The NFL Draft continues to point out a real problem with the Wisconsin Badgers football program. A major lack of Badgers being taken. Last season, Wisconsin had three players taken in the NFL Draft, but all were in the seventh round. The year before, it wasn't much better, with only two picks taken, but both were in the fourth round. In 2026, the results are also shaming for Luke Fickell.
There were three picks of one-time Badgers taken in the NFL Draft, and all left Luke Fickell. Riley Nowakowski, a tight end for the Indiana Hoosiers, was taken in the 5th round. He transferred from the Badgers before last season.
The Badgers didn't have a player picked in the first three rounds of the NFL Draft for the third year in a row. First time this has happened three straight years since 1982-84.
— Colten Bartholomew (@CBartWSJ) April 25, 2026
Luke Fickell has a trend of not putting NFL talent into the league until late in drafts
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There's also Skyler Bell who had a phenomenal season for the UCONN Huskies. He had 101 receptions for 1,278 yards and thirteen touchdowns. He left the Badgers in 2023 after being underutilized. His stock rose immensely at UCONN, truly showcasing his big-play ability.
Or we could talk about Tanner Koziol, who transferred to Wisconsin in the winter portal last season and then left again in the spring. Luke Fickell indicated that he didn't want to block and only wanted to catch, and even had things like how it was too hard for "certain" players.
Koziol went in the 5th round to the Jacksonville Jaguars. This means that the best NFL players out of the Wisconsin Badgers all chose to leave Luke Fickell and Madison before finishing their careers. It's hard to say it didn't work out for any of them. Nowakowski went on to be a National Champion, Bell had a career year and won awards for his play, and Koziol had success as a pass-catching tight end for Houston.
We also see CJ Williams taken in the 6th round by the Jacksonville Jaguars. He transferred out after last season and also had a great year, and made himself draftable.
Yet, it's another reminder that Fickell has to turn things around. Maybe he is, as this year there does seem to be more talent on the roster and more talent coming in the recruiting class. But until it correlates into NFL talent, it's hard to stomach every April.
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