2026 NFL Draft Prospect Deep Dive From Iowa-Iowa State: Quarterbacks Mark Gronowski, Rocco Becht And More
Thor Nystrom was live at the Iowa-Iowa State game to provide 2026 NFL Draft coverage on quarterbacks Mark Gronowski, Rocco Becht and other prospects.
I was in Ames, Iowa on Saturday along with evaluators from 13 NFL teams* to take in Iowa State’s 16-13 win over Iowa. What follows is a brief recap with a scouting report on players who could become available in the 2026 NFL Draft.
NFL Draft Scouting Deep Dive From Iowa-Iowa State
The game featured a handful of NFL prospects. Let's start with Iowa QB Mark Gronowski, who drew a sixth-round grade from one of the NFL’s scouting services over the offseason. On Sunday morning, I reviewed the all-22 tape to confirm my suspicion watching the game live from the Jack Trice press box: Gronowski missed a lot of open receivers on Saturday.
Gronowski’s final stat line was 13-for-24 for 83 yards and an interception on 32 dropbacks. On my tape review, I noted Gronowski missing wide-open receivers on four plays—instances where the ball could and should have been thrown and wasn’t. On two other dropbacks, Gronowski missed a receiver who was about to be open by forcing the ball prematurely to his primary read.If any one thing stuck out about Gronowski on Saturday, it’s that he’s a one-read passer. Gronowski can look lost when his primary look is taken away and he is not able to scramble. Iowa State had a brilliant strategy to defend him. The Cyclones consistently dropped eight into coverage, while devoting two linebackers to spy Gronowski.
The Cyclones refused to let Gronowski scramble, and instead forced him to win from the pocket. On several dropbacks, Gronowski had ample time to throw in clean pockets. But since he was only successful throwing to his first read on Saturday, all the extra time did not help him.Up until the eight-minute mark of the second quarter, Gronowski was able to throw to his pre-snap, first-read on each attempt. The results were uninspiring but not poor. At this point in the game, however, things started to go outwardly awry. Gronowski missed a wide-open intermediate receiver because he lingered on his first-read (same side of the field) too long. On Gronowski’s next pass attempt, he got unlucky, with his receiver slipping on a comeback route right as the ball was leaving Gronowski’s hands. It was intercepted by ISU DB Jeremiah Cooper, who drew Rounds 5-6 grades from the NFL over the summer. Cooper, who shifted to boundary cornerback this fall, will be a nickel defender at the next level.While Cooper’s interception was aided by the receiver slipping, he was going to force a contested-catch situation either way. Cooper read Gronowski’s eyes, which were locked onto the target from the snap, and made a clean break on the ball as the receiver tripped.
The utility that Gronowski gives Iowa’s offense is that he’s a 6-foot-2, 236-pound downhill battering ram in the running game. He muscled into the end zone just before halftime to cut ISU’s lead to 13-10. On that play, Iowa State shifted Day 2-graded NT Dom Orange to defensive end, and Iowa simply ran away from him.
Gronowski has adequate arm strength. He doesn’t have a bazooka, but Gronowski generates adequate velocity when he needs it, and he can push the ball 50+ yards downfield. On Saturday, he looked best as a thrower on in- and out-breaking, quick-hit concepts when his first read had created a little separation off the snap.
If I were Iowa, I would call more quick-hit concepts off play-action for Gronowski to try to manufacture more short and intermediate windows for him to quickly throw into. Early in the third quarter, we saw Iowa use the slow-mesh for the first time all season—former Wake Forest OC Warren Ruggiero is now a Hawkeyes offensive analyst—and Gronowski looked comfortable with that. Additional slow-mesh wrinkles in the future could open windows for Gronowski.
But right now, Gronowski is miles away from being a pro-ready passer. He didn’t read the field well enough to find secondary reads against either FCS Albany or Iowa State. Unless he makes enormous strides in that area between now and the end of the season, it’s an issue that threatens to nullify a future in pro football. At present he is not draftable this spring.
For more 2026 NFL Draft coverage, visit here.
In other news, Iowa HC Kirk Ferentz said after the game that RT Gennings Dunker (Rounds 3-4 grades from the NFL) and LG Beau Stephens (Round 7 grade) each suffered minor injuries against ISU and would be fine. Dunkers and Stephens both briefly left the game with separate issues that led to trips to the injury tent, but both returned and are expected to be full-gos for next week.
Iowa State NT Dom Orange—“Big Citrus"—finished with a career-high six tackles despite dealing with double-teams from the Hawkeyes. Orange didn’t get much push as a pass rusher, but I thought some of that was strategic from ISU’s coaching staff.
The three-man pass rush that ISU deployed on many dropbacks seemed to be more concerned with keeping integrity on scrambling lanes than pinning its ears back and attacking. PFF gave Orange a 58.9 game grade that was probably unnecessarily weighed down by the pass-rush side of it.
The much-anticipated matchup between Orange and Iowa C Logan Jones finished, more or less, in a draw. Jones got some help from both double teams in the run game and Orange’s responsibility-minded pass-rush approach. But Jones helped prevent Orange from recording a TFL or caving the pocket.
On the other side, Iowa’s defensive front didn’t have as much success as expected against an Iowa State offensive line that allowed pressures on 12-of-26 dropbacks against Kansas State and South Dakota. Iowa EDGE Max Llewellyn (Round 4 grades) and DL Aaron Graves (UDFA grades) were both kept quiet.
ISU QB Rocco Becht, the son of former NFL TE Anthony Becht, was not sacked in the game. Becht showed good touch and overall decision-making on Saturday. He threw for only 137 yards on 18-of-27 passing, but Becht didn’t turn the ball over amid a conservative game script, and he made throws when he needed to.
Becht‘s touchdown pass to TE Ben Brahmer extended his program-record passing touchdown streak to 21 straight games. Like Becht, Brahmer is a junior. Both are 2027 names to keep an eye on.
Standout Performer
Texas A&M edge rusher Cashius Howell had sacks on three straight plays in Saturday’s win over Utah State, ending a drive all by himself.
Howell, a fifth-year senior, drew fifth-round grades from both of the NFL’s scouting services over the summer. Howell is on the smaller side, he lacks length, and he isn’t an elite athlete. But Howell is one of the nation’s most skilled pass rushers, a crafty contortionist with a deep bag of pass-rushing moves.Howell posted PFF pass-rush grades over 90.0 in both 2023 (his last year at Bowling Green) and 2024 (his first at Texas A&M). He’s generated five hurries and eight pressures over 38 pass-rushing snaps in two games this season.In my ranking of the 2026 EDGE class this summer, Howell checked in at No. 7. I saw him as more of a Day 2 prospect—heat off the EDGE doesn’t grow on trees—and I ultimately believe that’s where he will end up.*(Scouts/Evaluators in attendance): Vikings, Eagles, Bengals, Chiefs, Dolphins, Seahawks, 49ers, Jets, Panthers, Lions, Colts, Ravens and Bears
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