BadgerBlitz.com's Wisconsin player draft: Round 4

This summer, the Badgers will be divided.

That is, they'll be separated into three imaginary teams, set against each other by a BadgerBlitz.com.com Wisconsin player draft, a daily selection in which separate groups of 23 are assembled.

Over the next four weeks, BadgerBlitz.com reporters Jon McNamara, John Veldhuis and Jessi Schoville will draft Badgers, picking players one-by-one and placing them on their respective teams, trying to assemble the best 11 on offense and defense, plus one reserve.

Then, in late July, we'll decide — based on BadgerBlitz.com.com staff and member feedback — which team would win.

Who will be selected when? How will the teams develop? What reasoning will be used?

And most importantly, do you agree with the picks? Be sure to discuss in the Badgers' Den.

Ready for Round 4?

Coming back around after taking Jon Dietzen with my third pick, I settled on a strategy that I felt would help me build a strong roster considering the resources that would be at my disposal: Wisconsin's roster is built to pound the rock, and I felt it would be best to play to that strength.

So, with Corey Clement on board and Dietzen penciled in at left guard, I selected Jacob Maxwell to play left tackle. There were certainly more experienced players left on the team for me to choose from at that point, but with Ryan Ramczyk and Beau Benzschawel off the table I knew I needed the best remaining tackle to try and piece together a running game that would be able to pave the way for Corey Clement.

I know I can't let me defense go unaddressed for long, but with a couple pieces already off the table, doubling down on a strength seemed like the best avenue to take. Maxwell took some good steps forward towards the end of last season, too, so there's definitely potential to build on as well.

With my last pick, I began addressing the interior of offense. Therefore, in the fourth round, I wanted to look towards the other side of the ball. I think the balance in my picks thus far will bode well for me, as we get deeper into the draft.

I wanted a solid centerpiece, and who better than the sophomore backer and leading tackler, T.J. Edwards?

Edwards and Chris Orr came onto the scene in strong fashion as freshmen last season at the inside linebacker position. Both will undoubtedly be seeing the bulk of game time in the heart of the Badgers 3-4 defensive scheme in the coming year, but Edwards is just a shade bigger and has shown to be much more productive at the position on a consistent basis, with 84 tackles to Orr’s 46.

Edwards was one of only thee players in the Big Ten to be named to the Football Writers Association Freshman All-American Team. This is in part due to the fact that on top of being so sound in the run game, Edwards has also shown some ability when dropping into coverage, with four recorded pass break-ups last season. These numbers also awarded him 2015 All-Big Ten Honorable Mention as a freshman. At the ILB position, that's nearly unheard of. Pretty decorated for a year in the program, I’d say.

Edwards played quarterback in high school due to his athleticism and football intelligence, and the coaches wanted the ball in his hands as much as possible. Both of those qualities have materialized swiftly, as he seemingly came out of nowhere to grab the starting position last season. People around the team are consistently raving about his game IQ, a crucial component at his position and a major reason the Badgers defense led the nation in scoring defense in 2015.

With Vince Biegel setting the edge and Edwards stopping up the middle, I like how the build is coming together for my defense.

After three offensive picks in a row I had to address the other side of the ball. And with Vince Biegel and T.J. Edwards off the board, I needed to grab a linebacker. I'm big on both Chris Orr and Jack Cichy, but I don't know how those reps are going to be shared on the inside, so I went with T.J. Watt, who is penciled in as a starter opposite Biegel.

Watt was used last year in obvious pass rushing situations but saw his responsibility grow as the season progressed. After taking first team reps all spring, the redshirt sophomore has set himself for a breakout campaign if he can stay healthy.

Miss a round?

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