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List of Every Wisconsin First Round Pick in NFL Draft History
Former Wisconsin Badgers head coach Paul Chryst greets linebacker T.J. Watt. Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

List of Every Wisconsin First Round Pick in NFL Draft History

Originally posted on Wisconsin Badgers on SI
By Seamus Rohrer  |  Last updated Apr 22, 2026 11:44 AM ET
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Wisconsin football hasn't had a player selected in the first round of the NFL Draft in almost 10 years.

2017 was the last time a former Badger football player heard their name called within the first 32 picks, and two badgers went off the board that night: TJ Watt and Ryan Ramczyk.

That's not going to change when the 2026 NFL Draft kicks off in Pittsburgh. The Badgers face an uphill battle to have more than one player selected in the draft at all, let alone a first-round pick.

While 2026 could be Wisconsin's worst showing at the NFL Draft in nearly two decades, the Badgers have had plenty of success sending players to the league and have racked up their fair share of first-round picks.

Wisconsin's First Round NFL Draft Picks

1937: Ed Jankowski, FB (Green Bay)

1941: George Paskvan, FB (Green Bay)

1944: Pat Harder, FB (Card-Pitt)

1947: Don Kindt, DB (Chicago)

1948: Jug Girard, End (Green Bay)

1955: Alan Amache, FB (Baltimore)

1963: Pat Richter, TE (Washington)

1976: Dennis Lick, T (Chicago)

1980: Ray Snell, G (Tampa Bay)

1985: Al Toon, WR (New York Jets) | Richard Johnson, DB (Houston) | Darryl Sims, DE (Pittsburgh)

1988: Paul Gruber, T (Tampa Bay)

1992: Troy Vincent, DB (Miami)

1999: Aaron Gibson, T, (Detroit)

2000: Ron Dayne, RB (New York Giants) | Chris McIntosh, T (Seattle)

2001: Jamar Fletcher, DB (Miami) | Michael Bennett, RB (Minnesota)

2002: Wendell Bryant, DT (Arizona)

2004: Lee Evans, WR (Buffalo)

2005: Erasmus James, DE (Buffalo)

2007: Joe Thomas, T (Cleveland)

2011: JJ Watt, DE (Houston) | Gabe Carimi, T (Chicago)

2013: Travis Fredrick, C (Dallas)

2015: Melvin Gordon, RB (San Diego)

2017: TJ Watt, OLB (Pittsburgh) | Ryan Ramczyk, T (New Orleans)


This article first appeared on Wisconsin Badgers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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