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3 Wisconsin Badgers rank in Top 200 of PFF's initial big board for 2026 NFL Draft

Riley Mahlman, Preston Zachman and Ricardo Hallman could all be take
Lorin Cox|
Oct 14, 2023; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes running back Kaleb Johnson (2) is tackled by Wisconsin Badgers cornerback Ricardo Hallman (2) and safety Hunter Wohler (24) during the first quarter at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images
Oct 14, 2023; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes running back Kaleb Johnson (2) is tackled by Wisconsin Badgers cornerback Ricardo Hallman (2) and safety Hunter Wohler (24) during the first quarter at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

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Wisconsin Badgers

After a disappointing showing in the 2025 NFL Draft, the Wisconsin Badgers could have a larger presence on draft weekend in 2026.

How the team performs next season will still have a major influence, but the way-too-early draft projections for next spring shine a favorable light on a few Badgers prospects.

PFF released its initial top 200 big board for the 2026 draft, and it included three Wisconsin players in the top 160.

It's no surprise that right tackle Riley Mahlman is the school's highest on the list at 82nd overall, as of PFF's most recent update on April 26. At 6-foot-8, he has great size for the position and is now entering his third year as a full time starter.

That ranking would place him as a third-round pick right now, which would be the highest a Badgers offensive tackle has been drafted since Ryan Ramczyk was a first-round pick in 2017.

Mahlman is the seventh-ranked tackle on the PFF board that includes three ranked in the top 10 overall.

Safety Preston Zachman comes in second among Wisconsin players on the draft board at 114th overall, equivalent to a fourth-round selection.

The last Badgers safety to be drafted in the first four rounds was Dezmen Southward in 2014.

Zachman was PFF's highest-graded player on the team last season, thanks in part to his six pass breakups and two interceptions.

He is the 11th-ranked safety on the board and has a strong chance to follow in the footsteps of Hunter Wohler on his way to the NFL.

Rounding out the big board for the Badgers is cornerback Ricardo Hallman at number 158.

He had a down year in 2024 after breaking out with seven interceptions in 2023, but a bounce-back 2025 could boost his draft stock significantly.

Hallman ranks 14th among cornerbacks on PFF's board, firmly in the fifth-round range.

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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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