Wisconsin Players in the Draft

The Wisconsin Badgers have been known to produce solid offensive lineman for the NFL.  They usually have a few players from other positions drafted though too however.  This is the analysis for the Wisconsin Badger players that were drafted here in 2012.  Being a big Badger fan, i had to do this kind of post.

Kevin Zeitler

The first Badger to go off the board was Kevin Zeitler at offensive guard.  Ofcourse it is a lineman that is the first badger that goes first off the board for the school.  Anyway, Zeitler had a fantastic senior season opening up holes all year for his start running back Ball.  Ball led the NCAA in rushing touchdowns for a single season and it is largely due to Zeitler's play.  Already being solid NFL offensive lineman size was a big help for him being picked in the first round of the draft.  He is a technically sound lineman with great strength and quick first step to punish defenders.  He excels and doubling down on defensive lineman to the linebackers where he can make huge touchdown-springing blocks.  He is just another productive player from the well-coached Badgers offensive line.  The Cincinnatti Bengals picked Zeitler at the number 27th overall pick.  In my opinion, he is ready for the NFL right now.  He should be able to start right away and continue his productivity and success with his team.

Peter Konz

The Atlanta Falcons took our next Wisconsin offensive lineman, Center Peter Konz with the overall 55th pick in the draft.  Being a Wisconsin fan, it is great to see two offensive lineman go on and do well in the draft like this, and eventually the NFL.  Konz was fantastic for the Badgers in his time there.  Konz had the rare ability to pull out and block on certain plays as a center.  The ability to be quick off the ball and pull around to make his blocks is a special talent that NFL scouts notice.  Zeitler stands at 6 foot 5 inches and 314 pounds, which is a good size for an NFL center.  He won't be the strongest lineman on the field, but his quickness and great feet should give him a huge edge over his competition in the NFL.  I believe Konz is also an NFL ready player and will hopefully be able to slip into the Falcons lineup in his rookie season if he is not starting in the first game already.

Russell Wilson

The next Wisconsin player to go was quarterback Russell Wilson.  Wilson was a playmaker for the Badger's in his 5th year season as a quarterback in the NCAA.  He played four years at North Carolina State and transferred to Wisconsin for his fifth year.  Wilson runs a 4.5 40-yard dash time, which is pretty rare speed for a quarterback.  He is a mobile type quarterback who creates plays with his legs along with his ability to see plays down field once he buys himself time.  His big downside is his size.  Wilson stands at under 6 feet tall, and that is very short for the position.  When he is in the pocket he sometimes has problems seeing over his lineman.  I don't really know what he'll be able to do in the NFL but if he stays at quarterback, I'm looking for the same playmaker I saw playing for the Badgers last year.  Hopefully Russell gets his chance under Pete Carroll at the Seahawks.

Nick Toon

Nick Toon was taken at the 122nd overall pick in the draft by the New Orleans Saints.  This could be a great fit for Toon.  Toon, in my opinion, was definitely a top 5 receiver in this year's draft.  He had a great game in the Rose Bowl and that really helped his exposure.  Toon is really an all around great receiver.  He is big, strong, fast, and has no problem being physical on the edges with the corners.  He has very good, but not great hands however.  That is about as negative as this analyisis is going to get for him.  He is at his best when he is one on one with a defender.  He's also great down the sideline because his strength allows him to go up and take the ball from defenders.  He uses his body to shed tacklers once the ball is secured and seems to always be making forward progress.  Such a solid all around reciever is hard to find these days.  I think he will fit greatly at the Saints right away.  Toon may have been a great 4th round steal.

The other two Wisconsin Badgers that went off the board later in this year's draft were fullback Bradie Ewing, and punter Brad Nortman.  Ewing was personally my favorite Badger to watch on the whole football team.  He played with such intensity and power for his size.  I don't mean to say he is an undersized fullback, but sometimes he was a little outmatched against the linebackers he blocked.  However, he always found a way to take it to them and make the initial hit with a good driving force behind it.  He was the type of player that didn't seem to quit, and he consistently came with a whole lot of power.  Nortman was a consistent punter all year with pretty rare accuracy.  He had the ability to pin teams deep in the right times.

I wish all of the Wisonsin Badgers luck in their 2012 rookie seasons.  It will be great to watch their progress as professional athletes.