Two Wisconsin Badgers make Mel Kiper's top-10 position rankings for the 2023 NFL Draft
Each year following the NFL Draft, experts from around the scouting industry take a way-too-early look at where some of the top college football players from across the country stack up for the next draft cycle.
On Tuesday, ESPN's Mel Kiper shared his top-25 prospects heading into the 2023 season and disclosed his top-10 players at each position who are draft eligible.
While there were no players from Wisconsin inside his top-25 big board, two current Badgers made the top-10 of their respective position groups.
Redshirt junior Joe Tippmann made the cut as the No. 6 center, and senior nose tackle Keeanu Benton was the No. 8 ranked defensive tackle.
For Tippmann, his rise on draft boards comes after overtaking Kayden Lyles for the starting center role last season. As a redshirt sophomore, Tippmann started 11 games for the Badgers and was an honorable mention All-Conference pick a year ago.
Standing 6-foot-6 and weighing 317 pounds, Tippmann has the size and athletic ability to play anywhere along the offensive line, though he will once again start at center this fall for Wisconsin.
He missed the spring as he recovers from an injury, but Tippmann is arguably Wisconsin's top returning offensive lineman in 2022.
On the other side of the football, defensive tackle Keeanu Benton's name popping up on draft boards at this stage comes as no surprise after he decided to return to school last winter.
The senior nose tackle is a three-year starter for the Badgers and is a disruptive force up front in Jim Leonhard's defense. The Janesville (Wis.) product was a second-team All-Conference pick last season, and he has taken on a leadership role this off-season.
The 6-foot-4 defensive lineman is a key returning piece from last season's No. 1 rushing defense and could be in store for a huge year if he can remain healthy.
The Badgers recently had six players taken in the 2022 NFL Draft, so it will be interesting to see if a few more players from next year's team gain traction in NFL circles once the season gets going.
You can read Mel Kiper's entire position-by-position breakdown here.
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