does with their

positioning with the cash. If they see him, maybe that can fill that kind of role depending on the different defensive versatility that teams have. Great to see though, an incredible kid comes from a great family. He's going to be out there doing his thing and I hope he sticks. He would be the first white cornerback

to start an NFL game since Jason Sehorne over 20 years ago. That is absolutely wild. Those are the selections in the NFL draft. We got some undrafted guys. What are the chances of Seth Benson, Amadi Potteman, and Kayvon Merriweather sticking with their teams?

It's a difficult road. Can they do it? We'll hit that plus little Iowa baseball over the weekend as we roll through on Locked on Hawkeyes. Trent Conner back with you one final time on the Locked on Hawkeyes podcast. Thanks for making Locked on Hawkeyes your first listen every day. So we go through the draft.

We got to see Lucas Van Ness. And if you're watching closely, maybe you saw some goofiness happening at the draft party there for Lucas Van Ness. You had dad, maybe a little grabby. You had some dude jumping on top and getting pulled off of him after the selection. Looked like a very fun time and a fun family there with the Van Nesses. Let's get into the three undrafted guys. Start with Bonnie Potamon.

Signs a deal with the Steelers. Now, here's the good news. Get all the roster information from our lads. Like our our lads uh it's a great nfl resource if you're an nfl fan giving you the depth chart giving where guys are coming from really good resource there in fact right now he's the only guy listed as fullback on the steelers now will they actually have a fullback there's plenty of teams that don't. It's not the old days. Fullback is not something that is destined

in all 32 other rosters, and certainly in the active roster, week in and week out. But no veterans around. Maybe a possibility. Going to be tough and at a position that's incredibly difficult. The other two guys, though,

I think are intriguing. Seth Benson is a player that, boy, he gave it his all for the Hawkeyes didn't he a little bit undersized a six foot sought off linebacker out there I just don't know what he is and going to a place like the Broncos who's already stacked up now get to go there with Riley Moss his former teammate he'll get to learn from Josie Jewell you know Josie's going to be working I'm sure to try to help him out as much as possible, but an incredibly difficult path in a very deep linebacker room. In a 3-4, is he an inside guy? Is he going to be big enough? You know, 6 foot, 232, that's tough. Outside, does he have the speed to do it? You wouldn't

feel he quite at that level to be an outside backer in a 3-4. He's kind of that tweener, and it's going to be, I think, a really difficult one for him. On the other side, gave on Merriweather how he wasn't picked. It's one of the more baffling things that we have seen, I think, in the NFL draft. A guy that was second team All-American did things. Now, I think at the NFL level, he's a tweener. He's not quite a free safety, not quite a strong safety, not big enough to be a strong safety, not the speed and versatility. Look at the free, and because of that, I'm sure that's the knock, but put in the tape. Put in the tape of Kayvon Merriweather over the last three years and what he is, and not just what he was as a player. I've always talked about him as leadership. We talk about Jack Campbell. Kayvon

Merriweather was such an important part of this team over the last three years. Would have just been great to hear his name called. But here's the great thing. He goes to a spot that is beautiful for him. Just three safeties on the roster right now in Tampa Bay. I'm sure they're bringing in probably some other undrafted safeties. It's not going to be Kayvon alone. But there is a real opportunity for him, not just to make the first cut, but really make a push to be part of the final roster. Kayvon Merriweather has that kind of talent, and I think he's got that kind of chance.

Really good spot for him, and that's a good thing. When you get to the late round of the draft, you're into the seventh round. Yeah, you hear your name called, it's really cool. Being Mr. Irrelevant, that's awesome. Brock Purdy kind of changed the complexion of that, but for the most part, those guys that are the final pick in the draft, they don't even make the team, and so many seventh-rounders don't. This is an opportunity to pick your spot, go to a place where you have a chance. If your agent is doing it right, it's not just looking at that best payday.

Who's going to give you the top signing bonus that you can get and get that 10 grand or whatever it is? No, no, no. Where do we have the best opportunity to stick? For that, Kayvon Merriweather found a perfect fit in Tampa Bay, and I think a real chance for him to make the final roster. We wrap things up in a weird weekend for Iowa baseball. So they split the two games on Saturday. Iowa at Penn State.

Penn State had been reeling a little bit. A rough start for Brody Brecht to get it going. Just could not find his command. Was walking guys all over the place. Now, Penn State wasn't getting hits, but they were giving him free bases. He got the walks. And Iowa was able to wait a battle back, get the victory in game one. Game two went the other way. Just a frustrating day overall, but then they don't even play on

Saturday. So they don't play Friday. They decided to play a doubleheader on Saturday. They get the two games in and then Sunday they knew it was going to be a wash. Iowa got on the plane and got back home and gets ready for their next set. You think, all right, Penn State had been struggling a little bit. How impactful is that going to be to the RPI? Not real impactful. Iowa still at 38 here after the series as the Hawkeyes now sit on the season at 27 and 11. Remember those non-D1 games do not count in your NCAA tournament resume.

They are now 8-6 in the Big 10 and in pretty good shape now going forward they got Illinois State coming up this week they have an RPI over 200 got to take care of business on that one on Tuesday and then Ohio State after that the Buckeyes come to town Friday Saturday and Sunday in Iowa City then two more series after that one with Michigan State and one with Northwestern the Wildcats are dreadful. Michigan State's pretty good. So opportunity still there. I was still in really good position to make it back to the NCAA tournament for the first time in five years. And with the game off, now this could impact though, not getting in the full three game series. This is something that actually could impact Iowa in a negative way as it pertains to, now if there was close to a tiebreaker, one last game at hand,

one last chance at a victory against Penn State. Maybe they fall down the ladder a little bit when it gets to the Big Ten tournament. Does look like, though, still in really good shape for the Big Ten tournament. At 8-6, your final team in the tournament right now is Rutgers. They are 8-7. Purdue, though, just sits above them at 10-8. Michigan, 9-6. Same with Nebraska. just sits above them at 10-8. Michigan 9-6, same with Nebraska. Of course, Iowa had the big series sweep against the Cornhuskers. Keep piling up those games. Michigan State will be a big one. They're second right now in the Big Ten. It'll be

the Buckeyes before that and Illinois State this week. Brody Breck, get that control back, and let's get rolling again with the Hawkeye baseball team. That'll do it for today. Thanks to our everydayers out there. Thanks for joining us every day. Coming up tomorrow, we're going to continue to look inside the portal as a portal comes to a close in football, at least when you can enter it. We'll talk about some of the rules that are out there, and is Iowa basketball doing anything?

That's coming up tomorrow here on lockdown Hawkeyes. Thanks for making lockdown Hawkeyes. Your first listen every day. We'll talk to you again tomorrow. Go Hawks.