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2 Wisconsin Badgers players make it onto ESPN's All-Quarter Century team

ESPN put together a full 53-man roster of the best players over the last 25 years, and it wasn't complete without two former Wisconsin Badgers legends manning the trenches.
Lorin Cox|
Jan 26, 2013, Honolulu, HI, USA; Cleveland Browns tackle Joe Thomas (73) blocks Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt (99) at Ohana Day for the 2013 Pro Bowl at Aloha Stadium.
Jan 26, 2013, Honolulu, HI, USA; Cleveland Browns tackle Joe Thomas (73) blocks Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt (99) at Ohana Day for the 2013 Pro Bowl at Aloha Stadium. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

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Wisconsin Badgers

The Wisconsin Badgers produced two of the best NFL players since the turn of the century.

ESPN's Aaron Schatz and Seth Walder put together a full 53-man roster of the best players over the last 25 years, and the trenches weren't complete without some former Badgers.

Left Tackle: Joe Thomas

In his 11 pro seasons with the mostly woebegone Browns, Thomas failed to reach the Pro Bowl only one time. That was in 2017, his final year in the league. His six first-team All-Pro selections since 2000 are two more than any tackle in this span (regardless of side), making him a slam dunk choice for this team
Seth Walder, ESPN

Any list of top players from the 2000s has to include the Hall of Fame left tackle. It would be negligent to leave him off the list.

Same things is true on the defensive line, for another Wisconsin player who is still a couple years away from getting his gold jacket.

The ESPN analysts had to create a special position for J.J. Watt on the team to properly reflect his value and skillset.

Versatile Defensive Lineman: J.J. Watt

We wanted to save a spot for Watt because he can play as an edge rusher or interior lineman. He is one of only three players in history to win Defensive Player of the Year three times, and he has the best plus-EPA of any player since 2000 (minimum 50 games).

Another way to describe Watt's greatness is with a look at defeats. That's a metric that adds together turnovers, tackles for loss and plays that prevent a conversion on third or fourth down. There have been only a dozen seasons of more than 40 defeats since 1991. Watt has three of them, including a record 57 defeats in 2012.
Aaron Schatz, ESPN

A third former Badgers player was also recognized on the list, not as a member of the full 53-man roster but as a practice squad addition to the team.

T.J. Watt couldn't quite crack the edge rusher rotation with Demarcus Ware, Jared Allen, Myles Garrett and Julius Peppers, but he's been excellent enough for the Pittsburgh Steelers to receive the equivalent of an honorable mention from ESPN.

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Lorin Cox
LORIN COX

Lorin Cox is the managing editor of Wisconsin Badgers on SI. He has been covering Badgers sports since 2014, when he was an undergraduate at the University of Wisconsin. He previously wrote for the Wisconsin State Journal, NBC Sports Chicago and USA Today Sports Media Group, and he is a former analyst for Pro Football Focus.

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