IOWA CITY — Iowa defensive lineman Aaron Graves is expected to sign with the Baltimore Ravens after going undrafted, according to Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports.
Graves appeared in 52 games during his Hawkeye career, including 26 starts.
Graves, a highly-touted in-state prospect from Southeast Valley High School, committed to the Hawkeyes early in his recruiting process and did not waver. He got on the field as a true freshman and developed into an impactful player on the interior of Iowa’s defensive line.
Graves was a model of consistency, logging at least 33 tackles in each of his final three seasons at Iowa. Graves finished his Hawkeye career with 25 tackles for loss, 16.5 sacks, four forced fumbles and one interception.
Graves was a second-team All-Big Ten selection last season.
Despite his resume, Graves was not invited to the 2026 NFL Combine.
Aaron Graves scouting report via Bleacher Report
- Graves has good size and appears to have long arms. Fits the physical profile for an NFL 4i-technique.
- Decent overall athlete who shows solid quickness, giving him potential to develop as a pass-rusher.
- Sets up his pass-rush moves well by stemming outside to open up an inside lane or vice versa.
- Has flashed a solid swim-move that he can win with as a pass-rusher or use to escape blocks in the run game.
- When he picks his hand straight up from the ground, he has the upper-body strength and length to get extension blocks in the run game.
- Solid at moving his feet and using his agility to avoid getting reached.
Weaknesses
- Graves is a waist-bender, not a knee-bender, hindering his lower-body strength and ability to stay in his gap. He ends up losing gap control against one-on-one blocks from offensive linemen, who play with good leverage, and gets blown off the ball by combo blocks.
- Waist bending also causes issues with his balance, as he ends up with his nose over his toes often.
- Hands are often late and wide as a run defender, exposing his chest and leading to getting stuck on blocks often.
- Late to recognize and struggles to sink his hips against down blocks, leading to him getting washed inside.
- Use of hands as a pass-rusher is poor, showing issues with timing and accuracy, which makes it difficult for him to win consistently.
Aaron Graves measurables
- Height: 6’5″
- Weight: 292 lbs
Aaron Graves grade
- 5.6: (Backup/Draftable — 6th-7th Round)
Aaron Graves highlights
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This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa defensive lineman Aaron Graves expected to sign with Baltimore Ravens