2022 NFL Draft: 5 Big Ten players to keep an eye on in 2021
By Kyle Edmond
2022 NFL Draft Prospect: Zach VanValkenburg, DL, Iowa
It seems like more times than not there’s an Iowa pass rusher with upside at the beginning of the season. This year, that player is Zach VanValkenburg. Like others on this list, VanValkenburg hasn’t had much of an opportunity to prove himself just yet, with only 12 games of Division-I collegiate experience. However, the sample size, while small, is impressive.
VanValkenburg played just four games during the 2019 season, his first with the program. In those four games, he had just six tackles, but that’s nothing compared to what he did during the 2020 campaign.
Over just eight games for the Hawkeyes in 2020, VanValkenburg was able to tally 8.5 tackles for loss in addition to 3.5 sacks. He also was able to force a fumble and recover four of them, tied for the most fumble recoveries in the nation.
While having just 12 games with Iowa, VanValkenburg transferred before the 2019 season from Division-II Hillsdale College where he was named Defensive Lineman of the Year in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference in 2018. That season saw him log 14.5 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks along with three forced fumbles.
Given his D-II resume and strong 2020 season, VanValkenburg could be poised for a huge 2021 season during his extra year of eligibility heading into the 2022 NFL Draft.