Kade Pieper, IOL, Iowa: 2027 NFL Draft Prospect Profile & Scouting Report
1. General Information
|
Name |
Kade Pieper |
|
Position |
Interior Offensive Line (IOL) |
|
Number |
58 |
|
Class |
Redshirt Junior |
|
School |
Iowa |
|
Height / Weight |
6’4″ / 290 lbs |
|
Hometown / HS |
Norfolk, Neb. / Norfolk Catholic HS |
2. Career Statistical Breakdown
Offensive Line Performance & Snap Logs
|
**Season** |
**Team** |
**G** |
**Snaps** |
**Sacks** |
**Hits** |
**Press** |
|
2023 |
Iowa |
2 |
44 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
|
2024 |
Iowa |
11 |
210 |
0 |
1 |
4 |
|
2025 |
Iowa |
13 |
834 |
1 |
1 |
8 |
|
**Total** |
**26** |
**1,088** |
**1** |
**2** |
**13** |
3. NFL Combine Testing Projections
Projected metrics for the 2027 NFL Draft cycle based on high school track records and verified functional trench mobility.
- 40-Yard Dash: 5.12 – 5.22s
- Vertical Jump: 28.5″ – 30.5″
- Broad Jump: 8’10” – 9’2″
- 20-Yard Shuttle: 4.58 – 4.70s
- 3-Cone Drill: 7.58 – 7.72s
4. Scouting & Transfer Notes
Background Profile
Pieper arrived in Iowa City as a physical, highly competitive, under-the-radar prospect out of Norfolk Catholic High School in Nebraska, where he earned multi-sport letters in football, basketball, and track. After utilizing a brief two-game redshirt window in 2023 and serving as a high-value rotational depth piece in 2024, Pieper completely exploded onto the national radar during the 2025 campaign.
Stepping into the starting lineup at right guard, he started all 13 games, earned Third-Team All-Big Ten accolades, and anchored a legendary Hawkeyes front line that captured the prestigious Joe Moore Award. Following the graduation of veteran interior pieces, Pieper showcased his high-end schematic value during spring 2026 practice by shifting inside to center. Entering the 2026 campaign as a redshirt junior, he stands out as one of the nation’s premier, technically advanced interior draft prospects.
Key Strengths
- Premium Positional Fluidity: Displays rare cross-functional comfort along the interior, proving elite proficiency at guard before smoothly adjusting to center tasks in spring alignments.
- Joe Moore Award Pedigree: Mentored and battle-tested inside college football’s most demanding physical blocking framework, playing with advanced spatial awareness.
- Elite Pass Protection Mirror: Uses light, active footwork and high-tier leverage control to limit interior rush parameters, yielding just a single sack over his entire starting tenure.
- Exceptional Leverage & Hand Clamps: Combines a solid 290-pound frame with an excellent wrestling/track foundation to lock his hands inside the framework and stonewall standard bull rushers.
Developmental Focus
Operating at a leaner 290 pounds, Pieper will look to continuously layer on functional lower-body mass to more comfortably handle dense, 330-pound NFL nose tackles on a regular basis. With a full-time move to the pivot spot expected for the upcoming season, pro evaluators will spend the year tracking his processing speed when handling complex A-and-B gap blitz packages, as well as the mechanical accuracy of his snapping exchanges under pressure.
Draft Countdown Film Notes
*pending*
All-Star Game Notes
*pending*
Combine/Pro Day Measurables
*pending*