NFL draft: 5 Wisconsin Badgers join pro ranks
MILWAUKEE - Five Wisconsin Badgers alumni heard their name called during the NFL draft: Leo Chenal, Logan Bruss, Jake Ferguson, Matt Henningsen and Faion Hicks.
Two of the draftees, Henningsen and Hicks, will remain teammates at the next level.
Round 3: Leo Chenal, LB, Kansas City Chiefs
In three seasons for the Badgers, Chenal amassed 178 total tackles and 11 sacks. The bulk of that production came last season when he tallied 8 sacks and a team-best 115 tackles. He second-team honors on the Associated Press All-America team and was first-team All-Big Ten, according to NFL.com.
With Chenal at its core, the Wisconsin defense allowed the fewest yards per game of any Football Bowl Subdivision team last season.
SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News
Round 3: Logan Bruss, OL, Los Angeles Rams
Bruss, a redshirt senior for the Badgers last season, was a second-team All-Big Ten selection, according to NFL.com.
He played both guard and tackle in his time at Wisconsin, starting nine games at right tackle as a senior.
Round 4: Jake Ferguson, TE, Dallas Cowboys
A four-year player at Wisconsin, Ferguson reeled in a team-leading 46 passes as a senior – also a career high. Still, he fell just shy of hitting career-best marks in receiving yards and touchdowns; his three touchdowns were tied for the team lead and his 450 yards were second most.
Ferguson was named first-team All-Big Ten in his final season for the Badgers, according to NFL.com.
Round 6: Matt Henningsen, DT, Denver Broncos
Henningsen, also a four-year player for the Badgers, recorded 34 tackles and 3.5 sacks in his final season along the team's defensive front. Big Ten coaches voted him third-team all-conference, according to NFL.com.
The Menomonee Falls native was a finalist for the Academic Hesiman after earning an electrical engineering degree with a 4.0 grand point average.
Round 7: Faion Hicks, DB, Denver Broncos
Hicks concluded his collegiate career with honorable mention All-Big Ten honors in each of his final two seasons, according to NFL.com.
As a senior, he had 28 tackles and a team-leading nine pass breakups.
After the draft concluded, a handful of players signed as undrafted free agents, too.
- Jack Sanborn, LB, Chicago Bears
- Caesar Williams, DB, Los Angeles Rams
- Josh Seltzner, OL, Indianapolis Colts
- Scott Nelson, S, Seattle Seahawks