Only two Wisconsin players attended the 2024 Senior Bowl, offensive lineman Tanor Bortolini and long snapper Peter Bowden. Bortolini really helped his draft stock with his performance in practice and the game.
Like most schools, several Wisconsin players declared for the NFL Draft, so it is almost a guarantee that a couple of Badgers will hear their name called within the three days the Draft will be going on.
Here is my projection on which players will hear their names during the draft and which ones may end up undrafted free agents.
Braelon Allen impressed everyone in college by eclipsing 1,000 yards in his freshman season, repeating the feat in his sophomore season, and fell only 16 yards short of 1,000 in his last season as a Badger. Allen is currently the ninth-ranked running back on Mel Kiper Jr.'s big draft board. He also recently got an invite to the NFL Combine coming up in a few weeks.
Dream come true 🙏🏾 https://t.co/bMwZBzJVJZ
— Braelon Allen (@BraelonAllen) February 7, 2024
Allen is big for a running back but can use that size to his advantage to break tackles. The only disadvantage of his size is that he struggles to get small to break through running lanes. He is a solid pass catcher, mostly used in the check-down game when a quarterback gets pressure.
Any NFL team would love to have Allen as a backup running back to be used on third-down plays. Teams that come to mind would be the Cowboys or the Ravens. The Cowboys need a strong physical back to add to the running game and the Ravens can simply add to their prolific run offense.
Tanor Bortolini did himself a lot of favors in practice at the Senior Bowl. He showed his physicality and ability to block rushers effectively. He showed good athleticism and ability to move from side to side to keep the block and protect the quarterback.
In 2022 Bortolini acted as a utility offensive lineman playing right tackle, left tackle, and center before becoming the full-time starting center in 2023. He is the sixth-best center on Mel Kiper Jr.'s big draft board and his draft stock still has a chance to go up.
Wisconsin’s Tanor Bortolini with really great feet + base in pass pro here at the Senior Bowl. pic.twitter.com/P1ckUHUFBz
— Bobby Football (@Rob__Paul) January 31, 2024
Depth on an offensive line is crucial for NFL teams. While these players are beasts for what they play through, all it takes is one back hit or fall and someone else needs to step up. Bortolini is a very teachable and moldable player that any team would love to coach. Numerous teams could use depth on their line and this Badger could be a perfect fit for any of them.
Undrafted free agents
- OT Trey Wedig
- LS Peter Bowden
- QB Tanner Mordecai
- OG JP Benzchawel
- OT Riley Mahlman