All things considered, I guess you could say the 2009 NFL Draft went as well as it could have gone for the Wisconsin football program. After all, the 2008 football season was nothing short of frustrating, what with a 7-6 overall record, a paltry 3-5 Big Ten record, and an embarrassing bowl game that fans would prefer to erase from their memories. The Badgers were hardly a team to highlight in terms of talent and production.
That being said, a big kudos has to go out to Matt Shaughnessy, DeAndre Levy, Kraig Urbik and Travis Beckum for not only getting drafted, but for all going in the third round. They made the program proud, as Wisconsin was one of just five Big Ten schools to send four or more players to the NFL. All of them certainly deserved to go, based on the performances they gave every Saturday in the last four football seasons.
It was, admittedly, a bit of a surprise to see both Shaughnessy and Levy go so high. Perhaps because of the team's sub-par season, neither one was ranked in the top 10 at his position heading into the draft. In fact, Levy was ranked well below guys like Kaluka Maiava from USC and Tyrone McKenzie from South Florida by a number of reputable sources, but was still picked up by the Lions earlier than either of them. A big congratulations to him, as his play-making ability must been exactly what Detroit was looking for to strengthen their linebacking corps. Similarly, it was nice to see Shaughnessy picked before the likes of Lawrence Sidbury from Richmond and Brandon Williams from Texas Tech, who were of comparable value but were not picked until the fourth round.
It was not a surprise to see Beckum go relatively high, though it was quite disappointing he did not go higher. You have to figure that the guy was just a victim of bad luck. How else would you describe the situation of an All-American who was already a potential first round pick and one of the school's greatest tight ends at the end of his junior year before fracturing his fibula and ending his college career in the thick of conference play this year? Go figure, a stellar guy who thought he would benefit from another year at school would have been better off leaving early. Now he has his work cut out for him—with Kevin Boss and Darcy Johnson established at tight end for the Giants, he will have to fight for playing time. Nonetheless, he is sure to make the final roster come September and haul in a nice chunk of change to boot.
Urbik's selection was pleasing in that his toughness and durability paid off in the long-run. He started 50 games for Wisconsin and had All-Big Ten and All-American accolades by the end of his college career. As fate would have it, he gets rewarded with a roster spot with the defending Super Bowl champion Steelers and likely will have a fairly sizable contract too.
When all was said and done, however, the list of guys whose names did not come up this weekend turned out to be equally as intriguing as the list of third round draftees. Among them were Jonathan Casillas, Allen Langford and Andy Kemp. All three had admirable careers as Badgers and were certainly all draft material—Casillas could have even cracked the second round. One would have to figure that those guys had personal plans other than life in the NFL, and best of luck to them if that is the case.
If they simply went undrafted, though, NFL teams would be wise to get these guys as free agents in a hurry.
There were two more players of note who were both absent from the final draft results. P.J. Hill, of course, forfeited his hopes of making an NFL roster when he literally hit the wall. It was a serious disappointment to Badger fans and fitting punishment for driving drunk. Allan Evridge, on the other hand, was clean but simply did not make the cut. Fortunately, there is hope for him if he wishes to continue his football career. He could follow in the footsteps of former Badger quarterback Tyler Donovan, who had a roster spot with the Edmonton Eskimos in Canada before returning home to Wisconsin to join the Milwaukee Iron in the Arena Football League 2. The guy can play, just not with the pros.
So, despite the season ending on a sour note, Badger football finished the year on a positive one. Four draft picks before the start of the fourth round is good for the program and good for fan morale. Congratulations Matt, DeAndre, Kraig and Travis—you have made Wisconsin proud.
What are your thoughts on this years NFL draft? Talk to Andy about it by e-mailing him at avansistine@wisc.edu.
