Locked On Hawkeyes - Daily Podcast On Iowa Hawkeyes Football & Basketball - Iowa Football: Which Hawkeyes are going to play in the NFL next year?

Episode Date: May 4, 2022

Today I sit down and talk about the Hawkeye's NFL draftees as well as the Iowa players who were able to secure Free Agent deals after the draft was completed. Tyler Linderbaum and Dane Belton were the only two Hawkeyes that cracked their way into one of the seven rounds of this years draft with Linderbaum being taken 25th overall by the Ravens and Belton being taken by the Giants with the 114th overall pick in the 4th round. Other notable Hawkeyes that snagged Free Agent deals include Tyler Goodson with the Packers, Jack Koerner with the Saints, and Zach VanValkenburg with the Raiders.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 “LOCKED15,” and you’ll get 15% off your next order.BetOnlineBetOnline.net has you covered this season with more props, odds and lines than ever before. BetOnline – Where The Game Starts!Rock AutoAmazing selection. Reliably low prices. All the parts your car will ever need. Visit RockAuto.com and tell them Locked On sent you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You are Locked on Hawkeyes, your daily podcast on the Iowa Hawkeyes. Part of the Locked on Podcast Network, your team every day. Welcome back, Hawkeye Nation, to another episode of the Locked on Hawkeyes podcast, your daily podcast covering your Iowa Hawkeyes on the Locked on Podcast Network. As always, I am your host, Wright Hillpiper, and I want to thank you all for making the Locked on Hawkeyes podcast your very first listen every single day. You can find the Locked on Hawkeyes podcast for free wherever you get your podcasts at, and also on YouTube by searching Locked on Hawkeyes podcast for free wherever you get your podcasts at and also on YouTube by searching Locked on Hawkeyes.

Now before we get into anything today, I want to start out by apologizing for the very late post today. I have had several things going on in my life right now that are affecting a lot of things with school going on and just life in general. I'm getting ready to move back home. So things have been a little hectic for me right now. And I do apologize. This is probably going to be a little bit shorter of an episode today. I do not have a story of the day today. And I realize that the draft coverage episode is long overdue. And I sincerely apologize for that. As I said, I'm in the middle of finals for college and getting ready

to make the two hour move back home tomorrow. So I've been extremely busy the last couple of days, but I'm doing my best to make sure that I'm posting quality content for you guys. And since I'll be moving back home tomorrow, that means that I can set up my home studio and get things started back up again on YouTube. So YouTube posts should be starting back up again either tomorrow or the day after. It just depends on when I get everything set up back home. And over the summer, I'll be working construction Monday through Friday. So I'll be getting off around 6, I believe, every day. So hopefully episodes will be posted with a little bit more consistently time-wise.

In the evening, I'm going to have an insane busy summer since I'll be working two other jobs on top of the podcast. So I will continue to do my very best to get quality content out for you guys and report on the stuff that you guys want to hear. So once again, I'm very sorry. I haven't been very active on Twitter, on Instagram or anything like that.

I've just had a lot going on. So once school is out for me, I believe my last finals are tomorrow. So once I have everything set and gone, then I should be able to focus a little bit more on the podcast and get things figured out so that you guys actually wanna come back and listen to this podcast every day.

So I appreciate the continued support, the continued patience. It means a lot from you guys since I'm just starting out. So thank you, thank you, thank you for that. So let's get right into things today. The NFL draft coverage, you know the NFL draft was just a few days ago. And if you watched the NFL draft this past Thursday, or if you don't live under a rock,

then you know that Mr. Tyler Linderbaum himself, the Iowa-grown corn-fed boy, was taken with the 25th overall pick by the Baltimore Ravens. Excuse me, with the Ravens pick, Linderbaum became the fifth Iowa offensive lineman to be taken in the first round of the draft, and he joins the list that is currently occupied by Brian Balaga, who was taken with the 23rd overall pick back in 2010 by the Packers. Riley Reif, who was also taken with the 23rd overall pick by the Lions back in 2012. Brandon Sheriff, who was taken by the now-named Commanders with the 5th overall pick back in 2015.

And the most recent before Lederbaum was Tristan Wirfs, who was taken by the Bucs with the 13th overall pick just a few years ago in 2019. And I tell you what, I will never forgive the 49ers for trading that pick with the Bucs because as you know, Wirfs was and still is a beast of an offensive lineman. So I regret I regret, you know, I regret being a 49ers fan every day that every day since then. But regardless, anyway, we all know that Linderbaum was one of the great, one of, if not the greatest offensive lineman to ever play for the Hawkeyes. But, you know, regardless of that, I want to talk about his accolades for a second. As a sophomore back in 2019, according to Pro Football Focus,

Linderbaum earned a season grade of above 90, which is extremely impressive for a sophomore with that little experience. And then in his senior year this past season, he earned a grade of above 95. I believe it was 95.2, by the way, is the highest season grade by a center of all time. Besides the physical grades, Linderbaum is a two-time All-Big Ten first-team selection and had one of, if not the most, and I believe it is the most, impressive seasons that anyone has seen

at the center position in all of college football last year. Linderbaum was a unanimous All-American. If you don't know what that means, it means that not a single person voted against him to not beous All-American. If you don't know what that means, it means that not a single person voted against him to not be an All-American. That's pretty obvious, but still, the Big Ten, excuse me, he was a Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year. He was awarded the Remington Trophy, which is given to the best center in the nation, and he was also a finalist for the ironically named Outland Trophy, which is

awarded to the nation's best interior lineman. Yes, I know it was named after a guy that went to, or excuse me, it was named after a guy with the last name Outland. I just think it's funny that it's called the Outland Trophy and it's given to an interior lineman. But regardless, according to Iowa's offensive coordinator, Brian F ferentz linderbaum is quote like a unicorn he's so good he's on a different level than most players that is not how i would personally describe linderbaum uh but you know ferentz just kind of does what he wants to uh and says what he wants to so i would describe describe him more as like, you know, like a gorilla or a polar bear, not like a mythical, magical, you know, creature, but whatever.

Anyways, we already know that Linderbaum's legacy will be cemented in Hawkeye's history until the end of time, but it doesn't seem like Linderbaum is carrying all those awards and accolades to the NFL, per se. carrying all those awards and accolades to the NFL per se. Physically, yes, but mentally, no. But don't take that the wrong way because Linderbaum is fully determined to make a statement when his time comes to put on a Ravens jersey and jog onto that field with Lamar Jackson and company. Linderbaum spoke in an interview last week with the Des Moines Register, and he said, quote, I've got to prove myself in the NFL. I'm sure there's

plenty, excuse me, there's been plenty of times when people talk about a player and think they're going to be the next big thing. Then they get to the NFL and they don't play a single snap. I don't want to be that guy. The first person that I thought of when I read this quote was Jamarcus Russell. I know that he did play. He was just one of the biggest busts in the NFL with a lot of hype coming out of college, along with Ryan Leaf. Everybody knows who Ryan Leaf is. He was a great player in college, and then he came to the NFL and sucked beyond all imagined. Anyways, so it's evident that Linderbaum is confident in his abilities, but at the same time, he knows there's a lot of pressure that comes along with being drafted that high. And I think that at this point, he's just focusing

on trying to live up to those expectations and playing the best version of football that he possibly can, which is amazing to see. I'm glad that he's going to, you know, kind of stick to the mantra of being humble and, you know, not, not letting those accolades carry his, uh, his future career. He really wants people to see him as a great lineman and not as just some guy, uh, with all of these awards that say he's a great lineman. He really wants his, you know, his production and his worth to be shown on the field. He doesn't want critics to just be like, oh, well, you know, he was a great guy coming out of college, but he really was terrible in the NFL. And I don't think that's how Linderbaum is going to end up. I think he's going to be, you know, a good, you know, good, great, whatever you want to call it. He's going to be a powerhouse in the NFL. He was one of, if not, I'm going to stop saying one of, he was the best center in the nation this past season. And he's consistently been very, very good at that center position. So I think that he's really going to be able to prosper in the NFL. I wish him all the best of luck, so congratulations to Tyler Linderbaum for being drafted with the 25th overall pick

to the Baltimore Ravens. Now, before we get into the next segment, I want to talk about BetOnline really, really fast. BetOnline.net is your number one source for all of your betting stats and sports info. Find all of the latest sports developments, league reviews, and news, including this year's basketball playoffs, the start of the Major League Baseball season, and this weekend's run to the roses as the Kentucky Derby is back. BetOnline is your continued source for all of your sporting wagering information, from live betting to playoffs to esports and more. So head to their website today or use your mobile device to learn more about the trends and action.

Once again, that is betonline.net and BetOnline is where the game starts. Now, Dane Belton. Actually, before I talk about Dane Belton, I was going to do this at the beginning of the episode, but I completely forgot. My San Francisco 49ers took Brock Purdy as Mr. Irrelevant with the final pick in the draft. I think it's funny that a kid from Iowa is Mr. Irrelevant. Congrats to Brock Purdy and all of the rest of the Iowa State guys, Brees Hall as well, that were drafted in this year's draft. I'm sure they're all going to do great. I know that this is an Iowa Hawkeyes centered podcast, but I wanted to show some love to Iowa State as well. You know,

they're, you know, they're, they're all Iowa guys fighting for the exact same thing. So they deserve some credit as well. So congratulations to all of those guys. I wish them the best of luck in their future endeavors. Now, Dane Belton. I love Dane Belton. I love him. I love him so, so much as a player, and don't take that the wrong way, okay? But Dane Belton is a freak of nature in a lot of ways. And now, in the modern days of the National Football League, it's become extremely important for defensive players, especially defensive backs, to be extremely versatile. And DBs nowadays are considered valuable if they can play multiple aspects on the field, including anything from zone coverage to man coverage to stopping a team's run game to even contributing on special teams and when they're

called upon to do so, of course. And luckily for the New York Giants, Dane Belton is a guy who is fully capable of doing all of those things. Belton was taken in the fourth round by the Giants, Dane Belton is a guy who is fully capable of doing all of those things. Belton was taken in the fourth round by the Giants with the 114th overall pick and is the 17th defensive back to be taken in the draft since Kirk Ferentz was named head coach back in 1998. Along with being a part of a record-breaking Hawkeyes defense last year that excuse me, that racked up a season record, excuse me, school record of 25 interceptions. Belton also earned first-team All-Big Ten honors in his junior season. During his three years with the Hawkeyes, Belton primarily played at that signature cash position on Iowa's defense, which is sort of a safety linebacker hybrid

position that Iowa has coined over the last few seasons. And now, although obviously not created by the Hawkeyes, the cash position has really been growing in popularity in the college football world in the last few years, as well as the NFL, mostly used by teams when they need to have an extra defensive back on the field that can also stop the run game if needed. Personally, I don't think that Belton was drafted because he was, you know, the best quote potential option at the defensive back spot. And now don't get me wrong, Belton was one of the better defensive back players in this year's draft, but, you know, there was too much hype surrounding guys like, you know, Sauce Gardner out of Cincinnati and Derek Stingley out of LSU, you know, for Belton to look at, you know,

be looked at seriously by a lot of teams. But I also believe that Belton will have more of an impact in the league to start out than any of those other guys because he has so much versatility. He can cover receivers in the open field. He can, you know, in the next play after that, he can stop a fullback dive straight up the middle. Teams are starting to, you know, go after guys who can do more, excuse me, that can do more than their position, you know, title expresses. And look at guys like Debo Samuel, you know what I mean? Granted,

he plays offense and started out as a wide receiver that transferred or, you know, transitioned into a sort of wide receiver running back hybrid, but he's a great example of the main reason why teams are seeking out these guys who can do more than, you know, just what's on their NFL resumes. NFL offenses and defenses continue to get smarter and smarter and play calling continues to become more and more advanced. So especially for defenses, ways have to be found on how to not only outwork your opponents, but also outsmart them. Excuse me. And seriously, it's just, it's so amazing to see that he was drafted even this high. I expected him to

go a little bit lower, but I also believe that, you know, excuse me, sorry. As you know, before Belton, the star of my Madden franchise team, Amani Hooker, was Iowa's prime defensive player at the cash position and was taken in the fourth round by the Titans back in 2019. Back in 2019, during the draft process, many teams compared Belton to Hooker, and Belton has said that it was a way for teams to get a general idea of his on-the-field skills and on-the-field versatility. And Belton said in an interview with the Des Moines Register last week on Thursday, quote, Every team I've talked to really loves how I can play multiple positions. Being able to play that nickel position, a lot of teams have talked about how that's their almost base package,

especially with tight ends in the league now. Being able to do multiple things really intrigues teams and hopefully leads to success for me. Now, personally, I cannot wait to see Dane Belton cover George Kittle this season. Two former Iowa guys, George Kittle plays for my favorite team, the Niners. I would really love to see that happen at some point this year. I don't know if it will, who knows if, you know, if Belton will even start this year. But I'd really love to see that happen. And maybe it'll happen next year if it doesn't happen this year. I realize that the Ravens and the Niners are not, you know, not in the same division or anything like that, so they don't get

to play twice a year. But still, I would really love to see that happen. It gets me excited to see what Belton's going to be able to do in the league. There's so many other Iowa guys in the league currently on offense as well as defense, so it's great to see that many of these Iowa guys are coming into the league and having these prosperous seasons. And personally, when I think about that, I think about guys like George Kittle and Tristan Wirfs, who both of these guys have either made it to a Super Bowl or won a Super Bowl with their teams in the first five years

that they've been in the league. So congrats to both of them as well, both Iowa guys. I'm glad to see that Iowa is starting to put more and more guys into the league every single year that have more and more talent year after year. So hats off to Belton, hats off to Linderbaum as well for getting into the league, being drafted by those teams. Now, before we wrap things up today, again, I apologize for it being a little bit shorter of an episode. I'm currently recording this at 11.38 p.m. on Tuesday night. So I'm really, really tired, but I really wanted to make sure I got some quality content out for you guys today. Let's talk about the free agent signings that Iowa had that did not quite make it in the draft,

but were ultimately made it to teams and signed contracts. Tyler Goodson at the running back position was signed by the Green Bay Packers. Matt Hankins at the cornerback position was signed by the Atlanta Falcons. Jack Corner at the safety position was signed by the New Orleans Saints. Kyler Schott at the guard spot was signed by Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He's going to do amazing things next to Tristan Wirfs. I can't wait to see that happen. Caleb Shudak, the kicker, obviously it was signed by the Tennessee Titans. Glad to see he made it there. And of course, Zach Van Valkenburg, who I was kind of surprised did not go in the draft, even in, you know,

maybe the sixth or seventh round. I was surprised that he, you know, he didn't make it off the board. But regardless, he will be playing defensive end this upcoming season for the Las Vegas Raiders. So congratulations to the eight Iowa Hawkeyes that made it into the league after this season. I'm extremely proud of all of you guys, and I really hope that all of you are going to succeed. Caleb Shudak specifically, I can't wait to see what he does at that kicking spot. I think I have a thing for kickers and punters and special team guys, maybe because that's what I wanted to do when I was in high school. I wanted to be a punter. I was left-footed though, obviously, so it's a little hard to be good at that spot. But regardless, enough about me. Congratulations to all of these guys who made it into the league. I cannot wait to see how these guys prosper.

There's a couple of notable guys on there who I thought would go in the draft, mostly Jack Corner, Tyler Goodson, and Zach Van Valkenburg. I thought all of those guys would have ended up going in the draft at some point, even if it was in the 4th, 5 fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh rounds, whatever. It doesn't matter. I thought all of those guys were going to, you know, make their way into the draft at some point. But regardless, they are obviously good enough to land free agent contracts with these teams. So once again, congratulations to all of those guys.

And that is going to be it for today's episode. Once again, I apologize for the shorter length of today's episode, but I really just wanted to make sure I got all of the draft coverage out of the way. I realize it is late. It is Tuesday, so I'm a little behind on the draft coverage, but I had LaShawn Daniels on the episode yesterday. We had about an hour-long talk about the upcoming season with the Hawkeyes and the importance of those games as well as the season as a whole. So you're welcome to go check out that episode. And once again, I will be back home tomorrow for good, hopefully.

So I should be able to get YouTube started back up either tomorrow or the day after. Just depends on when I can get that studio at my house set up. Thank you all for tuning into today's episode. I really appreciate your patience once again, and I appreciate your support as I am still new to this podcast. Thank you all for tuning in today. You're welcome to go check out the Locked on Iowa, excuse me, the Locked on Hawkeyes pages on Twitter and on Instagram at Locked on Iowa. And you're welcome to follow me on Instagram as Twitter as well on Twitter as well at Rye Hill. You can go check me out on there.

Go give me a follow and hit me up with any questions that you guys have any questions, comments, concerns about the podcast. I welcome you to give me criticism, constructive criticism about the podcast. I would like to know, you know, tell me what I'm doing wrong. Tell me what I can do better and tell me what I'm doing good at. I'd love to hear all of those things from you guys. So once again, thank you all for tuning into today's episode and I will see you all tomorrow.