12 minutes with Kirk Ferentz after Iowa football’s Kids Day scrimmage
Head coach Kirk Ferentz revisited a two-hour practice with perspective on Mark Gronowski, Seth Anderson, Nathan McNeil and other standouts.
Week 2 of the NFL preseason is in the books, and several former Hawkeyes delivered significant performances.
Most regular starters remained on the sideline this past week, giving backups all over the NFL a chance to make a statement. With numerous ex-Iowa players splattered across almost every franchise, several moved one step closer to making the 53-man roster.
With that, here are a few former Hawkeyes who shined in Week 2 of the NFL preseason.
Kaleb Johnson, Pittsburgh Steelers RB
As Pittsbrugh undergoes a makeover at running back following Najee Harris, it makes sense for Johnson’s workload to be larger than most early in the preseason. The rookie running back finished with a team-high 11 carries for 50 yards and added one catch for nine yards in Pittsburgh’s 17-14 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Through two preseason games, Johnson has 19 carries for 70 yards. Expect him to be a large part of Mike Tomlin’s offense this season.
Kristian Welch, Green Bay Packers LB
Welch had plenty of impact on the Packers’ 23-19 win over the Indianapolis Colts, piling up eight tackles with one pass defended. As a result, Indianapolis finished with just 93 rushing yards on the day.
Should Welch make the final roster, it would mark his second official stint in Green Bay. The former Iowa linebacker appeared in 14 games with the Packers in 2023. Welch has also spent parts of four seasons with the Baltimore Ravens and one with the Denver Broncos, racking up 40 career tackles since joining the NFL in 2020.
Brandon Smith, New York Jets WR
The ex-Iowa wide receiver hauled in five catches for 48 yards on six targets in the New York Jets’ 31-12 loss to the New York Giants.
After piling up 1,031 receiving yards at Iowa across three seasons (2018-20), Smith has yet to find solid footing in the NFL. He’s taken just one regular-season snap for the Jets in Week 15 last season, while also spending time in the Dallas Cowboys and Arizona Cardinals organizations. Perhaps this is the year Smith can finally stick.
Dargan Southard is a sports trending reporter and covers Iowa athletics for the Des Moines Register and HawkCentral.com. Email him at msouthard@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter at @Dargan_Southard.
