More Hawkeyes Hear Names Called By NFL

Erick All Jr., Tory Taylor Picked in Saturday's Draft

Iowa's Tory Taylor punts during a game against Western Michigan in 2023. (Rob Howe/HN) /

The 2024 NFL Draft wrapped up on Saturday in Detroit. The third day of the event saw three Iowa players selected. Philadelphia chose Hawkeye defensive back Cooper DeJean during Friday's second round. 

Tight end Erick All Jr. heard his name called first on Saturday. His hometown-area Cincinnati Bengals tabbed him with the 15th pick of the fourth round, the 115th overall selection. 

Seven picks later, All-American punter Tory Taylor went to Chicago. The Australian was the first specialist drafted this year. 

In Round 6, Pittsburgh grabbed defensive tackle Logan Lee. The Illinois native was the 178th player picked. 

All Jr. graduated from Fairfield (Ohio) High as a member of the 2019 recruiting class. The nation's No. 13 tight end prospect according to the 247Sports consensus, he committed to the Wolverines ahead of scholarship offers from Florida State, Iowa, Notre Dame, Wisconsin and others. 

Injuries limited All Jr. to just 10 games combined during the last two seasons. He still managed to be named All-Big Ten honorable mention by league coaches in '23 after catching 21 passes for 299 yards and three touchdowns in seven contests. 

All couldn't believe his fortune of getting his NFL chance with the franchise a half hour from his hometown. 

Taylor became just the second punter from Iowa ever picked in the draft. Miami selected Waterloo's Reggie Roby in 1983. 

Taylor won the '24 Ray Guy Award as nation’s top collegiate punter and was a consensus All-American. He broke an NCAA all-time punting yardage record set  in 1938. He also had the best career punting average (46.3), single-season punting average (48.2) and most career games averaging 40 or more yards (43) in NCAA history.

USC quarterback Caleb Williams was taken by the Bears with the No. 1 overall pick. He had a message for Taylor. 

Lee impressed scouts throughout the pre-draft process, from the Senior Bowl to Iowa's pro day. He even worked out at tight end. 

Lee, a two-time honorable mention All-Big Ten honoree, started 41 games as a Hawkeye, racking up 158 tackles, 18.5 tackles for loss (TFL), 9.0 sacks and seven pass break-ups. In '23, he paced Hawkeye defensive linemen with 55.0 tackles, recording 5.5 TFL, 3.0 sacks, three pass break-ups and blocked a field goal.

Steelers D-Line coach Karl Dunbar talked about Lee following the selection. 

Several other Hawkeyes are expected to sign free agent deals or receive invitations to try out following the draft. Joe Evans, Noah Shannon, Nico Ragaini, Rusty Feth and Steven Stilianos make up that group.