2022 NFL Draft Prospects to Watch: Notre Dame vs. Wisconsin

Wisconsin TE Jake Ferguson

The senior from Madison and grandson of former Badgers coach and athletic director Barry Alvarez, Jake Ferguson is seemingly poised for a big year. He made the Mackey Award watch list and was named to several preseason first team All-Big Ten squads. He was a focal point of the Wisconsin offense his first 3 years on campus as he caught 99 passes for 1,168 yards and 10 touchdowns over that span.

Ferguson has gotten off to a good start in 2021 as he’s already caught 12 balls in 2 games, but he’ll have his work cut out for him going against the best safety in the country, Notre Dame’s Kyle Hamilton on Saturday.

Projecting forward to the 2022 NFL Draft, Jake Ferguson is on scouts’ radar as a possible middle-round pick. He has good size at 6’5” 246 and possesses respectable speed for a player with his stature. Ferguson also moves well laterally and is fluid as an athlete which should allow him to be a legitimate receiving threat in the pros. His large catch radius and ability to make contested catches in the red zone should make him an appealing prospect ahead of the 2022 NFL Draft.

Jake Ferguson isn’t a great blocker as he hasn’t shown the requisite strength and consistency to be effective in that part of the offense. His fundamentals need work on that front including his pad level and balance at the point of attack. His frame and athleticism make it possible that he could eventually be adequate in that aspect of his game at the next level.

Wisconsin OL Logan Bruss

Logan Bruss is an adaptable lineman that could be a late round selection in the 2022 NFL Draft. College Football News named him to their preseason All-Big Ten team and he made the watch list for the Outland Trophy.

A big guy (6’5” 315) from Kimberly, WI, Bruss is a senior who has played at both right tackle and at right guard. His NFL future will probably have him playing inside but having the experience to slide out to tackle in a pinch could serve him well.

Bruss is a smart player who excels at trap blocks and is capable of chipping one defender and then releasing to block another. He’s an above average athlete who works hard and can play with a mean streak when necessary.

The main reason he’s projected in the later rounds of the draft is his trouble with pass rushers that have elite speed. This might not matter as much if he’s playing guard, as many of the more athletic defenders are out on the edge, but it still puts a ceiling on his potential. Despite that and some other technical weaknesses, Logan Bruss could provide versatile low-risk offensive line depth as a 6th or 7th round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.