Colts select Austin Blythe in 7th round
IOWA CITY, Iowa – It took a while, but former Iowa center Austin Blythe finally learned his NFL destination late Saturday afternoon.
The Williamsburg native was selected by the Indianapolis Colts in the 7th-round of the NFL Draft and with the 248th pick overall.
"Finally living out the dream I’ve had since the 6th grade," Blythe said on Twitter shortly after being selected by the Colts.
Blythe is the 59th player to be taken in the NFL draft during the Kirk Ferentz coaching era at Iowa, which dates back to the 1999 season. Blythe is also the 15th offensive linemen to be selected in the NFL Draft under Ferentz.
Blythe was a three-year starter for Iowa, twice earning second-team all-Big Ten accolades. He was the anchor to Iowa’s offensive line that helped pave the way to a 12-2 record last season. The Hawkeyes finished undefeated during the regular season at 12-0 and won the Big Ten West Division. Iowa also played in the Rose Bowl last season for the first time since 1991.
In other NFL Draft news, former Iowa quarterback Jake Rudock was selected by the Detroit Lions in the sixth round on Saturday. Rudock played his first three seasons at Iowa before transferring to Michigan, where he started last season as a graduate student, leading the Wolverines to a 10-3 record.
Rudock is also close friends with Blythe. They both came to Iowa as part of the 2011 recruiting class.
Receiver Tevaun Smith is also headed to Indianapolis after agreeing to terms on a free-agent contract with the Colts. Smith caught 32 passes for 563 yards and three touchdowns as a senior for Iowa last season.
Former Iowa defensive back Jordan Lomax announced on Twitter shortly after the draft had ended that he would be joining the Los Angeles Rams organization as a free agent.
"God has a plan for everyone, blessed to join the LA Rams organization," Lomax said on Twitter.
As for other free agent signings, former Iowa tight end Henry Krieger Coble has agreed to terms with the Denver Broncos, while former Iowa kicker Marshall Koehn is headed to the Miami Dolphins.
Blythe was the only Hawkeye selected in the seven-round draft, which started on Thursday with the first round. It marks the first time since 2013 that Iowa has had just one player taken in the draft.
The Green Bays Packers selected defensive back Micah Hyde in the fifth round of the 2013 NFL Draft.
It also marks just the third time under Ferentz that Iowa only has had one player taken in the draft. Receiver Kevin Kasper was the only player from Iowa selected in the 2001 draft. He was taken by Denver in the sixth round.
Former Iowa defensive end Drew Ott and former offensive guard Jordan Walsh also are expected to sign free agent contracts.
Ott had hoped to return to Iowa for a fifth season, but his appeal for a medical hardship was recently denied by the NCAA. Ott still is recovering from a knee injury that caused him to miss the final eight games last season.