Tag: Badgers in NFL

Best Twitter reactions to Keanu Benton being drafted by Steelers

What does Twitter think of the Steelers’ pick?

Former Badger defensive lineman Keeanu Benton was selected in the second round, 49th overall, by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2023 NFL Draft. He became the second Badger off the board, hearing his name called six picks after center Joe Tippmann was picked by the Jets.

Benton will head to a team in the Steelers that has always prided themselves on the defensive side of the ball, joining stars like fellow Badger T.J. Watt and All-Pro defensive lineman Cameron Heyward in Pittsburgh as well as former teammate Isaiahh Loudermilk.

Overall, Benton just seems like a Steeler type and will look to fortify the team’s run defense by clogging up the interior running lanes for their opponents.

Here’s what Twitter thought of the selection by Pittsburgh:

Twitter reacts to Jets selecting Joe Tippmann

Tippmann to the Jets, what does Twitter think?

The first Wisconsin Badger to be taken off the board in the 2023 NFL Draft was interior offensive lineman Joe Tippmann, heading to the New York Jets with the No. 43 overall selection.

Tippmann was projected to go somewhere in the late first or early second round, which is exactly what happened. The 6-foot-6, 313-pound lineman will now block for all-time great Aaron Rodgers in New York after Rodgers was dealt to the Jets a few days prior to the draft.

He’ll join an offensive line that includes former first round picks Alijah Vera-Tucker and Mekhi Becton, both of whom will look to return from injuries in 2023.

Here’s how Twitter reacted to the Jets’ selection of Tippmann:

Watch: Badger draft prospect drops hype video

With the 2023 NFL Draft right around the corner, former Badger edge rusher Nick Herbig dropped a hype video Friday night.

With the 2023 NFL Draft right around the corner, former Badger edge rusher Nick Herbig dropped a hype video Friday night. For those who are fans of the undersized athlete, the video brings back some good memories in the cardinal red and white.

Herbig spent three seasons as a significant member of the Badgers’ defense, becoming a star in his final two seasons in Madison. In his final two campaigns, the 6-foot-2, 227 pounder athlete combined to record 108 tackles, including 20 sacks.

With success stories like TJ Watt, TJ Edwards, Leo Chenal and Jack Sanborn in the NFL as former Badger linebackers, Herbig will attempt to be the next one up in the league.

See where Herbig and the rest of the Badger draft prospects get selected when the 2023 NFL Draft starts two weeks from Thursday (April 27).

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Former Badger receives 23 NFL All-Pro votes

Former Badger linebacker T.J. Edwards has earns All-Pro votes following masterful fourth season with the Eagles.

T.J. Edwards has had an outstanding year as a member of the Philadelphia Eagles, recording a career-high 159 tackles and while playing in all 17 of the team’s regular season contests. As a result, the former Badger earned himself 23 All-Pro votes, including three first-team votes.

Edwards has increased his production in each of his four seasons in the NFL after going undrafted in 2019 following four-year career with the Badgers. In his four seasons with Wisconsin, the linebacker recorded 366 total tackles, including eight sacks, while compiling 10 interceptions, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. A highlight from his career with the Badgers was his 51-yard pick-six in Wisconsin’s 38-13 win over Maryland in 2018.

Edwards and the Eagles are enjoying a bye week in the first round of the NFL playoffs this weekend before they’ll return to action in the Divisional Round to take on an undetermined opponent next week.

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WATCH: Touching tribute for J.J. Watt’s retirement

J.J. Watt receives a touching tribute as he retires from the NFL following the 2022 campaign.

Former Wisconsin Badger J.J. Watt has officially hung up his cleats following the conclusion of the 2022 NFL season, retiring after a Hall of Fame caliber 12-year career.

The Pewaukee native laced them up for the last time in Week 18 as a member of the Arizona Cardinals, recording five tackles, including two sacks, in the team’s 38-13 loss to the 49ers.

Watt will finish his career as a three-time AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year amongst other accolades, recording 114.5 sacks as a member of the Houston Texans and the Arizona Cardinals.

On this week’s episode of Hard Knocks In Season: The Arizona Cardinals, the team put together a touching tribute video for their exiting star. Watt quickly becomes emotional as his family, friends and colleagues congratulated him on his storied career.

LOOK: Every Wisconsin Badgers player who made an initial 53-man NFL roster

Here are all 26 Wisconsin Badgers players who made an initial 53-man NFL roster:

Earlier this week, teams across the NFL had to make a slew of tough decisions to trim their respective rosters down to 53 players for the season opener.

After a hectic week of trading, roster management, injury designations, and practice squad signings, 26 Wisconsin Badgers alumni have officially made their team’s initial 53-man rosters.

The University of Wisconsin has consistently churned out NFL talent every year and is well represented by star players such as Jonathan Taylor, T.J. Watt, Russell Wilson, and J.J. Watt. That said, they’ve also produced several other notable contributors across the league who’ve become mainstays in the NFL and carved out terrific professional careers.

Here is a look at all 26 Wisconsin Badgers alumni who made their initial 53-man rosters heading into week one of the NFL season:

Former Wisconsin Badgers QB Russell Wilson signs massive contract extension

Former Badgers QB Russell Wilson got PAID by the Broncos:

According to a report from Adam Schefter, former Wisconsin Badgers quarterback Russell Wilson and the Denver Broncos agreed to a massive five-year contract extension earlier this week.

Wilson, who began his career with the Seattle Seahawks, was traded to Denver in the offseason and is now the proud owner of a contract totaling $245 million. The agreement also includes $165 million guaranteed, tying the former fourth-round pick to the Broncos for the next seven seasons – running through 2028.

With an average salary of $49 million per year, Wilson has now become the second-highest-paid QB in the NFL, trailing only Packers back-to-back MVP Aaron Rodgers.

Although Wilson played just one season for Wisconsin (2011), he remains a folk hero and the gold standard of QB play in Madison.

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Packers trade former Wisconsin Badgers OL Cole Van Lanen

The Packers traded a former Badgers OT on Tuesday:

According to a report from ESPN’s Rob Demovsky, the Green Bay Packers traded former Wisconsin Badgers offensive lineman Cole Van Lanen to the Jacksonville Jaguars for a seventh-round draft pick on Tuesday.

The Packers selected Van Lanen with the 214th selection in the sixth round of the draft in 2021; however, opportunities to play were limited due to the impressive depth Green Bay has at the position.

Van Lanen, a Wisconsin native, spent most of his rookie season on Green Bay’s practice squad but did appear in one game, logging one snap.

Through two preseason games, he’s played 71 total snaps, 65 of which came at left guard, and six came at right tackle, and he hasn’t allowed a single pressure.

Due to his versatility, Van Lanen should have a solid chance at making the Jaguars’ 53-man roster.

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Contact/Follow us @TheBadgersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin news, notes, opinion, and analysis. You can also follow Dillon Graff on Twitter @DillonGraff.

Packers release former Wisconsin Badgers WR Danny Davis

The Packers released a former Badgers WR on Tuesday:

According to a press release, the Green Bay Packers released former Wisconsin Badgers wide receiver Danny Davis on Tuesday to get down to the 80-man roster limit before the third preseason game.

Despite going undrafted in 2022, Davis performed well during camp and caught the attention of the Packers’ coaching staff. He put himself in the mix after an impressive preseason debut where he registered two catches for 45 yards and a touchdown against the San Francisco 49ers.

As luck would have it, the former Badger suffered an injury that kept him out of Green Bay’s second preseason game against New Orleans, making an already unlikely shot at the initial 53-man roster even more doubtful.

Don’t be surprised if Davis, a five-year contributor for UW, finds his way back onto the Packers practice squad after the final roster cutdowns.

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Contact/Follow us @TheBadgersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin news, notes, opinion, and analysis. You can also follow Dillon Graff on Twitter @DillonGraff.

Former Wisconsin WR Kendric Pryor pushing for a roster spot in Cincinnati

Bengals UDFA wide receiver Kendric Pryor has made quite an impression on the coaching staff during training camp:

With the NFL preseason slate fully underway, the Cincinnati Bengals still have several spots on the initial 53-man roster, and former Wisconsin Badgers wide receiver, who was undrafted, is doing everything he can to steal the last spot.

Head coach Zac Taylor mentioned that Pryor had been one of the most improved players since springtime and that he continues to make the most of his opportunities in a crowded WR room.

During week one of the NFL preseason, the former Badger finished with a game-high four catches for 89 receiving yards and a touchdown.

Because of his standout performance, PFF graded Pryor as the second-best WR (91.0), behind only Pittsburgh Steelers rookie George Pickens (91.2).

Unfortunately for Pryor, he faces an uphill climb to claiming a roster spot, considering that the Bengals feature one of the deepest, most talented WR rooms in the NFL – headlined by Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Tyler Boyd.

Regardless of what happens between now and final cutdowns, Pryor has put his name on the map after an impressive week one.

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Contact/Follow us @TheBadgersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin news, notes, opinion, and analysis. You can also follow Dillon Graff on Twitter @DillonGraff.