3 Hawkeyes Selected in 7th Round of NFL Draft
April 27th, 2025 by Jack McGonigal
GREEN BAY, Wis. — Three University of Iowa football players — Mason Richman, Connor Colby and Luke Lachey — were selected in the seventh round of Saturday’s NFL Draft. Offensive linemen Richman and Colby were selected by Seattle (pick No. 234) and San Francisco (pick No. 249), respectively. Lachey, a tight end, was chosen by Houston with pick No. 255. Richman and Colby are the 20th and 21st offensive linemen drafted under University of Iowa Moon Family Head Football Coach Kirk Ferentz. The last time two Hawkeye offensive linemen were selected in the same draft was 2015 (Brandon Scherff, first round; Andrew Donnal, fourth round). Lachey is the 14th tight end drafted in the Ferentz era and it is the third straight year a Hawkeye tight end was selected (Sam LaPorta, 2023; Erick All, 2024). Richman, an honorable mention all-conference selection, started all 13 games at left tackle in 2024. The native of Leawood, Kansas was also an Academic All-District, Academic All-Big Ten and National Football Foundation Hampshire Honor Society inductee as a senior. Colby, a Phil Steele third-team All-American and a first-team All-Big Ten selection, started all 13 games at right guard in 2024. He started 50 career games on Iowa’s offensive line, the second-most in the Kirk Ferentz era. Richman and Colby paved the way for an Iowa’ rushing attack that rushed for 200+ yards in eight games – the most for the program since 2015. The team’s 197.2 rushing yards per game were the most for the team since 2002 and ranked third in the Big Ten and 24th nationally. Lachey, an honorable mention All-Big Ten selection as a senior, had 28 catches for 231 yards (8.3 average) in 2024. During his career, the Ohio native started 24 games, where he finished with 74 receptions for 893 yards and four touchdowns. The Hawkeye trio join Kaleb Johnson (third round by Pittsburgh) and Yayha Black (fifth round by Pittsburgh) as 2025 NFL Draft picks. It marks the seventh time in the last nine years, including three straight, that four or more Hawkeyes have been selected in an NFL Draft. The Seahawks make Richman the first Hawkeye to head to the Emerald City since 2005 (TE Tony Jackson). Colby is the first Hawkeye chosen by the 49ers since QB C.J. Beathard and TE George Kittle in 2017. Lachey is the first Hawkeye since TE C.J. Fiedorowicz in 2014 to be picked by the Texans. Iowa has had at least one player drafted in every NFL Draft since 1978. The Hawkeye trio are the 92nd, 93rd and 94th players coached by Ferentz at the University of Iowa to be selected in the NFL Draft. |