Is Iowa Safety Geno Stone the next Hawkeye DB in line to get drafted?

There’s a reason why it seems like an Iowa defensive back rises from relative obscurity this time of year to become an NFL draft pick.

That’s because a Hawkeye DB has been drafted the past three seasons. In 2017, Desmond King went in the fifth round. In 2018, Josh Jackson was taken in the second round. And last draft, Amani Hooker was selected in the fourth round.

The most likely candidate this year? Iowa junior safety Geno Stone (5-foot-10, 210 pounds).

Nick Farabaugh, NFL draft analyst for Pro Football Network, says “no one is talking about (Stone) but they should be.”

“Geno Stone has played well this year for the Hawkeyes and his versatility allows him to have a great value on that defense,” Farabaugh writes in PFN’s recent college football live blog. “He can slide back and play in a Cover 2 scheme, he can play man coverage down in the slot, or he can be put in the box and play similarly to a linebacker due to his ability to play at the line and avoid traffic.”

Stone has amassed 97 career tackles, 6 interceptions, 12 pass deflections, 2 forced fumbles and one fumble recovery in his three years at Iowa, including 41 tackles this season.

“He is a playmaker and could be a riser to watch if he decides to come out after his junior season this year,” Farabaugh writes.