The Badgers have multiple intriguing prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft.
The Wisconsin Badgers football program has produced several successful NFL superstars over the years, from Super Bowl champs such as Russell Wilson, Corey Clement, and James White to NFL Defensive Player of the Year recipients J.J. Watt and his brother T.J. Watt.
In the 2024 NFL Draft, three of Wisconsin’s alumni will be waiting for their name to be called on draft day.
Talented running back Braelon Allen is the highest projected Badger in the draft along with offensive lineman Tanor Bortolini and linebacker Maema Njongmeta hoping for a late-round selection.
Braelon Allen
Allen took the Big Ten by storm as a 17-year-old in his freshman season with 1,268 yards and 12 touchdowns. Throughout his following seasons, he suffered several injuries that left him on and off the field and often at less than 100% of his physical abilities.
Still, Allen was able to tally 1,242 yards his sophomore year and just under 1,000 with 984 in 2023. Last season’s lesser production can be attributed to Wisconsin’s coaching staff movement with the additions of head coach Luke Fickell and offensive coordinator who implemented an offensive scheme dubbed the “Air-Raid”.
The Fond Du Lac native is described as having a bruising rushing style similar to A.J. Dillon and Najee Harris. At 6’1 he weighs in at 235 pounds and has the ability to bounce off tacklers, especially at the line of scrimmage. Many experts are saying his NFL value will come as a third-down or short-yardage type of back.
Never playing a full season with the Badgers, Allen’s durability must be a concern among scouts in addition to his seeming lack of speed in his run game. He opted out of running the 40-yard dash at the combine due to an injury, which has led some to believe that he may have clocked a poor time.
The consensus on which round the Wisconsin running back will likely be selected seems to be late in the third round. Some candidates to draft Allen include the Arizona Cardinals and Tampa Bay Buccaneers where he would likely play understudy to the team’s current starting back with the opportunity to prove himself and earn carries.
Tanor Bortolini
Bortolini graduated from Wisconsin as a redshirt junior and decided to try his hand in the NFL draft pool. The 6 ‘4 offensive lineman had a versatile career with the Badgers and ended his career with 12 solid starts at center for Wisconsin in 2023.
The Kewaunee, Wisconsin native showed off his quickness at the combine as he posted the second-fastest time of any offensive lineman with a 4.94. He also posted the fastest 20-yard shuttle time and the second-best 10-yard split.
Next Gen Stats rated Bortolini highly after his combine performance. He was ranked as the most athletic center at the combine and his total score was the fourth highest at the position. nfldraftbuzz.com ranked his average rank among all scouts at 42nd for centers.
Experts believe that Bortolini has below-average length and size at his position, but has good forward movement, hand placement, and footwork. The Badger lineman could be a versatile addition to an NFL team’s offensive line.
He is projected to go on Day 3, with his combine performance boosting his stock.
Maema Njongmeta
Njongmeta is entering the NFL draft after five seasons with the Wisconsin Badgers as an impactful inside linebacker for the program in the last two seasons. In 2023 Njongmeta was third on the team in tackles and recorded eight tackles for loss. He also forced three fumbles and recovered three fumbles.
At 6 feet tall and 239 pounds, Njongmeta is considered to have good strength and physical presence at the position but lacking in speed and athleticism. NFL’s Lance Zuerlein gave him a prospect grade of 5.61, which translates to a candidate for the bottom a the roster or practice squad member.
Njongmeta is projected to go undrafted, but may add depth to a practice squad at the inside linebacker position.