[lawrence-newsletter]Badger fans already knew that Wisconsin was OLU, and a graphic released by PFF today on Twitter only further confirms that. Pro Football Focus listed the top four highest-graded OT’s since 2006 based on their first three years in the league. The Badgers were the only school to have multiple names on the list:
Familiar names on that list 😉
O-LINE U#OnWisconsin https://t.co/0dxpdE3eds
— Wisconsin Football (@BadgerFootball) June 6, 2020
Joe Thomas, former NFL legend turned Titan Games T.V. star, comes in as the best OT over the first three years of his career since 2006 with a score of 93.0. The Brookfield, Wisconsin native was a Badger from 2003-2006 before being selected No. 3 overall by the Cleveland Browns in 2007. Thomas spent all 11 years of his NFL career in Cleveland and was a 7-time First-team NFL All-Pro.
At the back end of the list is one of the best current Badgers in the NFL in New Orleans Saints OT Ryan Ramczyk. The former Badger endured a wild ride in college in which he initially enrolled at Madison Area Technical College, then another community college in Stevens Point before playing football at UW Stevens Point. It was not until 2015, three schools later and after Paul Chryst became Wisconsin’s head coach, that Ramczyk finally transferred to Madison. The Saints star took over at left tackle in 2016 and the rest is history. Ramczyk was the final pick of the first round in 2017 and has starred for the Saints at the tackle position. He was named a First-team NFL All-Pro this past season in New Orleans.
If there is any position that Wisconsin football has been known to dominate both at the collegiate level and the pro level, it is the offensive line.