BadgerBlitz.com's Wisconsin player draft: Round 7

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 7?

I'm going defense for the fourth round in a row and getting, in a my opinion, a great value pick in Conor Sheehy because of his ability to play either end or tackle. As the draft progresses, I can either try and get Jeremy Patterson and bump Sheehy to end, or keep the 6-foot-4, 290-pound junior inside and target Alec James, Zander Neuville or Billy Hirschfeld.

After seeing time as a true freshman, Sheehy registered 31 tackles, including two sacks, in 2015. I expect those numbers to continue to climb with Sheehy penciled in as a starter alongside Chikwe Obasih and Olive Sagapolu this fall.

“He’s up to about 290,” position coach Inoke Breckterfield said of Sheehy this spring. “He’ll try to get to about 300 by fall. I want him to get a little bigger, keep his athleticism, keep his speed. And he’s done that. It doesn’t look like he’s lost a step.”

In Round 7 I went back to the defensive side of the ball, maintaining the balance thus far in my selection process. I also stuck with the intangibles and leadership qualities that have attracted me to so many of my other choices. I don't just want athletes; I want leaders.

The next team leader I snagged was Chikwe Obasih at defensive end.

In the Obasih family, character seems to be a genetic trait. Obasih’s father, Kemakolam, moved to the United States from Niger before the age of 18 after receiving a full-ride academic scholarship to Ohio University. That fact alone is impressive, and then when you factor in that Chikwe was the No. 1 football recruit in Wisconsin(2013 class) and now stars for the Badgers, it truly is one of those incredible stories you don’t here about until the NFL draft in a quick 3-minute biography.

In addition to the character he brings, Obasih has shown growth on the field, doubling most of his important stat lines from 2014 to 2015. He has also grown as a leader; a leader in the locker room, in the media conferences, at practices and, of course, game days.

Obasih's best days are still ahead of him and he has the work ethic and outlook to continue to improve. To say I’m happy having both him and Vince Biegel would be a massive understatement.

After taking two defensive players in a row I figured it was time to move back to the offensive side of the ball, and I saw an opportunity to both boost my own team and create a bit of positional scarcity. I took Dan Voltz to be my third offensive lineman, figuring I'd put him at center after placing Jon Dietzen at guard and Jacob Maxwell at tackle.

Voltz's status is a little up in the air after a knee injury kept him out of the second half of last season, but indications are that he's going to try and be ready to go for fall camp. He might end up playing at guard this year given Michael Deiter's growth at center, but Voltz was easily the best remaining center available, and the experience he would bring to the table is an added bonus.

Obviously there's a concern about Voltz's injury history, but with offensive line depth at a premium it felt like a risk worth taking.

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