Iowa Shut Out in NFL Draft's First Two Rounds

IOWA CITY — No former Iowa football players, including running back Shonn Greene, were selected today in the first two rounds of the NFL draft.

Most NFL analysts expected Greene to be drafted between rounds two and four. Other Hawkeyes likely to be drafted Sunday include cornerback Bradley Fletcher, defensive tackle Mitch King and offensive lineman Seth Olsen.

Center Rob Bruggeman, defensive tackle Matt Kroul, tight end Brandon Myers and wide receiver Andy Brodell also could be drafted. 

Greene, 23, rushed for 1,850 yards and 20 touchdowns, both school records at Iowa. He ran for at least 100 yards in all 13 Iowa games last season.

Greene won the Doak Walker Award last December, which annually is given to college football’s best running back. He was named the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year. He was a consensus All-American, Iowa’s first at running back since Nile Kinnick, and finished sixth in Heisman Trophy voting.

At the NFL Combine in February, ran the 40-yard dash in a sub-par 4.66 seconds But he then cut that time at Iowa’s pro day from anywhere from 4.59 to 4.50 seconds at Iowa’s pro day, ranging from scout to scout. He also increased his 225-pound bench press repetitions from 19 at the NFL Combine to 23 at Iowa’s pro day.

Three running backs were selected in the first round. Georgia’s Knowshon Moreno was picked at No. 12  by Denver. Indianapolis drafted UConn’s Donald Brown at No. 27 to Indianapolis, while Arizona selected Ohio State running back Chris Wells.

Philadelphia drafted University of Pittsburgh running back LeSean McCoy in the second round (No. 53). The Eagles were Greene’s favorite team when he was a youth in south New Jersey.

Fletcher and King are projected as third- or fourth-round picks. Olsen is projected as a fourth- or fifth-round selection. Bruggeman and Kroul are viewed as late-round picks, while Myers and Brodell are likely free agents or seventh-round picks.