Kade Pieper brings raw strength, athleticism to Iowa’s offensive line
Pieper will be a redshirt sophomore for the Hawkeyes and could be the starter at right guard. He got 108 snaps last season in spot duty.
IOWA CITY — Iowa football’s Connor Colby has been selected in the 7th round of the 2025 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers. The offensive lineman was the 249th overall pick.
Here is a look at Colby’s path to this moment.
What Connor Colby brings to the 49ers
Colby was regarded as a four-star prospect at Kennedy High School in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, according to the 247Sports Composite, and decided to stay in his home state to play college football.
He made an impact on Iowa’s offensive line from his true freshman season when he made 11 starts. Colby earned Freshman All-America recognition by the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) and the Maxwell Football Club.
Over the last four seasons, Colby has been a stalwart on the Hawkeye offensive line. He combined to make over 50 appearances, almost all of which were starts. He was remarkably durable during his Iowa career.
Colby was a foundation piece of an offensive line rebuild under position coach George Barnett. That group struggled mightily in 2022, improved in 2023 and became a dominant force in 2024. Colby was a key part of a unit that was among the best offensive lines in college football last season, helping pave the way for star running back Kaleb Johnson, who ascended to stardom in 2024.
Colby played a role in restoring the production of Iowa’s offensive line to the program standard.
For his efforts last season, Colby earned first-team All-Big Ten recognition. He was also named a third-team All-American by Phil Steele.
Colby, listed at 6-foot-6 and 309 pounds, becomes the first Iowa offensive lineman to be selected in the NFL Draft since his former teammate, Tyler Linderbaum, was taken in the first round in 2022.
Connor Colby scouting report
Lance Zierlein of NFL.com wrote the following evaluation of Colby:
Overview
Four-year starter who can play guard in a primarily move-oriented rushing attack. Colby started 50 games at Iowa and is well-versed in the inside-outside zone attack. He reads defensive movements and adjusts his blocks accordingly. He connects with strong hands and looks to finish lateral engagements but doesn’t have the pad level or play strength to deal with power across from him. His pass protection is troubling, with areas of concern that might not be correctable.
Strengths
Durable and dependable with 50 career starts in four seasons.Understands blocking assignments pre-snap and adjustments post-snap.Sticky hands allow him to finish blocks all the way to the ground.Consistently looks for work on the second level on zone blocks.Gets into his pass sets with ready hands and a wide base.
Weaknesses
Sets heavy on play-side leg, allowing easy counters.Feet are too cumbersome to effectively slide and mirror.Fooled by twists and rolled backward by power.Lacks fluidity getting around the corner on counters.Loses pad level, becoming vulnerable against power.
Height and weight
Height: 6’ 6’’Weight: 309 lbs
Follow Tyler Tachman on X @Tyler_T15, contact via email at ttachman@gannett.com
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