Wisconsin Football: 3 Juniors who could enter NFL Draft early
The Wisconsin football team was led, in large part, by their junior class. Here are three Badgers who could leave for the NFL Draft a year early.
The Wisconsin Football team rebounded nicely following a disappointing 2018 season. They finished the season with a final record of 10-4, but two of those losses came to Ohio State with a third coming against Oregon in the Rose Bowl.
Regardless of the outcome on New Year’s day, if you would’ve told me before the season the Badgers would even be in the Rose Bowl, I would’ve told you the season was a success.
The Badgers success was largely due to their strong junior class. The juniors showed out in 2019 and players like Jack Coan, Jonathan Taylor, Quintez Cephus, Cole Van Lanen, and Tyler Biadasz led an impressive offensive unit.
Due to that success, Wisconsin is at risk of losing a few of their key contributors a year early to the NFL Draft. And it’s hard to blame them. If you’ve had as much team and individual success as some of these players it’d be hard to pass up a chance at the pros. One of these three is an essential lock to go pro while the other two are coin-flips. So, without further ado, here are three Badgers who could enter the NFL Draft a year early:
Jonathan Taylor
Jonathan Taylor is basically a goner from Wisconsin. The three-year starter won the Doak Walker Award for the Nation’s best running back two years in a row and was an All-American in 2018. He’s also the first Badger running back to rush for over 2000 yards in consecutive seasons, and that’s saying something considering the history of Running Back U.
Taylor has a great blend of speed, power, quickness and vision. He’s a patient runner who does a great job finding holes and squeezing through them. When he’s in the open field, he’s either too agile or fast for linebackers and too big and strong for defensive backs. It’s a nightmare for defenses.
His only weakness is holding on to the football. He displayed a propensity for fumbling, especially early on his career. Although it got a little bit better this season, the ball security woes still reared their ugly head at different times of the season. He’ll have to show he can hold on to the football to truly become an elite weapon at the next level.
Quintez Cephus
Quintez Cephus is an interesting case. He missed all of last season, but showed out upon his return. He set career-highs with 59 receptions, 901 yards and seven touchdowns this season. He showed just how tough he really is in the Rose Bowl when he single-handily dominated his matchup with the Ducks.
Cephus isn’t as explosive as other receivers in his class, but he does a great job running his routes and using his strong hands to bring the ball in. He also plays with a high motor and a chip on his shoulder.
It’s unclear if he’ll enter the NFL Draft given his unusual route to this point in his Badgers’ career. We’ll have to wait and see what his decision is.
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Tyler Biadasz
Tyler Biadasz was one of the Badgers’ best offensive linemen this season. And that’s saying something considering the talent they have up front. Still, he proved to be a dominant snapper who could handle himself in both the run and passing game.
This dominance led to him winning the Dave Rimington Trophy for NCAA’s most outstanding Center. He’s the first Wisconsin player to win the award since it’s inauguration in 2000. Biadasz, similar to Cephus, is a true coin-flip. He has a strong case to enter the draft or stay in school. We’ll see what he decides.