Tag: Zack Baun

What an all-Wisconsin NFL defensive starting lineup would look like

Yesterday I put together an all-Wisconsin Badger NFL offensive starting lineup, a unit headlined by Russell Wilson, Melvin Gordon…

Yesterday I put together an all-Wisconsin Badger NFL offensive starting lineup, a unit headlined by Russell Wilson, Melvin Gordon, Ryan Ramczyk and Derek Watt.

Today we’re switching to the defensive side of the field and forming a defense of former Wisconsin Badgers currently playing in the NFL.

(Side note: an executive decision was made to play a 3-4 defense and make a few minor position adjustments).

 

Defensive end: JJ Watt, Zack Baun

NFL: AFC Divisional Round-Houston Texans at Kansas City Chiefs
Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt (99) against the Kansas City Chiefs in a AFC Divisional Round playoff football game at Arrowhead Stadium. Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Along with the obvious selection of J.J. Watt, the only true defensive end out of Wisconsin in the NFL today, I moved Zack Baun and his impressive pass-rushing ability from outside linebacker down to defensive end to play across from Watt

Not much needs to be said about Watt and his Hall of Fame-level NFL career thus far, as the Wisconsin native was included in NFL.com’s all-decade team and is now entering his tenth year in the league after having made five Pro Bowls and received five first-team All-Pro nods.

Baun, on the other hand, is an incoming rookie but has the versatility to fill this team’s open slot at defensive end. Much is said about Baun’s pass rush ability–one which led him to record 12.5 sacks last season–but he is also a more-than-adequate run defender and would be a valuable versatile piece to add to this defensive front.

Next is who the defense will deploy at defensive tackle.

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Zack Baun not included in PFF’s top candidates for NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year

Anthony Treash of ProFootballFocus released his “Top 10 Defensive Rookie of the Year candidates for the 2020 NFL season” last week and…

Anthony Treash of ProFootballFocus released his “Top 10 Defensive Rookie of the Year candidates for the 2020 NFL season” last week and former Badger linebacker Zack Baun was not among the 10 names listed.

The rankings, in order, include Chase Young, Isaiah Simmons, Patrick Queen, Jeff Okudah, Javon Kinlaw, Grant Delpit, Xavier McKinney, Antoine Winfield Jr., Jaylon Johnson and Kenneth Murray.

None of the 10 candidates on the list were selected below Baun’s draft position of No. 74, though he was projected before the draft to be selected in late-first, early-second round range that McKinney, Winfield, Johnson, Queen and Delpit went in.

Nobody would deny that Young is the clear favorite to win the honor, as he was selected No. 2 overall for a reason and is a generational talent at pass rusher, but don’t be surprised if Baun climbs his way up the list as he carves out a role for himself in New Orleans.

Games to circle for Badger fans on the newly-released NFL schedule

The NFL released their official 2020 schedule last night, making it official when and where each rookie Badger will make their NFL debut…

The NFL released their official 2020 schedule last night, making it official when and where each rookie Badger will make their NFL debut.

Now diving deeper, here are games to circle for Badger fans on the newly-released schedule, ones which see head-to-head matchups between Wisconsin products both young and old.

 

  • September 13, 2020: Indianapolis Colts at Jacksonville Jaguars

Wisconsin legend Jonathan Taylor begins his NFL career against the Jaguar defense and middle linebacker Joe Schobert, a Badger from 2013-2015.

 

  • September 20, 2020: Denver Broncos at Pittsburgh Steelers

The Broncos and their newly-signed running Melvin Gordon travel to Pittsburgh Week 2 and face T.J. Watt and the Steelers’ defensive line.

Though the two were never teammates on the field in college, it is a matchup of two former Badgers who are both premier players in the league at their position.

 

  • September 27, 2020: Green Bay Packers at New Orleans Saints

Right tackle Rick Wagner and the Packers travel to New Orleans in Week 3 to battle against the Saints and their rookie linebacker Zack Baun.

Baun will be used all over the field for the New Orleans defense but his most likely role will be on the edge as a pass rusher. Though the Packers somehow only have one former Badger on their roster, this matchup should see their right tackle Wagner–a Badger from 2009-2012–face off head-to-head with the rookie Baun as he works to protect quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

 

  • September 27, 2020: Las Vegas Raiders at New England Patriots

This is one of my favorite matchups to watch as the Raiders and fullback Alec Ingold look to find success in the run game against the Patriots and defensive tackle Beau Allen, a Badger from 2010-2013.

 

  • October 11, 2020: Philadelphia Eagles at Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers and newly-acquired fullback Derek Watt look to open up their ground game against an Eagles defense led at linebacker by former Badger T.J. Edwards.

 

  • October 25, 2020: Houston Texans at Green Bay Packers

Like the Packers’ Week 3 matchup against the Saints, their October 25 contest against the Texans will see Wagner trying to block a former Badger in J.J. Watt.

 

  • November 30, 2020: Seattle Seahawks at Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles and starting middle linebacker T.J. Edwards will look to slow down the Seahawks and Wisconsin legend Russell Wilson.

 

  • December 6, 2020: New York Giants at Seattle Seahawks

For the second consecutive week Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson will stare down a former Badger across the line in Giants middle linebacker Ryan Connelly.

 

  • December 6, 2020: Indianapolis Colts at Houston Texans

This is an intriguing matchup between two former Wisconsin legends in running back Jonathan Taylor and defensive end J.J. Watt.

Nobody really knows how the rookie Taylor will perform in the NFL but if his talent and college production is any indication, Watt will have his hands full when the Colts come to town in December.

 

  • December 10, 2020: New England Patriots at Los Angeles Rams

The Patriots and newly-signed defensive tackle Beau Allen look to get past Rams right tackle Rob Havenstein, a Badger from 2010-2014, and put pressure on quarterback Jared Goff.

 

  • December 27, 2020: Indianapolis Colts at Pittsburgh Steelers

The same story as the Colts’ December 6 contest in Houston, Taylor will look to finish his rookie year on a strong note as he faces the Steelers and former Badger T.J. Watt.

 

This list may change as the season progresses, as current depth options including Lions wide receiver Quintez Cephus, Eagles running back Corey Clement, Cowboys center Tyler Biadasz, Panthers linebacker Chris Orr, Raiders cornerback Nick Nelson and others could move into starting roles and set themselves up for head-to-head matchups against fellow Wisconsin products.

 

 

NFL Schedule Release: Where and when each rookie Badger will be making their NFL debut

Where and when each rookie Badger will be making their NFL debut

Once again, NFL news is getting us through tough times as we wait for the return of live sports in America. Tonight, the NFL released the full 2020 schedule, and we at BadgersWire are going to be all-out optimists. So instead of speculating about the unknown, let’s take a look at where and when the five rookie Badgers are scheduled to be making their professional debuts in 2020.

Jonathan Taylor — Indianapolis Colts at Jacksonville — 1 pm ET Sunday, Sep. 13 

Wisconsin’s top draft pick in 2020, and the second Colts selection in the 2020 draft, will be making his NFL debut in Florida when his Colts travel to play the Jaguars. The Jags had a bottom-five run defense last season in terms of yards given up per game so expect the former Badger to get off to a running start in his rookie year.

Zack Baun — New Orleans Saints vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers — 4:25 pm ET Sunday, Sep. 13 

The top defensive player from Wisconsin selected in the 2020 NFL draft will waist no time going up against the best. Baun and the Saints get Tom Brady and the Bucs in week one. Although the former Badger ‘backer wants otherwise, this game has shootout written all over it with Drew Brees and Brady going head-to-head in week one. Baun also goes up against former Badger and current Buccaneer running back Dare Ogunbowale.

Tyler Biadasz — Dallas Cowboys at L.A. Rams — 8:25 pm ET Sunday, Sep. 13 

The former Wisconsin center and his new squad get primetime action in week one. The Dallas Cowboys head to Los Angeles, and their starting center could very well be the former Badger.

Chris Orr — Carolina Panters vs. Las Vegas Raiders — 1 pm ET Sunday, Sep. 13 

The former Badger ‘backer opens up at home against the brand new Las Vegas Raiders. Orr goes up against former Badger and current Raider fullback Alec Ingold in week one with his new squad.

Quintez Cephus — Detroit Lions vs. Chicago Bears — 1 pm ET Sunday, Sep. 13

Cephus and the Lions open up at home against the Bears in week one. Detroit and the former Badger WR look to get off to a positive start against one of the best defenses in the NFL.

3 critical questions for the Saints to answer in their 2020 training camp

The Saints look towards their 2020 training camp with question marks along the offensive line, at linebacker, and in the receiving corps.

It sure feels like New Orleans Saints training camp is a lifetime away, but it’ll be here before we know it. And when the black and gold gather for a month-long workout under the grueling Metairie sun, it’s safe to say that the coaching staff will have some questions weighing heavily on their minds.

We have three of those problems already written down in pen, circled, and highlighted. These are the most important issues facing the Saints this season, and they won’t even sniff Super Bowl LV if they don’t solve each problem before September. New Orleans must act quickly to gets its 2020 rookie class on the same page as its veteran pickups and the nucleus of players returning from the 2019 team.

Who starts at center and guard?

Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports

New Orleans sent both guards to the Pro Bowl last year, but the Saints offensive line got even deeper in the 2020 draft by picking Michigan center Cesar Ruiz. While Andrus Peat is entrenched at left guard (having signed a five-year contract extension earlier in the offseason), the center and right guard spots are all but settled. If anything, they might be the most competitive roster battles we’ll see in training camp.

Ruiz and Erik McCoy, the incumbent, will both compete for the right to start at center. They’ll also work into the lineup at right guard, three-time Pro Bowl alternate Larry Warford is entering the final year of his contract (which carries the second-highest salary cap charge for the Saints this year, behind Drew Brees). With just those two spots available, the Saints will be benching either a draft pick selected in the first two rounds of the last two drafts or one of their best free agent acquisitions.

It’s possible Warford gets traded to help make that decision easier. Moving him would allow the Saints to work around the salary cap a little easier, while also getting both Ruiz and McCoy on the field together. While McCoy was graded very well by Pro Football Focus in 2019, Ruiz is one of the best center prospects in years — his college coach allowed him to make all the line calls for the Wolverines, and credited Ruiz with getting it right “99% of the time.”

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Multiple former Badgers now teammates with their old college running mates after the 2020 offseason

With the musical chairs-like NFL offseason now practically over as teams now have their depth charts rounded out we take a look at which…

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With the musical chairs-like NFL offseason now practically over as teams now have their depth charts rounded out we take a look at which Wisconsin products joined fellow Badgers on their new NFL teams.

There are 37 former Badgers currently playing in the NFL such as big names including J.J Watt, T.J. Watt, Russell Wilson, Melvin Gordon and Jonathan Taylor.

This year’s offseason saw some of those 37 names find themselves on a team together, where in a couple cases it was a reunion from when they were together at Wisconsin during their college years.

Specifically, there were seven cases over the past few months of a team signing, trading for or drafting a Wisconsin product and placing them on a team together with one or more other players from the school.

Here are those seven.

  1. The Panthers’ acquisition of Chris Orr in post-draft free agency reunited him with his former college teammate in safety Natrell Jamerson and another former Badger in tackle Tyler Marz
  2. Melvin Gordon signing with the Denver Broncos put him back on a team together with tight end Troy Fumagalli
  3. The Detroit Lions’ selection of wide receiver Quintez Cephus in the fifth round reunited him with two former college teammates in defensive tackle Olive Sagapolu and guard Beau Benzschawel
  4. Linebacker Joe Scobert signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars and will now again play alongside linebacker Leon Jacobs
  5. The New England Patriots’ signing of defensive tackle Beau Allen put him back together with his teammate from all four of his years in Madison in running back James White
  6. Linebacker Zack Baun and offensive tackle Ryan Ramczyk are together again after the New Orleans Saints drafted Baun in the third round
  7. Finally, the Pittsburgh Steelers signing of fullback Derek Watt reunited him with both his teammate in college for one year and brother T.J. Watt

Other duos or tandems of Wisconsin products on the same team in the NFL include offensive linemen David Edwards and Rob Havenstein on the Los Angeles Rams, fullback Alec Ingold and cornerback Nick Nelson together on the Las Vegas Raiders, linebacker Vince Biegel, guard Michael Deiter and linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel forming a trio on the Miami Dolphins, linebacker Ryan Connelly and guard Kevin Zeitler on the New York Giants, running back and Super Bowl LII champion Corey Clement and linebacker T.J. Edwards on the Philadelphia Eagles and, finally, the trio of linebacker Jack Cichy, safety D’Cota Dixon and running back Dare Ogunbowale on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Wisconsin tied for No. 10 among colleges in 2019 for having the most active players on NFL rosters, a number that only went up heading into 2020 with five players from last year’s Wisconsin unit getting a shot in the NFL and several others either returning from injured reserve or being called up from the practice squad.

With more names set to join that list in 2021 it is becoming increasingly clear that Wisconsin is one of the best destinations for NFL hopefuls and has become a factory of quality NFL talent on both sides of the football.

NFL comparisons for the four drafted Badgers

NFL draft season is full of aimless comparisons with every quarterback coming out of college being projected as the next Tom Brady…

NFL draft season is full of aimless comparisons with every quarterback coming out of college being projected as the next Tom Brady, Matt Ryan, Russell Wilson or Aaron Rodgers and every edge rusher as the next Jadeveon Clowney or Von Miller.

These comps are what makes draft season so special, as no matter what NFL team you root for every high draft pick your team makes is immediately compared to the best in the league at the position.

Here at BadgersWire our comps are a bit more on the realistic side, and should give a good idea as to what to expect from the four drafted Badgers, Jonathan Taylor, Zack Baun, Tyler Biadasz and Quintez Cephus as they begin their NFL careers.

 

Jonathan Taylor

Syndication: Milwaukee
Oregon’s defense will attempt to keep Wisconsin star running back Jonathan Taylor from ripping off any big gains in the Rose Bowl. Credit: Rick Wood-Imagn Content Services, LLC

NFL comparison: Nick Chubb

Well, yes, we are comparing Taylor to the Cleveland Browns’ Pro-Bowl running back Nick Chubb.

The comp makes sense, though, as Chubb is an impressive blend of power, vision and speed whose running style reminds me so much of Taylor’s, especially in terms of their breakaway speed and ability to always fall forward and move the chains.

Furthermore, Chubb has developed into a formidable receiver out of the backfield with 56 receptions and 427 yards during his first two NFL seasons.

This is how Taylor’s receiving game will project to the next level, as he isn’t at the level of Clyde Edwards-Helaire and other guys who can call receiving as one of their biggest strengths, but he still has the ability to produce when called upon in that area.

Taylor’s ceiling will obviously have a lot to do with how the Colts choose to use him, whether they decide to limit his touches due to his college workload and, overall, whether the former Badger continues to stay healthy.

The most likely scenario, though, is Nick Chubb-like production behind an elite offensive line in Indianapolis.

Taylor | Baun | Biadasz | Cephus

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Watch: Pat Swilling welcomes Saints draft pick Zack Baun to New Orleans

New Orleans Saints rookie linebacker Zack Baun interviewed with Pat Swilling, a ‘Dome Patrol’ legend and one of the best to ever do it.

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It’s one thing to get drafted by an NFL team. It’s something else entirely to land with the New Orleans Saints, earning a call loaded with career advice from “Dome Patrol” defense legend Pat Swilling. That’s what Wisconsin Badgers alum Zack Baun learned when he joined Swilling for a chat after the team traded up acquire him in the third round of this year’s draft.

One of the most important lessons Swilling stressed to the rookie was the value in scouting his opponents ahead of time, and putting together a file on each team he’s scheduled to play. That way Baun can quickly refer back to each blocker’s strengths and weaknesses before putting together his plan of attack.

Swilling said, “When you don’t know what you’re doing, you play slow, but when you know what you’re doing, you play fast.”

Of course, Swilling and Baun talked about more than football. They touched on topics like must-see sights and traditions when Baun visits New Orleans for the first time, and something entirely foreign and highly critical to making the most of his new home: peeling crawfish.

Baun clearly took the suggestions to heart. Check out the interview where we’ve embedded it below, or at this link:

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Zack Baun has chosen his new jersey number with the New Orleans Saints

Former Wisconsin LB Zack Baun has chosen his new jersey number with the New Orleans Saints. No, the Badger ‘backer could not keep 56, his Wisconsin number, because Saints OLB Demario Davis is not even willing to negotiate. The veteran Saint wants to …

Former Wisconsin LB Zack Baun has chosen his new jersey number with the New Orleans Saints. No, the Badger ‘backer could not keep 56, his Wisconsin number, because Saints OLB Demario Davis is not even willing to negotiate. The veteran Saint wants to teach the rookie Baun about taking care of his NFL paycheck.

Baun is going with 40 as his NFL number. It’s not exactly a classic number for an edge rusher, although without 56 available the former Badger had to make a switch.

At least we know that Baun will have solid veterans around him to help him “save his chickens,” as a rookie.

Ranking the Saints draft picks odds of success, based off jersey number

The New Orleans Saints rookie draft picks chose their jersey numbers. Cesar Ruiz setthimself up for success while Zack Baun almost fumbled.

Good news, everyone! This year’s crop of New Orleans Saints draft picks didn’t waste any time in choosing their new jersey numbers, so we’ve already gotten a good look at what they’ll be wearing once Saints training camp rolls around.

Forget all of the other factors that help decide whether a rookie will flourish — things like skill, athleticism, experience, versatility, and opportunity. The only thing that’s truly important is which number a player slaps on his chest. Everyone knows this. Seriously.

However, fewer football fans are aware of the unwritten rules of picking a good jersey number (and avoiding a bad one). In light of that, we’re going to rank the Saints rookie draft picks based off the digits they’ve tied themselves to (for now; more on that later).

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