[lawrence-newsletter]

Wisconsin may not be the first school that comes to mind when you think of first round picks in the NFL Draft as even the program’s best NFL product in its history, Russell Wilson, was not a first round selection.

Nevertheless, the Wisconsin football program has had its share of first round selections since 2000, headlined by names including J.J. Watt, T.J. Watt, Melvin Gordon and Ryan Ramczyk, and this year the Badgers have two players–Jonathan Taylor and Zack Baun–projected to have a chance at joining that group.

Here is every Badger to be selected in the first round since 2000.

 

Ron Dayne (11th overall in 2000)

Before Taylor arrived in Madison, Ron Dayne was known as the best running back in program history.

The New Jersey native finished his (four year) college career with 7125 yards, 71 touchdowns and a Heisman trophy.

His professional career was not nearly as decorated.

Dayne was taken by the New York Giants where he only played for four years and never cracked the 1000 yard mark. His best year in New York was by far his rookie season during which he carried the ball 228 times for 770 yards and five touchdowns, production not close to that from his days at Wisconsin.

The former Badger went on to play for the Denver Broncos and Houston Texans before he retired at age 29 with 3722 career yards and 28 rushing touchdowns.

(Though completely unrelated it’s hard to not take note of No. 54’s blatant hold on the Michigan defender in the picture above).