Kade Pieper

OG·Iowa#46 overall
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Draft Movement

#49 · Jun 8#46 · now

Up 3 spots since Jun 8

Scouting Report

Pieper is one of the more intriguing trench prospects on the 2027 radar, a redshirt junior interior lineman from Norfolk, Nebraska who broke out as Iowa's full-time right guard in 2025 after playing just 108 snaps as a roughly 275-pound backup the prior fall. CBS Sports' Mike Renner ranked him third among 2026 interior linemen before he had even started, calling him without hyperbole the best athlete he has scouted along the OL and projecting a Tyler Linderbaum-style outcome. Per Bruce Feldman's Freaks List, Pieper posted a 4.13 shuttle and a 37.4-inch vertical, marks Renner noted would rank as the fastest shuttle and second-highest vertical in Combine history. On tape he is a wide-zone dream with a lightning first step, plus reach-blocking ability, and nastiness in his run angles; GSLING tagged him as maybe the top wide-zone blocker in the class. His pass-pro hand technique is advanced for his age, with a firm strike, a wide base, and the ability to re-fit and win the inside-hands battle against longer rushers. PFF charted him fifth among FBS guards with an 83.6 overall grade and fifth nationally with an 83.5 run-blocking grade in 2025. The concerns are developmental: he is undersized and needs mass and anchor strength, and Oregon's Bear Alexander and A'Mauri Washington dominated him on the All-22. His pass-set footwork is inconsistent and he contorts his torso instead of moving his feet, letting twitchy rushers cross his face. The 2027 consensus has him going early Day 2.

Strengths

  • Elite-level explosive athlete for the position, with a 4.13 shuttle and 37.4-inch vertical per Feldman's Freaks List
  • outstanding first-step quickness and second-level speed to win reach blocks and get out on the move
  • ideal wide-zone fit, graded by GSLING as possibly the top wide-zone blocker in the class
  • advanced pass-pro hand technique for a young player, with a firm strike and wide base
  • strong hands that torque and re-position defenders
  • consistently re-fits hands inside to win the leverage battle even against longer rushers
  • nasty run-blocking angles and feel, including subtle body adjustments to open lanes when he senses the back behind him
  • handles bull rush at times by reworking leverage and re-anchoring textbook-style

Weaknesses

  • Undersized at roughly 290 pounds with a frame that clearly needs to fill out
  • below-average anchor and play strength that gets exposed against power, including being dominated by Oregon's Bear Alexander and A'Mauri Washington
  • footwork in pass sets is inconsistent, with a slide technique that needs work
  • tends to contort his torso instead of shuffling his feet, allowing twitchy rushers to cross his face and beat him inside
  • overruns and whiffs on second-level blocks, lacking control in space
  • drops his hands too low at times, exposing his chest and getting walked back into the pocket
  • balance lapses that put him on the ground
  • extremely thin starting resume with just over a season of meaningful snaps

NFL Comparison

Tyler Linderbaum (Renner's stated comp; undersized, hyper-athletic former Iowa interior lineman who anchors a zone scheme); Cole Strange (GSLING comp; athletic interior blocker who can get ahead of himself at the second level); Logan Jones (fellow undersized, explosive Iowa zone blocker whose athleticism offsets a smaller frame); Austin Blythe (Iowa pedigree, light-framed interior lineman whose movement skills fit outside-zone offenses)

College Stats

2024: roughly 108 snaps as a backup at about 275 lbs (per CBS Sports). 2025: full-time starting RG, PFF overall grade 83.6 (5th among FBS guards), PFF run-blocking grade 83.5 (5th nationally), one of three Iowa OL on PFF's national list.

Measurables

Height
6-3
Weight
290
Vertical
37.4

Awards & Honors

Freaks List (Bruce Feldman) recognition for 4.13 shuttle and 37.4-inch vertical; projected early Day 2 / 2nd-round pick on the 2027 consensus board (NFL Mock Draft Database consensus rank No. 45, B/R Scouting Dept. No. 182 overall); 2025 Solon Beef Days Hay Bale Toss champion (13-foot winning mark)