Wisconsin Football: Drafting Badgers is a Good Thing

Former Wisconsin football players have made their mark on NFL teams

There’s plenty of former Wisconsin football talent tearing it up at the next level these days, and according to a recent ESPN article, several former Badgers rank as the best draft moves their current NFL teams made in the past five years.

NFL stars on the list who came to the league through Madison include defensive end J.J. Watt, quarterback Russell Wilson, and center Travis Frederick, who have all cemented themselves among the best in the NFL at their respective positions.

If the list were extended further (a lot further), I’m sure we’d see Joe Thomas on this list for the Cleveland Browns, as well.

But the list goes back five years, and three Badgers are recognized for their significant contributions during their short time in the league.

Starting off is possibly the most obvious answer, the best defensive player in football – J.J. Watt. Watt was the 11th overall selection in 2011, and has since won the NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award three times.

Here’s what ESPN NFL writer Tania Ganguli said about selecting what as the Texans best draft move since 2011:

"“In 2011, there was a debate in the building about whether Aldon Smith or J.J. Watt would be the right fit, but when the 11th pick came around, Smith was already gone, the Texans didn’t trade up for him and instead took Watt. In the years since, Wade Phillips, who was then the Texans’ defensive coordinator, credited Bobby Grier, now the Texans’ senior personnel adviser, for advocating for Watt. He has already won three Defensive Player of the Year awards and is easily the best defensive player in franchise history — perhaps the best player in franchise history.”"

There’s really no debate who should have been chosen as the Texans best draft choice in recent years. Watt has been among the best players in the league for the past several years, on offense or defense.

More from Badger of Honor

Moving on to another team with a Badger picked out as the best draft pick in the past five years, we head to the Seattle Seahawks and their selection of Russell Wilson in the third round.

As NFL writer Sheil Kapadia writes, it’s tough to pick the best draft selection for the Seahawks as the team has done so well all over the draft in recent years.

But getting a franchise quarterback in the third round immediately makes your team better for a number of reasons, and Wilson’s first contract especially helped the Seahawks have the financial flexibility to build a Super bowl-calibre roster early in Wilson’s career.

Here’s what Kapadia says about selecting Wilson:

"“There are a lot of good options, but it’s impossible to go against Russell Wilson here. The Seahawks got him in the third round (75th overall) back in 2012. Wilson hasn’t missed a game — or a practice — in four NFL seasons, and the Seahawks have gone 46-18 since he joined the team. It’s easy to forget, but in two seasons under Pete Carroll without Wilson, the team was just 14-18. In a league where teams are constantly searching for franchise quarterbacks, Wilson was passed over 74 times. He led the NFL in passer rating in 2015 and is in position to keep the Seahawks in contention for years to come.”"

Finally we get to the last former Wisconsin football player on the list, who sees his name surface for the Dallas Cowboys.

More from Badgers Alumni

NFL writer Todd Archer names USC tackle Tyron Smith as the best move the Cowboys have made in the past five years, but notes drafting Smith early paved the way to draft Wisconsin center Travis Frederick and Notre Dame guard Zack Martin as Dallas built one of the best offensive lines in the league.

Here’s what Archer says about the Cowboys’ drafting of the three linemen:

"“Before 2011, the Cowboys had not selected an offensive lineman in the first round of the draft in the Jerry Jones’ era. Then Tyron Smith came along. It worked out so well the Cowboys picked center Travis Frederick in 2013 and guard Zack Martin in 2014 — both in the first round. The Cowboys had a chance to trade down to accumulate picks, but they ended up taking Smith, who has developed into one of the best tackles in the game. After beginning as a right tackle, Smith moved to left tackle in 2012 and has missed just one game in his career. He has been named to the Pro Bowl the past three seasons and is a two-time All Pro. Even better for the Cowboys, Frederick and Martin have joined Smith at the Pro Bowl the past two seasons.”"

The Badgers have plenty of stars in the league right now, none bigger than Watt and Wilson.

Next: Badgers Post-Combine Mock Draft

And while it doesn’t look like this year’s draft class is set to send an NFL Hall of Famer into the league, there’s no reason to think one of the Badgers eligible players – like Joe Schobert or Michael Caputo – won’t find themselves helping NFL teams for years to come.