Wisconsin's Rivals.com Era Mock Draft, Part 2
With the Wisconsin Badgers already starting to celebrate 100 years of Camp Randall Stadium this fall, BadgerBlitz.com decided to take a look back in to the past.
Jon McNamara, Jonathan Mills and I set out to draft the best team of current and former UW players - going all the way back to 2002, the start of the Rivals.com era.
Considering the recent success of Wisconsin football, we had plenty of great players to choose from. We ended up drafting 23 players each - a starter at each offensive and defensive position on the field and one kicker.
We went through our first four rounds of picks on Thursday, and rounds five through seven are included below.
AP
Round 5
Offensive tackle
4 STARS
Wisconsin
Neenah
RR: 5.8
Ht: 6'6.0"
Wt: 285.0
Class: 2008
-
NATIONAL
Commitment status:
signed
Mills: My fifth pick is awarded to Peter Konz. An Honorable-Mention Big Ten Guard in 2010, Konz was valuable to a strong Badger offensive line despite lingering injuries. He was a Rimington Trophy finalist and first-team All American in 2011. His consistent blocking will protect my QB and create space for my RB to maneuver between gaps in the line of scrimmage.
Running Back
0 STARS
North Dakota
Waukesha
RR: 0.0
Ht: 6'2.0"
Wt: 190.0
Class: 2012
-
POSITION
-
NATIONAL
-
STATE
Commitment status:
signed
Veldhuis: Schobert has one of the best walk-on-to-star transformations in recent Wisconsin history, and capped off his UW career with two dominant seasons playing out on the edge in the 3-4 defense. His senior season was particularly impressive, when he racked up 19.5 tackles for loss (including 9.5 sacks) and forced five fumbles. He had a knack for making the big play when the Badgers needed one, and he's definitely one of their best pass rushers of the Rivals.com era.
Offensive guard
3 STARS
Wisconsin
Milwaukee
RR: 5.6
Ht: 6'4.0"
Wt: 279.0
Class: 2008
-
NATIONAL
Commitment status:
signed
McNamara: A three-star recruit coming out of high school, Kevin Zeitler turned into one of Wisconsin's top linemen of the Rivals.com era. A first-team All-American by AFCA and Pro Football Weekly as a senior, Zeitler, a first-round draft choice by the Cincinnati Bengals, will be a key cog at guard for my offense.
Round 6
Offensive tackle
0 STARS
Winona State
Stevens Point
RR: 0.0
Ht: 6'5.0"
Wt: 275.0
Class: 2011
-
POSITION
-
NATIONAL
-
STATE
Commitment status:
verbal
McNamara: Why not add a third first-round draft pick to my offensive line? With Thomas and Zeitler already in the mix, I’ll have the luxury of playing Ryan Ramczyk at right tackle. The in-state standout played just one season at Wisconsin after transferring from Wisconsin-Stevens Point but started every game at left tackle and earned first-team All-Big Ten honors and Associated Press All-American accolades in 2016.
Wide Receiver
2 STARS
Wisconsin
Saint Louis
RR: 0.0
Ht: 5'10.0"
Wt: 170.0
Class: 2002
-
POSITION
-
NATIONAL
-
STATE
Commitment status:
signed
Veldhuis: Considering the relative lack of top-tier wide receivers the Badgers have had to work with during the Rivals.com era, I was surprised that Williams was still here for me to take him. A steady contributor for four seasons, Williams had a great freshman season and capped it off with a 59-catch, 1095-yard performance as a senior with six touchdowns.
Tight end
2 STARS
Wisconsin
Menominee
RR: 5.2
Ht: 6'5.0"
Wt: 215.0
Class: 2009
-
POSITION
-
NATIONAL
-
STATE
Commitment status:
signed
Mills: UW's No.7 all-time in touchdown receptions, otherwise known as Jacob Pederson, is my sixth pick. His 17 touchdown receptions are most by a tight end in school history and was awarded 2013 Consensus Honorable Mention All-Big Ten, proving his impactful tenure as a Badger was no fluke. Pederson must ease some of the burden if my wide receivers perform poorly.
Round 7
Wide Receiver
4 STARS
Wisconsin
Milwaukee
RR: 5.8
Ht: 6'4.0"
Wt: 207.0
Class: 2006
-
NATIONAL
Commitment status:
signed
Mills: Although he developed into a tight end, Lance Kendricks was a wide receiver and member of special teams during his career as a Badger. Thus, my eight pick in the draft will not go into vain. He ranks 18th all-time as a Badger with 1,160 career receiving yards and John Mackey Award finalist. If he can mirror his 2010 season- lead team in receptions, receiving yards, receiving touchdowns- putting points on the scoreboard will not be an issue.
Offensive guard
3 STARS
Wisconsin
Frederick
RR: 5.6
Ht: 6'7.0"
Wt: 345.0
Class: 2010
-
NATIONAL
Commitment status:
signed
Veldhuis: I need an offensive tackle to continue building my offensive line, and Rob Havenstein is another solid option who capped off his career at UW as an AFCA All-American and a consensus first-team All-Big Ten pick. Expectations for Havenstein were pretty high even at the start of his Wisconsin career, and he definitely lived up to his ceiling as a mauler at right tackle.
Defensive tackle
3 STARS
Wisconsin
Minnetonka
RR: 5.6
Ht: 6'2.0"
Wt: 300.0
Class: 2010
-
NATIONAL
Commitment status:
signed
McNamara: Beau Allen (2014) was the last defensive tackle Wisconsin had selected in the NFL Draft. Before him? Nick Hayden in 2008. That said, I’m going to lock up the position early with Allen, a two-time consensus All-Big Ten honorable mention (2012-13) selection.
