Nov 10, 2012; Iowa City, IA, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes cornerback Micah Hyde (18) during the second quarter against the Purdue Boilermakers at Kinnick Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Byron Hetzler-USA TODAY Sports

Height: 6’0″

Weight: 197 pounds

Position Rank:

Drafted By:

40 Yard Dash: 4.56

Bench Press: 12

Vertical Jump: 33″

Broad Jump: 121″

2012 Statistics

Career Highlights (via Iowa athletics site)

Hawk-Items – - Selected to compete in East West Shrine game . . . became the 67th player in Iowa history to record over 200 career tackles with his seven tackles in win at Michigan State . . . totaled 240 career tackles to tie for 34th on career chart . . . tied for 18th on career chart with eight pass interceptions . . . ranked fourth in the Big Ten and 22nd nationally in pass break-ups (1.22), fourth in the Big Ten in punt returns (7.4) and tied for 25th in tackles per game (6.5) in 2012 . . . moved from cornerback to free safety during 2011 spring practice and played both positions in 2011 . . . holds eighth and 10th longest interception returns in school history . . . had 72-yard touchdown return vs. Missouri and 66-yard touchdown return vs. Michigan State, both in 2010 . . . one of five seniors named to 2012 Leadership Group . . . one of five juniors named to 2011 Leadership Group . . . one of three true freshmen to see action in 2009.

2012 Honors – - Roy J. Carver Most Valuable Player Award, defense . . . narned Tatum-Woodson Defensive Back of the Year Award in the Big Ten . . . first team All-Big Ten by both league coaches and media . . . first team All-Big Ten by CollegeSportsMadness.com . . . third team All-Big Ten punt returner by CollegeSportsMadness.com . . . named honorable mention Defensive Back of the Week by College Football Performance Awards (CFPA) for his play vs. Purdue – - 2012 Preseason Honors – - named to Bednarik Award, Bronko Nagurski Award and Senior Bowl preseason Watch Lists . . . named to CFPA Defensive Back Trophy Watch List . . . first team preseason all-Big Ten by Phil Steele’s College Football and Blue Ribbon . . . preseason all-Big Ten by CBSSports.com and Sporting News . . . 2012 – - started all 12 games in 2012 and had 38 consecutive starts over final three games of career . . . played in all 51 games in four years . . . recorded 44 solo tackles and 34 assists, including four tackles for loss . . . recorded 14 pass break-ups, recovered three fumbles, forced two fumbles and had one pass interception

2011 Honors – - First team all-Big Ten by College Football Madness . . . second team all-Big Ten by league media and honorable mention by league coaches . . . third team all-Big Ten by Phil Steele . . . earned honorable mention recognition from College Football Performance Awards for his play in 31-27 win over Pittsburgh and 13-3 loss at Penn State . . . 2011 Preseason Honors – - named to CFPA preseason Watch List for Defensive Back Trophy . . . second team preseason All-Big Ten by Phil Steele’s College Football . . . third team preseason all-Big Ten by Athlon Sports . . . 2011 – - started first two games at free safety and final 11 games at cornerback . . . recorded 49 solo tackles and 23 assists . . . shared team lead with three interceptions and eight pass break-ups, and also recovered one fumble . . . led team with 8.2 average on 13 punt returns . . . tied for first in the Big Ten in passes defended (11) and tied for eighth in interceptions (three) in 2011

2010 Honors – - Defensive Player of the Game in 27-24 Insight Bowl win over 12th-ranked Missouri . . . honorable mention all-Big Ten by league media . . . honorable mention defensive back Performer of the Week vs Michigan State by College Football Performance Awards . . . 2010 – - started all 13 games at cornerback, recording 58 solo tackles and 24 assists to rank second on team with 82 tackles . . . second on team with four interceptions and led team with seven pass break-ups . . . tied for fourth in the Big Ten in interceptions and pass break-ups and ranked 19th in tackles per game

Career Stats

Scouting Report/Player Notes

Hyde should be one of the best senior cornerbacks in the draft this year. He is one guy that I had doubts about very early in his career, but he has shown incredible improvements since he first started seeing significant action as a sophomore. By the time he was a junior, Hyde had emerged as arguably the top playmaker in the Hawkeyes’ secondary. As a senior, nothing has changed. Though Hyde has had an issue off the field, I think he is one of the better overall prospects at his position in the draft. NFL teams will value this kind of player very highly because of his size, athletic ability, and the ability he has to contribute on special teams. He is a great gunner on kick and punt coverage, he tackles well, and he is always around the ball. Hyde has great instincts and knows how to get his hands on the ball. He can return kicks or punts, and should be able to contribute as a special teams ace early on in his career. His consistent production and combination of size and toughness remind me a lot of Charles Tillman of the Chicago Bears. I think he is worth a top 100 selection and I’ll be surprised if he’s not gone by the end of the fourth round.

Video Highlights (via YouTube)

Sep 01, 2012; Chicago, IL, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes wide receiver Keenan Davis (6) runs the ball up field after making a catch against the Northern Illinois Huskies during the second quarter at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports

Height:  6’3″

Weight:  215 pounds

Position Rank:

Drafted By:

40 Yard Dash:  N/A

Bench Press:  N/A

Vertical Jump:  N/A

Broad Jump:  N/A

20-Yard Shuttle: N/A

Career Stats

Scouting Report/Player Notes

Keenan Davis is a big receiver with downfield ability, but he has not shown great improvement in his four years at Iowa City. He had a very solid junior season as the number two playmaker behind Marvin McNutt, but if arguably the best WR in Iowa football history (McNutt) isn’t getting drafted until the 6th round, the hope for Davis to get drafted is riding solely on his ability to blow up a Pro Day performance. He has solid length and the ability to win jump ball situations, but he’s not overly quick after the catch and hasn’t shown off his big time speed. Takes too long to get into second and third gear, and isn’t overly physical for his size. Has the ability to return kicks/punts. I think Davis has interesting physical tools and is certainly worth a look at an NFL training camp.

Video Highlights (via YouTube)

November 17, 2012; Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes quarterback James Vandenberg (16) passes the ball against the Michigan Wolverines at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-US PRESSWIRE

Height:  6’3″

Weight:  212 pounds

Position Rank:

Drafted By:

40 Yard Dash:  N/A

Bench Press:  N/A

Vertical Jump:  N/A

Broad Jump:  N/A

20-Yard Shuttle: N/A

Career Stats

Scouting Report/Player Notes

James Vandenberg came into Iowa City as one of the most decorated and statistically dominant high school quarterbacks in Iowa high school football history. Unfortunately, it looks like his career as a Hawkeye will end in vast disappointment. Vandenberg looked like a very promising quarterback of the future for the Hawks when replacing Ricky Stanzi in a big road game against Ohio State, flashing his strong arm and poise under pressure. Then, as a junior (first year as a starter), Vandenberg showed he had some stuff, throwing for over 3,000 yards with 25 touchdowns and just seven interceptions. He looked poised to be one of the top senior quarterbacks in the country, surely one of the best in the Big Ten heading into his senior season. However, Vandenberg has had an historic fall in terms of his NFL Draft stock in 2012. He has not just been poor, but with what we assume to be a clean bill of health, the senior from Keokuk, Iowa has been incredibly terrible this year. He tossed only five touchdown passes in 10 games, completing under 60 percent of his passes and looking at times like he has no clue what is happening around him on the field. He continually locks into receivers prior to the play, has had countless delay of game penalties, and is not showing in-game awareness. It has gotten to the point where some Iowa fans are questioning how long (or short) Kirk Ferentz’s leash is/should be. Vandenberg is one of the most promising QB prospects I’ve ever known to come out in his senior season and not only not show improvement, but to show such a steep decline. Truly a disappointing situation, and probably an undraftable player who will get a look thanks to his strong arm and physical tools.

Video Highlights (via YouTube)

Nov. 3, 2012; Bloomington, IN, USA; Indiana Hoosiers receiver Duwyce Wilson (81) is tackled by Iowa Hawkeyes players Nico Law (21) and James Morris (44) during the second quarter at Memorial Stadium. Indiana defeated Iowa 24-21. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Schultheiss-US PRESSWIRE

The Nebraska Cornhuskers and Iowa Hawkeyes meet for the second consecutive year as new Big Ten rivals, this time in Iowa City for a late-season showdown. The Hawkeyes have been pretty awful as of late, while the Huskers are rolling and seeking a shot at the Big Ten title. The Huskers have been on a tear since they lost to Ohio State in Columbus over a month ago.

This game features some lesser-known NFL Draft prospects, and some guys who could really make an impact at the next level. Here at NFL Mocks, we’ve gone through and scouted some of the top prospects from each team this year:

Nebraska Cornhuskers

Iowa Hawkeyes

Perhaps the best overall position in this game will be linebacker, where Iowa features three legitimate starter prospects who are all juniors, and Nebraska has senior Will Compton, one of the top senior linebackers in the country.

Here is a preview of one of our scouting report pages:

44 James Morris, Linebacker, Junior 6’2″ 230 pounds

Morris is a blue-collar, hard-nosed, tough-as-nails inside linebacker prospect who has the look of a future NFL starter, and a reliable one at that. He is rangy and has great leadership skills, and though he came into the Hawkeye football program as a 215 pound pup, he has emerged as one of the team’s top tacklers and grown into a 230 pound beast. Morris is a tackling machine who is always flying to the ball, and he’s been productive ever since his freshman season. He had 70 tackles as a freshman, 109 tackles as a sophomore, and as a junior, he’s looking to break the 100 tackle mark yet again with 96 through 10 games. The former running back is a little tight in the hips in coverage, and he’s not an elite athlete like the other LBs on Iowa’s roster, but he’s going to make tackles and make plays for your defense, and he’s a guy you’ll want to have on your team, undoubtedly.

Nov. 3, 2012; Bloomington, IN, USA; Indiana Hoosiers receiver Duwyce Wilson (81) is tackled by Iowa Hawkeyes players Nico Law (21) and James Morris (44) during the second quarter at Memorial Stadium. Indiana defeated Iowa 24-21. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Schultheiss-US PRESSWIRE

16 James Vandenberg, Quarterback, Senior  6’3″ 212 pounds

James Vandenberg came into Iowa City as one of the most decorated and statistically dominant high school quarterbacks in Iowa high school football history. Unfortunately, it looks like his career as a Hawkeye will end in vast disappointment. Vandenberg looked like a very promising quarterback of the future for the Hawks when replacing Ricky Stanzi in a big road game against Ohio State, flashing his strong arm and poise under pressure. Then, as a junior (first year as a starter), Vandenberg showed he had some stuff, throwing for over 3,000 yards with 25 touchdowns and just seven interceptions. He looked poised to be one of the top senior quarterbacks in the country, surely one of the best in the Big Ten heading into his senior season. However, Vandenberg has had an historic fall in terms of his NFL Draft stock in 2012. He has not just been poor, but with what we assume to be a clean bill of health, the senior from Keokuk, Iowa has been incredibly terrible this year. He tossed only five touchdown passes in 10 games, completing under 60 percent of his passes and looking at times like he has no clue what is happening around him on the field. He continually locks into receivers prior to the play, has had countless delay of game penalties, and is not showing in-game awareness. It has gotten to the point where some Iowa fans are questioning how long (or short) Kirk Ferentz’s leash is/should be. Vandenberg is one of the most promising QB prospects I’ve ever known to come out in his senior season and not only not show improvement, but to show such a steep decline. Truly a disappointing situation, and probably an undraftable player who will get a look thanks to his strong arm and physical tools.

6 Keenan Davis, Wide Receiver, Senior  6’3″ 215

Keenan Davis is a big receiver with downfield ability, but he has not shown great improvement in his four years at Iowa City. He had a very solid junior season as the number two playmaker behind Marvin McNutt, but if arguably the best WR in Iowa football history (McNutt) isn’t getting drafted until the 6th round, the hope for Davis to get drafted is riding solely on his ability to blow up a Pro Day performance. He has solid length and the ability to win jump ball situations, but he’s not overly quick after the catch and hasn’t shown off his big time speed. Takes too long to get into second and third gear, and isn’t overly physical for his size. Has the ability to return kicks/punts. I think Davis has interesting physical tools and is certainly worth a look at an NFL training camp.

18 Micah Hyde, Cornerback, Senior  6’1″ 190 pounds

Hyde should be one of the best senior cornerbacks in the draft this year. He is one guy that I had doubts about very early in his career, but he has shown incredible improvements since he first started seeing significant action as a sophomore. By the time he was a junior, Hyde had emerged as arguably the top playmaker in the Hawkeyes’ secondary. As a senior, nothing has changed. Though Hyde has had an issue off the field, I think he is one of the better overall prospects at his position in the draft. NFL teams will value this kind of player very highly because of his size, athletic ability, and the ability he has to contribute on special teams. He is a great gunner on kick and punt coverage, he tackles well, and he is always around the ball. Hyde has great instincts and knows how to get his hands on the ball. He can return kicks or punts, and should be able to contribute as a special teams ace early on in his career. His consistent production and combination of size and toughness remind me a lot of Charles Tillman of the Chicago Bears. I think he is worth a top 100 selection and I’ll be surprised if he’s not gone by the end of the fourth round.

31 Anthony Hitchens, Linebacker, Junior  6’1″ 225 pounds

Hitchens came to Iowa as a three-star defensive back prospect by many outlets, but he’s added nearly 25 pounds of bulk since he came to Iowa City and has turned into the team’s best tackler. Hitchens flies all over the field, making plays behind the line of scrimmage and shutting run plays down with his quickness. He is the ideal weakside linebacker for a Tampa 2 defense because of his ability to cover the pass and pick up backs out of the backfield. I would love to see Iowa use him more in blitzing situations, but I think Hitchens has the potential to be a Wesley Woodyard type of player, slightly undersized defensive back hybrid linebacker who can fly all over the field and make plays.

44 James Morris, Linebacker, Junior 6’2″ 230 pounds

Morris is a blue-collar, hard-nosed, tough-as-nails inside linebacker prospect who has the look of a future NFL starter, and a reliable one at that. He is rangy and has great leadership skills, and though he came into the Hawkeye football program as a 215 pound pup, he has emerged as one of the team’s top tacklers and grown into a 230 pound beast. Morris is a tackling machine who is always flying to the ball, and he’s been productive ever since his freshman season. He had 70 tackles as a freshman, 109 tackles as a sophomore, and as a junior, he’s looking to break the 100 tackle mark yet again with 96 through 10 games. The former running back is a little tight in the hips in coverage, and he’s not an elite athlete like the other LBs on Iowa’s roster, but he’s going to make tackles and make plays for your defense, and he’s a guy you’ll want to have on your team, undoubtedly.

20 Christian Kirksey, Linebacker, Junior  6’2″ 220 pounds

Kirksey may be the best linebacker prospect of Iowa’s stellar group. He doesn’t lead the crew in tackles, but he is definitely one of the most exciting defensive playmakers in the Big Ten. He has great athletic ability and is still growing into his frame. As a sophomore, Kirksey finished with 110 tackles and five tackles for loss, along with an interception, three passes broken up, and two forced fumbles. He has followed that up with a stellar junior season where he has 76 tackles, two pick-sixes, and 2.5 tackles for loss. He is excellent in coverage and his closing speed is second to none. He is a good wrap-up tackler and I think he can add a little more bulk and be one of the best OLBs in his class.

99 Joe Gaglione, Defensive Lineman, Senior  6’4″ 264 pounds

Gaglione has a limited body of work, but he is a big, physical defensive end who has done a great job of finding ways to make plays in his senior season. As evidence of his hard work, he leads the team with nine tackles for loss and has added five sacks in 2012. Worked his butt off to become a starter as a senior, and that hard work has really paid off. I’m not sure where Gaglione’s draft stock stands among NFL scouts, but they will definitely take note of the fact that he has sort of emerged as Iowa’s top defensive lineman in 2012. Seems like he could be a fit in either a 3-4 or 4-3 scheme.

53 James Ferentz, Center, Senior  6’2″ 286 pounds

Ferentz is going to come out of Iowa as a very well-coached, fundamentally sound but not flashy offensive line prospect. I think he has the potential to be a top backup or a decent starter in the NFL if he’s given time to develop properly, and he has great football bloodlines. Obviously he is the son of Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz, and he’s been a starter for the Hawkeyes since his sophomore season in 2010. Iowa consistently churns out solid NFL offensive line prospects, and Ferentz should be drafted come April.

Riley Reiff was the big name on Monday's ProDay Slate. Mandatory Credit: Sandra Dukes-US PRESSWIRE

Proday reporting isn’t the greatest, but here is some news I could find on the two prodays of note on Monday: Iowa’s and Arizona’s.

There is only one first round prospect between the two schools and that is Iowa OL Riley Reiff. But there are a lot of solid mid-round range prospects who have such a wide draft range. Does  a team fall in love with Nick Foles and take him as high as second round? Juron Criner has second round ability, just not second round speed.

The two Arizona prospects had their eye on were WR Juron Criner and QB Nick Foles.

As for his much-maligned workout numbers, Foles improved pretty much across the board on Monday, as he said he ran in the 4.95 range and improved his vertical to 33.5 inches. Frank Scelfo, Foles’ former position coach at the UA, conducted the workouts for Foles and the receivers and said the 40-yard dash is irrelevant in his opinion.

There were alot of people at the Iowa Proday

There were many notables in attendance to observe the talent in Iowa with the strongest contingent being from the Kansas City Chiefs. Representing the Chiefs at Iowa’s Pro Day were: General Manager Scott Pioli, Head Coach Romeo Crennel, offensive line coach Jack Bicknell and wide receivers coach Nick Sirianni.

Others notables at the Hawkeyes Pro Day were: Bengals defensive backs coach Mark Carrier, Dolphins offensive line coach Jim Taylor, Packers General Manager Ted Thompson, Panthers Director of College Scouting Dan Gregory, Steelers Director of Football Operations Kevin Colbert and offensive line coach Sean Kugler, and Vikings Director of College Scouting Scott Studwell and offensive line coach Ryan Silverfield.

(more…)

He is a top 10 prospect in my opinion with upside as both a left tackle or right tackle at the next level, and he has been an All Big Ten performer and one of the most highly touted prospects out of Iowa since Robert Gallery.

Here is a full list of underclassmen who have declared for the 2012 NFL Draft.

Since Broyles went down, Oklahoma quarterback Landry Jones has not thrown a touchdown pass (three games) and has thrown five interceptions. He went from being one of my most highly rated players to being a fringe third round prospect at this point with his junior season, and I fully expect him to return to Oklahoma for a senior season to try and improve his standing with NFL scouts.

On the other side of the ball, I really like a couple of guys for Oklahoma. Ronnell Lewis who plays outside linebacker/defensive end could be an intriguing edge rushing prospect for the NFL, and I have always liked linebacker Travis Lewis, who makes plays all over the field defensively but is having a bit of a down senior season, going into the game with a career-low 80 tackles.

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Measurables:

6’0″ 291 pounds, 32.5″ arms, 9 5/8″ hands

Senior

Projected Round: 3-5

Scouting Report

Mike Daniels came out of nowhere last season to lead a star-studded Iowa defensive line (three NFL draft picks) in tackles for loss. Perhaps it was the company he was in that helped him along the way, or perhaps he has some skill of his own. My bet is on the latter, and Daniels could really break out in 2011 as a playmaker on the Iowa defensive line. He is a quick twitch lineman who plays with a low center of gravity and has a nose for the ball carrier. His performance will be huge this season for the Hawkeyes.

(more…)

Measurables:

6’5″ 255 pounds

Round projection: 6th-UDFA

Scouting Report

Iowa continues to produce NFL tight ends like clockwork. Kirk Ferentz loves to go with veteran players at the tight end position, and while Herman could lose some playing time to top recruits like C.J. Fiedorowicz and Ray Hamilton, he could also do what Allen Reisner did and establish himself as the top tight end on this team. He obviously has the requisite size, but he’s not fast. He has solid hands but could improve in that area as well. Relatively inexperienced, but with only 9 catches last year averaged over 17 yards per catch. Not a quick tight end but a good, solid blocker and a guy who can make people pay in the red zone.