Six Hawkeyes taken in 2012 NFL Draft
Posted on 28. Apr, 2012 by admin in Iowa Football
By Brendan Stiles
HawkeyeDrive.com
For the third straight year, Iowa saw a record six of its players selected in the NFL Draft after five more players were selected on Saturday between rounds 4-7.
Left tackle Riley Reiff was selected 23rd overall by the Detroit Lions on Thursday, but it took 109 picks before the second Hawkeye came off the board. With the 132nd overall pick, defensive tackle Mike Daniels was taken by the Green Bay Packers. It was the Packers’ second selection of an Iowa player in the last three years and Daniels was the fourth defensive lineman picked over the last two years.
Daniels said during a conference call with the Green Bay media the Packers were the only team he had an official visit with while he was in Indianapolis last February for the NFL Combine. Packers defensive coordinator Dom Capers said they came away impressed with Daniels after they interviewed him.
“We think he’s an ‘all-football’ guy,” Capers said during a press conference in Green Bay on Saturday. “He brings a lot of energy. Very productive.
“He has very good quickness, a good motor. He’s playing hard all the time. We like what he’ll bring here to our front.”
A pair of Hawkeyes were then taken in the fifth round. The Washington Redskins used the 141st overall pick to take right guard Adam Gettis, who was the second Iowa offensive lineman to come off the board.
Fifteen selections later, the Cincinnati Bengals took cornerback Shaun Prater with the 156th overall pick. Prater is the fourth Iowa corner to be picked in the last five years.
During a press conference in Cincinnati on Saturday, Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis praised Prater’s ability to play in coverage, citing that as a reason why they thought highly of him. He also believes Prater will be able to compete as a gunner on the Bengals’ special teams unit as well.
Prater revealed on a conference call with the Cincinnati media that he got a call from the city’s area code that initially hung out, thinking it was a prank call. When he saw the same number call again, he said he kept his fingers crossed.
“I looked up at the TV and it said the Bengals had the next pick and I saw that they needed a cornerback,” Prater said. “I just took a deep breath and just prayed to God that this was real.
“Now I have a chance to go prove myself.”
In the sixth round, wide receiver Marvin McNutt finally heard his name called when the Philadelphia Eagles picked Iowa’s record-shattering wideout with the 194th overall selection. McNutt goes to Philadelphia one year after the Eagles took former offensive lineman Julian Vandervelde with a fifth-round pick in 2011.
In an interview with philadelphiaeagles.com, McNutt said he describes himself as “a playmaker and a competitor.” To that point, he also said being taken as late as he was while numerous other receivers were being picked would make him even more competitive.
“It’s a competitive league in itself, so it’s going to be something to look at years back,” McNutt said. “But I definitely plan on improving and being a part of this Philly family and just basically make my way to the lineup.”
Eagles head coach Andy Reid said during a press conference in Philadelphia that his “inside source” on McNutt was defensive coordinator Juan Castillo, who is the father of Iowa cornerback Greg Castillo.
“I think what you’ll see with Marvin is a big, physical receiver with great hands, a good character kid, very strong to the ball,” Reid said. “He’s a smooth athlete who is big.”
The last Hawkeye taken in the 2012 draft was safety Jordan Bernstine, who joins Gettis in Washington after the Redskins selected him with the 217th overall pick. Bernstine became the second strong safety to be drafted in as many years after former safety Tyler Sash went to the New York Giants last year.
Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan told reporters in Washington on Saturday that he envisions Bernstine as a safety in the Redskins’ system.
In all, 18 players have been taken out of Iowa over the past three years.
2012 NFL DRAFT:
Round 1 (23rd overall) — Riley Reiff, OT, Detroit Lions
Round 4 (132nd overall) — Mike Daniels, DT, Green Bay Packers
Round 5 (141st overall) — Adam Gettis, OG, Washington Redskins
Round 5 (156th overall) — Shaun Prater, CB, Cincinnati Bengals
Round 6 (194th overall) — Marvin McNutt, WR, Philadelphia Eagles
Round 7 (217th overall) — Jordan Bernstine, S, Washington Redskins
UNDRAFTED FREE AGENTS:
Markus Zusevics, OT, New England Patriots
Broderick Binns, DE, Arizona Cardinals
Brad Herman, TE, New England Patriots
Eric Guthrie, P, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tyler Nielsen, LB, Minnesota Vikings
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