Badgers Star Considered A Potential Day 2 Draft Pick As Stellar Season Continues

Wisconsin Badgers star edge rusher Sebastian Cheeks has been one of the best pass rushers in the country this season. So far, he ranks second among Power 4 edge rushers with 34 pressures, despite playing one less game than the majority of the leaderboard.

Cheeks is coming off a game against USC where he had six pressures, 2.5 sacks, and four defensive stops, wreaking havoc on star quarterback Jayden Maiava.

Cheeks’s 34 pressures are already more than what he had all of last season, and he’s been a vital cog in an elite Badgers defensive unit this season. After starting the year being considered as an undrafted prospect, Cheeks’s stock has really started to rise, and he could even be a Day 2 pick in the 2027 NFL Draft.

In his weekly notes, ESPN’s Mel Kiper praised Cheeks and his ability to get to the quarterback, noting he currently has a Round 3 or Round 4 grade on the Badgers edge rusher.

“I love how Wisconsin edge rusher Sebastian Cheeks varies his path to the quarterback,” Kiper wrote. “He can get home on the inside or outside with explosion, and he always has a secondary move ready to go. We saw that against USC, with 2.5 sacks. And at 6-3 and 243 pounds, he plays with more power than you might think — he can drive offensive tackles back with his bull rush.

“His motor never stops. Cheeks will make plays against the run, too, but he needs to add more weight to his frame to really take another step there. Cheeks shows sustained intensity and is a consistent player, and I have him in Round 3 or Round 4.”

Cheeks earned the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honor this past week after his strong performance against USC, marking the first time a Badger earned the award since Darryl Peterson against Illinois last November.

Wisconsin hasn’t had a player taken on Day 2 of the NFL Draft since center Joe Tippmann went to New York Jets and defensive tackle Keeanu Benton went to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft. That was also the year that edge rusher Nick Herbig was drafted by the Steelers, which happened in the fourth round.

Herbig was the last Badgers edge rusher to be drafted, and he’s enjoyed a nice NFL career, earning a four-year, $100 million contract this past offseason.

Cheeks and the Badgers defense will look to finish the season strong, as Wisconsin looks to make a late-season push in the Big Ten after starting the season 5-2 and 3-1 in conference play. If he does so, his draft stock should continue to rise after an impressive start to the season.