[lawrence-newsletter]
Defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard heads into the 2020 season looking for two new defensive leaders with the departures of Zack Baun and Chris Orr.
According to ProFootballFocus, one of those impact players will be safety Eric Burrell.
In an article posted on February 19 Anthony Treash, one of PFF’s senior college analysts, listed the top-10 players returning to the Big Ten in 2020.
At the top he listed the obvious names including Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields, Minnesota quarterback Tanner Morgan and Minnesota wide receiver Rashod Bateman.
His No. 8 player on the list? Wisconsin safety Eric Burrell.
“Wisconsin Badgers safety Eric Burrell has played in the box, slot and at deep safety over the past couple seasons, and regardless of where he was at, he shined in coverage,” Treash wrote. “Among safeties, Burrell’s two-year PFF coverage grade is among the 10 best in the FBS — and he was one of the 20 most valuable safeties overall.”
While missed tackles are a continuing problem for the Maryland native, Treash concluded his piece by noting that “[Burrell] could very well end the 2020 season as one of the five best safeties in the country in coverage.”
These are glowing remarks for the safety who came to Madison in 2016 as a four-star prospect according to ESPN and made an immediate impact when he took over as a starter as a redshirt sophomore in 2018, recording 41 tackles, one interception and two forced fumbles.
His 2019 campaign continued his rise at the position as he started 13 games and recorded 55 tackles, 3.5 tackles-for-loss, two sacks, two interceptions and two forced fumbles.
And, if that wasn’t enough, he recorded three of the Badgers’ top-10 defensive plays of the year including a clutch stop on a 2-point conversion to help seal a win against Iowa.
PFF isn’t the only outlet loving Burrell’s future as TheDraftNetwork lists the safety as the No. 158 overall prospect for the 2021 NFL Draft.
Burrell will enter 2020 as the starter at free safety across from the sure-tackling strong safety Reggie Pearson on a Badger defense set to again be one of the best in the conference and in the nation.