C.J. Beathard, quarterback, San Francisco 49ers (3rd round, 104th selection): 14-of-23, 211 yards, 3 touchdowns
The first Hawkeye taken in the 2017 NFL Draft, Beathard proved to be one of the biggest surprises of the preseason. His 3 scoring throws are tied for second-best in the NFL this preseason, and his passing yardage ranks 17th.
“The rookie quarterback waltzed in and showed what Kyle Shanahan’s offense is supposed to look like,” the Mercury News’ Daniel Brown wrote in his analysis of the first-year signal caller.
Jaleel Johnson, defensive tackle, Minnesota Vikings (4th round, 109th selection): 6 tackles, 2 tackles for a loss, 1 sack
The Vikings drafted Johnson with intentions of breathing new life into a below-average rushing defense. His presence has been felt early on, as he registered a sack in his first game and tallied 2 tackles for a loss in a loss against Seattle.
Johnson took to Twitter to reach out to his former teammates Beathard and Kittle:
@leellxvii: CJ Beathard & @gkittle46 … we comin 4 u
The 49ers and Vikings play each other on Aug. 27 at 7 p.m. on NBC.
George Kittle, tight end, San Francisco 49ers (5th Round, 146th selection): 3 receptions, 33 yards, 1 touchdown.
Kittle and quarterback Beathard have long had a connection. After Kittle impressed observers at the NFL Combine, the two have transitioned to the NFL, where they connected again for a 29-yard touchdown on the NFL gridiron.
“Kittle was the star of the off-season program,” Joe Fann of 49ers.com wrote. “He’d been hindered by a hamstring injury earlier in training camp, but his touchdown catch has the hype train leaving the station once again.”
Desmond King, defensive back, Los Angeles Chargers (5th Round, 151st selection): 6 tackles (5 solo), 1 sack, 1 interception
A ballhawk in his days at Iowa, King has taken that style of play to the NFL for at least one preseason game. In his first game at the next level, King notched an interception, something Hawkeye fans grew accustomed to seeing.
“What the Chargers’ fifth-round pick lacks in size, the 5-10 King makes up for with a hard-to-explain ability to find the ball and take it away from offenses,” Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times wrote about King.
Riley McCarron, wide receiver, Houston Texans (undrafted): 4 catches, 24 yards
NFL scouts took note of McCarron’s Pro Day in Iowa City, where his performance surprised football analysts and Hawkeye fans. Now in Bill O’Brien’s system, the coach drew a comparison between McCarron and a former NFL receiver and Super Bowl champion.
“He’s the spitting image of [Wes] Welker,” O’Brien said. “He’s smart and tough, he’s played through injury already with a sore thumb and still played through it.”
Stat of the day
Iowa soccer scored 5 goals against Richmond, the second time the Hawkeyes have scored 5 or more goals in the past five years.
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