Wisconsin Football: 4 Badgers Selected in Recent 4 Round Mock Draft

In a recent four round mock draft from the Draft Wire, four members of the Wisconsin Football program were selected. Here is where they ended up.

The NFL season is nearing its conclusion and in college football the Senior Bowl has passed, which means mock draft season is in full swing. And as has become the norm for the Wisconsin Football program, they will once again have a couple of players selected in April’s draft.

Since it is still early, at this point in the offseason we haven’t seen many mock drafts that have gone past the first-round. However, I have found a recent one from Luke Easterling of the Draft Wire that goes four-rounds deep and has four Badgers being selected.

I’m sure many of you can guess who the four players in particular are, but it’s always fun to see where they could potentially end up. So let’s dive in!

Round 1, Pick 26: Jonathan Taylor – Miami Dolphins

Easterling had this to say about the Dolphins selecting Taylor:

"“Offensive tackle would be the top priority here, but with Becton off the board just before their pick, the value is likely to be better at their next pick. Instead, the Dolphins could opt to take the best of a deep running back class, adding a complete runner in Taylor, who averaged 2,000 yards per season on the ground over his three years with the Badgers.”"

Takeaway: Taylor is the most accomplished running back in this draft and one of the most accomplished backs in college football history. However, there are many draft experts who don’t have him as a first-round selection.

One reason being a concern about how much he was used at Wisconsin but also a big factor is that in recent years the running back position has been devalued a bit at the NFL level as many teams feel that they can find a good back in the later rounds.

With that said, Taylor isn’t just any running back. As Easterling pointed out he averaged over 2,000 rushing yards over his three seasons and many of those yards came after contact. Not to mention that in 2019 he had shown that he can be a threat in the passing game as well.

For a Dolphins team that is going to have a young quarterback under center, having a running back like Taylor to lean on will go a long ways in helping that quarterback develop.

Round 2, Pick 33: Tyler Biadasz – Cincinnati Bengals

Takeaway: The Bengals need some help along the offensive line and if Tyler Biadasz lasts this long, they will be getting a fantastic player. Biadasz is incredibly experienced having started 41 games over his career and developed into the best offensive lineman on one of the nation’s top rushing offenses.

In 2019 he was won the Rimington Award which is given to the nation’s top center, he was a finalist for the Outland Trophy, while also being named an All-American as well. And take it as you will, but he was a top-3 graded center by Pro Football Focus for three consecutive seasons. Like I said, the Bengals are getting a heck of a player.

Round 2, Pick 64: Zack Baun – Seattle Seahawks

Takeaway: Even as late as November, in the mock drafts that had been released at that point, Zack Baun was still a mid-round draft pick in many. However, behind a fantastic final season and as more draft analysts see his tape, he is currently flying up big boards.

Baun led this stingy Badgers’ defense in sacks with 12.5 and was named to the All-America team in 2019 as well. He would also have a nice showing at last weekend’s Senior Bowl and there are actually many draft analysts who now have Baun projected as a first round pick.

With his ability to rush the quarterback and drop into zone coverage, coupled with more draft junkies finding his tape, I expect Baun’s draft stock to continue to rise and when the draft arrives, I will be shocked if he is still available at pick 64.

Round 4, Pick 109: Chris Orr – Atlanta Falcons

Takeaway: With the play and overall emergence of Zack Baun in 2019, Chris Orr has been overlooked a bit, but he played a huge role in Wisconsin’s defensive success this season. Orr would tally 11.5 sacks – just behind Baun – with 78 total tackles, including 14.5 for a loss, along with five pass breakups and two forced fumbles.

Orr has been very good when asked to blitz and even flashed in coverage when asked to cover confined spaces. However, he just doesn’t have the range to be a reliable coverage linebacker in the NFL without some help along side of him.

There are a number of former Badger linebackers finding success at the NFL level and if in the right defensive scheme, there is no reason to think that Orr can’t join that group.

As the draft process continues to develop, without a doubt all four of these players will move around in future mock drafts. And of course, another name for Badger fans to watch is Quintez Cephus. Given his lack of starts and that Wisconsin is a run first program, many think he will be a late round draft pick. But whoever lands him will be getting a solid wide receiver.