3 former Iowa Hawkeyes who made significant noise during the NFL preseason

With the NFL preseason now completed, the main football lights are shining brightly up ahead.

There have been more than 40 former Iowa football players on preseason rosters, ranging from established veterans looking for a brief tune-up to nomadic players simply hoping for an NFL home.

Several of those ex-Hawkeyes used the three preseason games to make plenty of noise, hoping that will land them on the active roster after final cuts are made. With that, here are three former Hawkeyes who have helped themselves this preseason.

Ihmir Smith-Marsette, Carolina Panthers WR

After unsuccessful stops with the Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears, the former Iowa wide receiver latched on with the Kansas City Chiefs last October and was active for two games with no stats. However, this preseason has been a different story.

In three games, Smith-Marsette ranks second with 195 receiving yards and is one of nine pass catchers with multiple touchdowns. His best performance came in Saturday's 33-32 win over the Cleveland Browns, when Smith-Marsette led the team with four grabs for 101 yards and a score.

Shortly after the 2023 preseason ended, Smith-Marsette was traded to the Panthers

Whether in Carolina or elsewhere, it seems Smith-Marsette has played himself into a legit NFL shot in 2023.

C.J. Beathard, Jacksonville Jaguars QB

What little drama existed around the Jacksonville Jaguars' backup quarterback situation ended with Beathard's preseason performance.

In three games — all wins — Beathard is 26-for-43 passing for 352 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. He owns a solid 60.5 completion percentage and has thrown the longest touchdown of the preseason so far, a 74-yard bomb to Tim Jones in Saturday's 31-18 victory over the Miami Dolphins.

With his third season in Jacksonville upcoming following three years and 12 starts with the San Francisco 49ers (2017-20), Beathard remains Iowa's most successful NFL quarterback in recent memory.

Jack Campbell, Detroit Lions LB

Campbell obviously doesn't fall into the preseason category of players trying to make a roster, but the former Iowa linebacker has made his presence known during his first NFL taste.

In three games, Campbell has piled up 14 tackles and a pass defended while playing fewer than 80 snaps. After a joint-practice skirmish with the Jacksonville Jaguars ahead of their matchup, which drew praise from many on the Lions, Campbell went out and led the Lions in tackles against Jacksonville a couple days later.

It wouldn't be shocking at all to see Campbell deliver a stellar rookie campaign in the year ahead.

Dargan Southard is a sports trending reporter and covers Iowa athletics for the Des Moines Register and HawkCentral.com. Email him at msouthard@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter at @Dargan_Southard.