David Stluka/UW Athletics
Former UW-Madison outside linebacker Vince Biegel scores — as the 108th overall pick in the NFL draft, that is.
If you stayed up late enough watching ESPN’s coverage of the NFL Draft’s first round, you saw the Pittsburgh Steelers make former Wisconsin outside linebacker T.J. Watt the 30th overall pick. And with the 32nd and final pick of the night, the New Orleans Saints drafted former Badger Ryan Ramczyk, a guy from Stevens Point with only one year of Division I football experience yet considered among the best offensive tackles in the country.
Then on the final day of the draft, as the 108th overall pick, former UW outside linebacker Vince Biegel became a Green Bay Packer.
Other former Badgers eligible for the draft but not picked agreed to undrafted free agent deals. They include running backs Corey Clement (Philadelphia Eagles) and Dare Ogunbowale (Houston Texans), cornerback Sojourn Shelton (Arizona Cardinals) and wide receiver Rob Wheelwright (New York Giants). Quarterback Bart Houston was invited to a tryout with the Oakland Raiders.
The Packers traded their No. 29 first-round pick to Cleveland for pick No. 33 — the first one of the second round — and chose University of Washington cornerback Kevin King. The deal with the Browns gave Green Bay the 108th pick and opened the door to take Biegel.
A Wisconsin Rapids native and lifelong green-and-gold fan, Biegel finished his Wisconsin career with 191 tackles and 21.5 sacks, most of them recorded during his sophomore and junior seasons. A foot injury slowed him down last season, but his enthusiasm never wavered.
“He’s a tenacious player,” Packers senior personnel executive Alonzo Highsmith told Packers.com. “You can tell his passion for the game. He checks all the boxes — his makeup, his personality, how he goes about being a professional.”
Watt also brings a tenacity that allowed him to switch from offense to defense in the middle of his college career. The Pewaukee native started at outside linebacker for only one season at Wisconsin after switching from tight end, and he ranked among the top linebackers in several categories at this year’s NFL Combine.
“His outlook regarding preparation and his mentality regarding training was...beyond a guy that was preparing for the draft,” Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin told Steelers.com. “And I think that’s the benefit of having older brothers that are National Football League players.”
Those other Watts also played for the Badgers. Derek is a fullback for the Los Angeles Chargers, and, of course, J.J. is a three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year for the Houston Texans.
Mark your calendars now: The Steelers play the Texans in Houston on Christmas Day. Talk about high Wattage.