Nick Niemann selected by Los Angeles Chargers in sixth round of 2021 NFL Draft
Niemann is the fourth Hawkeye to be selected in this year’s draft.
Dec. 12, 2020; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Wisconsin running back Garrett Groshek (37) is tacked by Iowa linebacker Nick Niemann (49) during the fourth quarter of the Iowa v. Wisconsin football game at Kinnick Stadium. Iowa defeated Wisconsin with a score of 28-7.
May 1, 2021
The Los Angeles Chargers selected former Iowa linebacker Nick Niemann with the first pick of the sixth round of the 2021 NFL Draft on Saturday, making Niemann the fourth Hawkeye to be drafted this year.
Niemann (6-foot-3, 234 pounds) is coming off a third-team All-Big Ten season for Iowa. As a fifth-year senior in 2020, Niemann tallied 77 tackles for a Hawkeye defense that finished top-10 in the nation in scoring and yardage.
The Sycamore, Illinois, native is the just the second Iowa linebacker to be drafted in the last seven seasons, joining Josey Jewell in 2017.
Niemann played weak-side linebacker for Iowa last season and stayed on the field for third-down situations. At his pro day, which may have helped boost his name onto draft boards, Niemann ran the 40-yard dash in 4.45 seconds and tallied 6.67 seconds in the three-cone drill.
Niemann’s older brother, Ben Niemann, went undrafted in 2018 after his Hawkeye career but has played the last three seasons for the Kansas City Chiefs.
Chauncey Golston, Ihmir Smith-Marsette, and Daviyon Nixon are the other Hawkeyes who have heard their names called in this year’s draft.
