The NFL Draft profile for Jack Koerner starts with him entering the Hawkeye program as a walk-on in 2017. Koerner worked his way up from redshirting his freshman season, to the special teams unit, to the team’s starting safety. The Des Moines, Iowa native was a staple in Phil Parker’s secondary for the last several seasons. His success within the program adds to the continued legacy of outstanding defensive backs at Iowa.
Iowa NFL Draft Profile: Jack Koerner
Koerner was not recruited on a national level out of high school. He did not have a star rating and had no FBS offers. Iowa was his main interest, but he did get offers from some FCS programs. Koerner chose to walk on at Iowa and earned a spot in 2017. In 2019, he started 11 games at safety and would continue to start at the position through the 2021 season. In his career at Iowa, Koerner tallied 215 tackles, six interceptions, and eight pass breakups. His presence in the secondary was elite. He tallied 62 solo tackles last season, the most of any Iowa safety in two decades. The three-year starter was the clear-cut leader of the Hawkeye defense and his awareness was second-to-none.
At Iowa Pro Day, Koerner ran a 4.51-second 40-yard dash and bench-pressed 20 reps. His speed would have been the 9th fastest of the safeties who participated at the NFL Combine. Koerner had a chance to speak with several NFL representatives in January at the College Gridiron Showcase. During Pro Day, he reconvened with some and had an additional meeting with the New Orleans Saints.
At 6’-0” and 204 pounds, Koerner is comparable with former Hawkeye Jake Gervase. Both were walk-ons at Iowa and proved to be safety blankets in the Hawkeye secondary. Like Gervase, Koerner served on special teams at Iowa and could fill some voids at the next level on that unit. If Koerner hears his name called in the NFL Draft, it will likely be in the sixth or seventh round. If not, he will prove to be a valuable member of an NFL organization as an undrafted free agent.
