Wisconsin Football: Where is Zack Baun going in Recent Mock Drafts?

It’s mock draft season, so let’s see where some of the experts have Wisconsin Football star, Zack Baun being selected in April’s NFL draft.

It was a bit of a slow start to Zack Baun’s career with the Wisconsin Football program as he had to battle through injuries early on. But after a solid Junior season that included 62 total tackles, 7.5 of which were for a loss and 2.5 sacks, Baun took it to an entirely new level in 2019.

In 14 games, Baun would total 75 tackles, including 19.5 for a loss, along with a team high 12.5 sacks, an interception and two forced fumbles. The end result was Baun being selected to the All-American team. An honor that I’m not sure many would have predicted at the beginning of the season.

As the season progressed, even into October many mock drafts that were released at that point had Baun being selected in the middle rounds. However, given how his season ended up, along with more film junkies watching him on tape, coupled with a fine performance at the Senior Bowl, Baun has all of a sudden become a potential first-round draft pick.

And perhaps what is most appealing about Baun’s skill set is that he can really do it all. As an edge-rusher, I mentioned the 12.5 sacks that he tallied in 2019 but Baun also totaled 52 quarterback pressures and had a pass-rush win rate of over 21 percent according to Pro Football Focus (PFF).

https://twitter.com/PFF_College/status/1220086032227557377

But in addition to getting after the quarterback, he is well versed in coverage as well. During the 2018 and 2019 seasons, PFF recorded Baun dropping into coverage on more than 80 snaps in each of those years, and he’d finish with coverage grades of 81.3 and 90.0, respectively.

It’s this versatility that has helped him rise up many draft boards and he’s the type of player that every NFL team would love to have on their roster.

While some of the draft experts have Baun as first-round pick and others have him as a second, I believe that as the draft process continues to unfold and teams continue to learn more about him, his draft stock will only rise.

However, we are still a few months away from the draft taking place, so let’s see where some of the draft experts have Baun landing at this point.

Daniel Jeremiah – NFL.com

Round 1, Pick 31: Kansas City Chiefs

"“Baun can play on the edge or off the ball. His athletic ability and versatility would fit well in Steve Spagnuolo’s defense.”"

Benjamin Solak – The Draft Network

Round 1, Pick 26: Miami Dolphins

"“I promised myself I was going to get Zack Baun in the first round of this mock. It’s a worthy endeavor because Baun has the potential to be a first-round player after he dominates the Senior Bowl and shreds the NFL combine. His process is going to be as fun to watch as his film.Baun’s biggest concern from a film perspective is his permanent deployment: Can he be a full-time pass-rusher? Does he need to be a stand-up SAM with coverage responsibilities? Under Brian Flores, he can take on the Kyle Van Noy role that allows him to do a little bit of everything, as the situation demands it.”"

Mel Kiper Jr. – ESPN

Round 1, Pick 27: Seattle Seahawks

"“It’s fair to say the early returns on 2019 first-round pick L.J. Collier, whom I ranked outside my top 50, were disappointing; he played just 142 defensive snaps and didn’t have a sack. Put that next to an injury-plagued season from Ezekiel Ansah and an inconsistent year from Jadeveon Clowney, and the Seahawks produced a very un-Pete-Carroll-like 28 total sacks, tied for second fewest in the league.This front seven could be depleted in free agency — Jarran Reed is another who could leave — which means Baun, whom I really wanted to find a way to sneak into the first round here, makes a lot of sense. He’s not going to be a traditional hulking 4-3 defensive end, but he gets after quarterbacks in different ways.His 2019 breakout season (12.5 sacks) included a few “wow” moments from his relentlessness, and he’s going to get some comps to former Badger T.J. Watt. If he lands in Seattle, he’d play outside linebacker, but he’d get plenty of opportunities to get after quarterbacks. I thought about Oklahoma defensive tackle Neville Gallimore, who has had a good week at the Senior Bowl as a Reed replacement, but I’ll stick with Baun.”"

Chris Trapasso – CBS Sports

Round 1, Pick 23: Buffalo Bills

"“Going slightly off the radar here, Baun is more of an edge rusher than linebacker who plays with dynamic athleticism and refined hand work. While smaller, Baun could fit immediately into the Lorenzo Alexander role on Buffalo’s defense.”"

Joe Marino – The Draft Network

Round 2, Pick 52: Los Angeles Rams

Seth Steere – With the First Pick

Round 2, Pick 49: Pittsburgh Steelers

There is still plenty of film watching and workouts to be had, so of course, a lot is going to change over the upcoming months. But as I mentioned above, when it comes to Zack Baun, I think his stock is only going to continue rising.