At least two Wisconsin Badgers were taken in each of the last eight NFL drafts, but that trend of success could end in 2016. Paul Chryst’s 10-win 2015 team had a number of players declare for the NFL, but only one of them is a lock to hear his named called on draft weekend.
“It’s exciting,” outside linebacker Joe Schobert said at his Pro Day. “This is what you’ve obviously dreamed for growing up your whole life, and now you’re at the doorsteps trying to get in. You don’t know who’s going to open that door.”
Schobert is widely projected as a day-two pick. ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. has a second-round grade on him, as does ProFootballFocus. Most other draft prognosticators have him going in the third or fourth round, in part because of his limited upside.
At 6-foot-1, 244 pounds, Schobert is a little undersized to be an edge rusher like he was at Wisconsin, with short arms and only average speed. What he lacks in physical tools, though, he makes up for with drive, determination and intelligence, three qualities that will make a team fall in love with him and find a spot for him on their defense.
“Pretty much everybody asks me what I like to play, what they see me as and stuff, and various teams have different answers,” Schobert said. “Some like inside, some like outside, some kind of a little bit of both. I think I can do any of them, and that’s what I kind of tell them.”
The linebacker isn’t the only Badger banking on his versatility to convince a team to take a chance on him. Both fullback Derek Watt and offensive tackle Tyler Marz spent the offseason adding skills to their draft résumé, showing NFL scouts they are willing to do whatever it takes to earn the opportunity to play at the professional level.
“I’ve heard I might move to guard, and obviously I played some right tackle down at the East-West game,” Marz said. “Whatever a team needs me to do. If I need to start snapping the ball, I’ll do that.”
Both Marz and Watt are projected to go undrafted, but there is a chance that a team identifies one of their skill sets as a good fit for their roster and uses a late-round pick on one of them. Some expect Watt to get a few extra looks simply because of his older brother.
“At the end of the day, all it takes is one team to really like you and be a good fit,” Watt said. “So if that’s what it takes and that’s all you get, then you have to be happy with it.”
One Badger who could surprise people and wind up as a late-round pick is Tanner McEvoy, who played quarterback, safety and wide receiver at Wisconsin. Some teams also view him as a tight end prospect, and he’s going to have a spot at some position on at least one team’s radar.
Along with McEvoy, quarterback Joel Stave has also been whispered to be a possible late-round pick. He has the physical tools and the intangibles of an NFL quarterback, but his poor accuracy and decision-making might make it tough for teams to spend a draft pick on him.
I think Joel Stave gets drafted. #HolidayBowl
— Gil Brandt (@Gil_Brandt) December 31, 2015
Safety Michael Caputo and wide receiver Alex Erickson won’t likely hear their names called this weekend either, but they have the skill sets and football acumen to find their way onto an NFL roster as undrafted free agents. Cornerback Darius Hillary, tight end Austin Traylor and punter Drew Meyer are also trying their best to make it at the next level, but it would be surprising to see them make it to any team’s training camp.
Badger fans will have to place their hopes in Schobert to continue carrying the Wisconsin tradition to the NFL. A few of his teammates have a shot to join him in having their names called this weekend, but one way or another, there will at least be some influx of UW talent heading to the pro level this fall.
