Wisconsin Football: Four Badgers invited to NFL Combine

The Wisconsin football season ended on December 30th when they won the Las Vegas Bowl over the Arizona State Sun Devils, 20-13.

Since then, we’ve looked at which Wisconsin football players would be staying in Madison for another year and which would be moving onto the next part of their careers. Linebacker Jack Sanborn, offensive lineman Josh Seltzner, and defensive lineman Matt Henningsen all participated in the Shrine Bowl and tight end Jake Ferguson was invited to play in the Senior Bowl.

Those are all great opportunities for former Badgers to get some recognition before the upcoming NFL Draft at the end of April. But the invitation for NFL prospects is the NFL Scouting Combine. For the first time since 2020, the Combine will be in-person at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. This is the best opportunity for a prospect to boost their draft stock because they will be going through drills in front of NFL GMs, coaches, and scouts.

Four former-Wisconsin football players received an invite to this year’s Combine.

TE Jake Ferguson

Ferguson, who was Wisconsin’s lone representative at the Shrine Bowl, is a prospect whose draft stock is rising. He had some nice practices while in Mobile, showing his ability to block and catch the ball. In the Senior Bowl game, he caught three passes for 62 yards and a touchdown, leading the National team in all three categories.

The tight end position is deep in this year’s draft, but Ferguson should be considered in the top three or four at the position. Kyle Crabbs from The Draft Network gave him a grade of 76.0/100, a third-round grade.

LB Jack Sanborn

Jack Saborn should have been at the Senior Bowl, in my opinion. But he showed out at the East-West Shrine Bowl. In the Shrine Bowl game, Sanborn did what he’s always done as a Wisconsin football player, made plays. He chased down a scrambling quarterback and forced a fumble before the QB could gain any yardage. He also recovered a fumble in the game.

Kyle Crabbs wrote the scouting report for Sanborn on The Draft Network as well. He gave Sanborn a 77.0/100, a third-round grade.

LB Leo Chenal

Leo Chenal enjoyed one heck of a football season for the Badgers. So well, in fact, that his draft stock probably wouldn’t be helped by staying another year. So he declared early for the NFL Draft. In his last season as a Wisconsin football player, Chenal played in 11 games and amassed 115 tackles (18.5 for a loss) and eight sacks with two forced fumbles.

Here’s a small part of his scouting report on The Draft Network, from Crabbs.

"With a rocked-up frame and some level of potential on passing downs, Chenal will have the opportunity to swoon an NFL franchise about his potential to become a more dynamic player in all phases. At the very least, he’s got a visible passion for the game and can be an early-down enforcer in a defensive system that puts “bumpers” around him and charges him with triggering downhill into the teeth of the point of attack to shoot gaps and attack lead blockers."

OL Logan Bruss

In his career, Logan Bruss played in 42 games for the Wisconsin football team, most of which were at the tackle position. During the 2021 preseason, he was named to the Outland Trophy watch list and was on the Senior Bowl watch list as well.

NFLDraftBuzz.com has Bruss rated as the 35th offensive tackle in the NFL Draft and gives him a 6th-round rating.

Bruss is looking to continue the tradition of Wisconsin linemen drafted into the NFL. With a good Combine performance, he should find his name called on Day 3 of the draft.