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First Wisconsin Badgers player comes off of the board at top of 7th round of 2025 NFL Draft

The Wisconsin Badgers' NFL Draft drought ended with offensive lineman Jack Nelson taken by the Atlanta Falcons.
Lorin Cox|
Wisconsin offensive lineman Jack Nelson (79) blocks a Penn State pass rusher during the first quarter of their game Saturday, October 26, 2024 at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin.
Wisconsin offensive lineman Jack Nelson (79) blocks a Penn State pass rusher during the first quarter of their game Saturday, October 26, 2024 at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin. | Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Wisconsin Badgers

It took two days and nearly six hours for the first Wisconsin Badger to be picked in the 2025 NFL Draft, but who's counting?

The program's long-running streak of having players selected in each draft continued with the Atlanta Falcons selecting offensive lineman Jack Nelson with the 218th overall pick.

The Stoughton native was a four-year starter on the Badgers' offensive line, starting at right guard as a redshirt freshman before moving to left tackle for his final three years.

At 6-foot-7, 318 pounds, Nelson has the size to hold up at offensive tackle in the NFL, but the Falcons could value his flexibility to potentially kick inside to guard in a pinch.

His inconsistency in pass protection likely contributed to his late-round selection, but he was still selected ahead of college teammates Joe Huber and Hunter Wohler.

Nelson is the latest in a long line of Wisconsin offensive linemen to advance to the NFL.

In Atlanta, he'll have a chance to develop as a potential long-term replacement for veteran offensive tackles Jake Matthews and Kaleb McGary, while serving a versatile backup in the meantime.

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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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