49. Wisconsin 16, Utah State 14 (2012)

Wisconsin was hoping to catch lightning in a bottle once again with a transfer quarterback. In 2011, Russell Wilson took the world by storm and led the Badgers to the Rose Bowl. In 2012, Wisconsin looked to another senior transfer quarterback, Danny O’Brien, to try to help the Badgers win another Big Ten title.

After two games, Montee Ball was averaging less than four yards per carry in a close win against Northern Iowa and a loss to Oregon State. With the struggles rushing the ball, Wisconsin fired its new offensive line coach Mike Markuson and handed the reigns over to graduate assistant Bart Miller.

Utah State was not your typical “mid-major” school. The Aggies were good. Real good. Utah State would finish the season with a record of 11-2 with the two losses coming by a combined five points. The Badgers would have their hands full with Utah State, which was led by future Wisconsin head coach Gary Andersen.

The struggles continued for Bucky on offense in the first half. Wisconsin only scored three points in the game’s first 30 minutes. O’Brien fumbled late in the first half, which gave Utah State great field position, where the Aggies drove the short field to give Andersen’s bunch a 14-3 lead at halftime in Camp Randall. The last touchdown came on a Chuckie Keeton 11-yard pass to Matt Austin with 29 seconds left before halftime.

Wisconsin needed a change, and that is what happened. O’Brien, who completed five of 10 passes for 63 yards in the first half, was replaced by redshirt freshman Joel Stave. The freshman would only pass for 15 yards on two completions, but he was more of a threat on his downfield passes than O’Brien.

Midway through the third quarter, with the offense still sputtering, an unlikely source gave the Badgers a much-needed lift. After a third down and short stop, Tyler Bennett came onto punt for Utah State. His punt carried Kenzel Doe to the left sideline, where he ran up and fielded the short punt. He ran along the sidelines, getting a few blocks and weaving his way through traffic. Finally, at midfield, Doe cut back to the middle of the field where there were no Utah State coverage people. It looked like Doe might get caught from behind, but he found an extra gear and was able to separate from the pack and score on the punt return to put the Badgers back in the game.

After a three and out forced by the Badgers defense, Bennett had an embarrassing 19-yard punt, giving Wisconsin a short field in an effort to take its first lead of the night.

It was a six play drive with Ball carrying the ball on every play. On a 2nd-and-8 from the Utah State 17, Ball received great blocking up front and blasted through on his way to the end zone for the 17-yard score to give the Badgers their first lead. Kyle French’s extra point was blocked, so the score remained 16-14.

The last threat of the game happened on the last drive. The Aggies looked like they were going to come into Madison and come out with a win when Keeton found Cameron Webb along the sideline for a gain of 36 down to the Badgers 15 with 59 seconds left. A controversial pass interference call on Utah State tight end Kellen Bartlett pushed the Aggies back to their 30. Three plays gained them 11 yards to put them at the 19 for Josh Thompson to come in and try to win it. But the Utah State kicker pushed it off to the right and Wisconsin was able to survive against Utah State.

This would not be the last time the Badgers would be in a dog fight. It would be a theme for the Badgers in 2012, going to overtime three times, as well as losing close contests to Nebraska in the conference opener and in the Rose Bowl to Stanford. However, this win was the turning point of their season. Wisconsin played much better following this win and nearly pulled off a huge upset in the Rose Bowl.

50. Wisconsin 28, Cincinnati 25 (OT) (2000)

Wisconsin came in at 2-0 and off an emotionally draining 27-23 win over Joey Harrington and Oregon. Prior to the season, Wisconsin had many key players suspended from one to three games due to the Shoe Box scandal, and the Badgers had four games to implement the suspensions. Many of the players played in the Oregon game the previous week, so they would have to miss the Cincinnati game. The Badgers were also looking for payback as they were upset the previous year by the Bearcats 17-12 in Cincinnati.

After a three and out for Cincinnati to start the game and a short punt, the Bucky train started in great field position at the Bearcats 32. Eddie Faulkner, starting in place of the suspended Michael Bennett, rushed for 24 yards on the first two plays to get Wisconsin inside the 10. Brooks Bollinger ran in from eight yards out to give the Badgers the lead.

The Cats responded with two field goals to cut the deficit to a single point at the end of the first quarter, and then took the lead 13-10 in the second quarter on a pass from Deontey Kenner to LaDaris Vann. It stayed that way until the fourth quarter.

Wisconsin tied it up on a Vitaly Pisetsky field goal from 40 yards out early in the fourth. But the Badgers may have been getting a bad case of deja vu after Cincinnati retook the lead four plays later on a Kenner 51-yard pass to Ray Jackson. The extra point failed, so the lead was only 19-13.

It was the same score with less than four minutes remaining in the game and Wisconsin punter Kevin Stemke had a 55-yard punt downed at the Bearcats 2. Cincinnati went three and out and instead of punting out of its own end zone, giving Wisconsin great field position, it decided to take an intentional safety. The Bearcats took the safety to give them more room to punt and since the Badgers would need a touchdown regardless, they forced Bucky into a longer field to try to score.

Wisconsin would take the ball at its own 40 and march down for a touchdown to give the Badgers the lead. Lee Evans had two big catches on the drive, resulting in 28 yards and drew a pass interference to give the Badgers first and goal at the Bearcats 2. Three plays later, Bollinger took it on a quarterback sneak. That was the second touchdown on the day for him. The extra point was good and the Badgers seemingly had the game in hand, leading 22-19 with 18 seconds left.

As Lee Corso would say, “Not so fast, my friend.”

After the kickoff gave Cincinnati the ball at its own 33, Kenner threw three straight completions to future Green Bay Packer Antonio Chatman for 38 yards, setting the ball at the Badgers 29 with four seconds left. Jason Mammarelli’s game-tying field goal attempt split the uprights, which sent the game into overtime.

In the overtime, Cincinnati went on a 10-play drive, but it only resulted in three points. Wisconsin did not take long to end the game. Faulkner took the first handoff nine yards. Then, he took the second carry to the house, spinning off one tackler in the second level and galloping 16 yards for the winning score. It was the first overtime win at Camp Randall in program history.

The theme of close games would continue throughout 2000, as the Badgers lost two in overtime and one in the final minutes in the first half of Big Ten play. But Wisconsin bounced back to win its share of close games, including a 21-20 victory in the Sun Bowl over UCLA to finish up a 9-4 season.

My Top 10 Worst Losses Against My Teams

I decided to make a list of the worst losses that happened against my teams. I did not include any regular season games because those don’t have the same gut punch as postseason ones. However, I did make an honorable mention with those included. I put these 10 on here for certain reasons, whether it be for bad officiating, collapses or just ones that make you feel ill. Prepare to feel sick...

Honorable mention:
Twins/Yankees, ALDS game two, 2009
Wisconsin/Michigan State, football, 2011
Wisconsin/Ohio State, football, 2011
Packers/Seahawks, football, 2012
Green Bay/Valparaiso, Horizon League Tournament, 2013
Wisconsin/Arizona State, football, 2013
Green Bay/Valparaiso, Horizon League Tournament, 2015
Northwestern/Wisconsin, football, 2015
Packers/Cardinals, football, NFC playoffs, 2016
Wisconsin/Notre Dame, NCAA Tournament, 2016
Wisconsin/Penn State, Big Ten Championship, 2016

10. Packers at Cardinals, NFC playoffs, 2010

If the Packers had not made a major comeback, this would not have made this list. But it turned out be one of the more wild shootouts of all-time. On a good note, this did turn out to be the coming out party of Aaron Rodgers. He was looked at as a good quarterback before this, but this was when he reached star status and became one of the best quarterbacks in the league. I admit, I did not see the Packers coming back from a 31-10 third quarter deficit. But Aaron kept coming back. I thought Green Bay was going to win the game after Neil Rackers shanked a short 34-yard field goal at the end of regulation that would have won it for the Cardinals, and even moreso when the Packers won the coin toss to begin the overtime period. Back then, it was still sudden death overtime, so the first score won the game, regardless if it was a field goal or a touchdown. There was no doubt in my mind the Packers were going to win after winning the coin toss, especially since the Arizona defense had not stopped the Green Bay offense from scoring any points on a drive since early in the second quarter. The Packers offense had scored on seven consecutive drives. To begin overtime, Aaron Rodgers goes back to pass and fires it over the middle to a wide open Greg Jennings. As soon as he threw it and I saw Jennings so wide open, I thought “Ball game.” We are so used to seeing him so perfect that we are stunned when he makes a mistake. He airmailed the pass to Jennings, so instead of a game-winning touchdown, it was second down at their own 20. And, I am sure everybody remembers, Rodgers gets hit on third down, and fumbles and Karlos Dansby picks it out of the air and goes in for the winning score. If I thought the Packers would have had a chance to make the Super Bowl, or even win it, this would have been higher. This was a massive kick to the crotch, but I did not think the Packers had much of a chance to win in New Orleans the following week.

9. Wisconsin vs. Florida, Sweet 16, 2017

This is a lot like the Packers/Cardinals playoff game, except for I had a feeling that this Wisconsin team could make a run and maybe even play for a National Championship. The Selection Committee should have been drug tested when they decided to give the Badgers a No. 8 seed, but whatever. Wisconsin went out and won a tough game against Virginia Tech and then took out overall No. 1 seed and defending National Champ Villanova. On the other half of the region, the No. 2 seed (and one of the tournament favorites) Duke lost in a stunning upset. I did not think Gonzaga or Arizona were unbeatable on the other half of the bracket, so I legitimately thought the Badgers could make another championship appearance. I knew Florida was good, but I thought Wisconsin could beat them, and they proved they could. The Badgers built an early double digit lead, but that quickly evaporated and the Gators held a 12-point lead with less than five minutes remaining. But Wisconsin fought back, like you knew it would, and ended regulation on a 16-4 run. Down three with six seconds remaining, the Badgers could not free a gimpy Bronson Koenig for a shot to tie, so Zak Showalter took it and made a running 3-pointer to send it into overtime. As if that wasn’t cool enough, Showy pointed at Aaron Rodgers in the arena and did his belt celebration. I thought the Badgers were going to win, if they could just get the ball to Showalter to knock down some freebies. Bucky was up five with a minute to go, before everything unraveled. After a Florida basket, it was hard to draw up a play for Ethan Happ, who had killed Florida all game long, because he was a terrible foul shooter. Well, they did anyway, and he split a pair of foul shots. The Gators would tie the game on four consecutive free throws, but Nigel Hayes would go to the line with four seconds left. He was not a good foul shooter, but he made the first. Well, do you make or miss the second? Since Hayes was not a good foul shooter, I would not want to mess with his head. If he tries to miss and Hayes completely misses the rim, that does nothing. I was fine with him trying to make the free throw. He did, and it went in, and Wisconsin went ahead by two. But then, a poor 3-point shooter, Chris Chiozza races down the court and hits a desperation 3 to win the game. It was tough because D’Mitrik Trice ran into Nigel, who was trying to defend Chiozza, knocking him off his path and allowing the Florida speedster to get off a clean desperation shot. To come all the way back only to lose in that fashion is tough, especially when I thought the Badgers could have made another deep run. I’ll just chalk it up to a lucky shot by a 32 percent 3-point shooter.

8. Packers at Eagles, NFC playoffs, 2004

This is another where I thought my team was going to make a deep run. Brett Favre was on fire, Ahman Green was unstoppable and all the bounces were going Green Bay’s way. Following the death of Favre’s father, the Packers received their fair share of good fortune. Not only did the team lay waste to Oakland and Denver in the final two games of the regular season, but the Arizona Cardinals stunned the Minnesota Vikings on the final play of the game to give the Packers the NFC North championship and a playoff berth. Good ol’ Irv Favre was doing his best to help his son win his Super Bowl. After winning the previous week on an Al Harris pick-six in overtime, it looked like Green Bay would make its first championship game appearance since 1998, as Favre threw two first quarter touchdowns to help the Packers to a 14-0 lead. Green Bay would lead 17-14 late in the game. They had the ball 4th-and-1 at the Philadelphia 41 with two and a half minutes remaining. The Eagles had one timeout remaining and the two-minute warning. Green Bay had a similar situation in the regular season meeting. In that game, Green Bay was down 10-7 with seven minutes to play and had a 4th-and-1 at the Eagles 45. They gave the ball to Green and he went untouched for a 45-yard touchdown. The Packers had one of the best quarterbacks of all-time, one of the best running backs in the league, arguably the game’s best offensive line and they were facing one of the league’s worst run defenses. A first down would basically seal the deal. At best, Philadelphia would have to travel a long ways with no timeouts and about a half minute on the clock. I will never forgive Mike Sherman for this, as he decided to take a delay of game and punt. To make matters worse, Josh Bidwell boots it into the end zone, so they only gained 21 yards of field position. Not much of a difference. Of course, the Packers could have ended the game had they stopped Freddie freaking Mitchell from catching a 28-yard pass on 4th-and-26. I honestly don’t remember one play he made in the NFL outside of that one. The Eagles would drive into field goal range and David Akers sent the game into the extra session. I thought Green Bay would win, as it started out with solid field position on its opening drive of overtime at its own 32. Welp, that went away quickly, as Favre and Javon Walker weren’t on the same page and No. 4 threw a lame duck to Brian Dawkins, who returned it into Packers territory, and that was that. Akers kicked the winner, and the Packers weren’t as close to another championship until the 2007 season. That was an absolute Chuck Norris kick to the face. I thought the Packers were going to go to, and perhaps win, the Super Bowl. This one stung.

7. Wisconsin vs. Ohio State, Big Ten Championship, 2017

The Wisconsin Badgers came into the year with high expectations, as they would be favored in every game of the 2017 season. However, every season, the Badgers tended to stumble once or twice against teams they should have beaten. In 2017, it was different, though. Wisconsin steamrolled through its schedule to reach 12-0, its first undefeated season since 1912. They were so dominant, in fact, that Bucky only won one game by a single possession. But the schedule was not the most difficult in the country, to say the least. None of their regular season opponents finished the regular season with double digit wins, and Florida Atlantic, Miami and Northwestern were the only teams Wisconsin beat that would finish with at least 10 wins. Enter Wisconsin’s nemesis, Ohio State. The last time the Badgers faced the Buckeyes in Indianapolis, Bucky was blown out 59-0. Going into the matchup, Wisconsin had lost its last five games to Ohio State since winning in 2010. However, with the exception of that 2014 Big Ten Championship, all the other games were decided by one score. With Bucky coming in at 12-0, a win would put the Badgers into the College Football Playoff for the first time in the Playoff’s brief history. The Buckeyes used four big plays to take a 24-13 lead at the end of the third quarter. Wisconsin forced three Ohio State turnovers, which kept Bucky in the game. The Badgers would cut it to three early in the fourth on a Chris James touchdown run and Troy Fumagalli two-point conversion. Ohio State would get a short field goal to take a 27-21 lead with 5:20 left. A pair of punts followed, and Wisconsin would get one last chance, starting at its own 29 with less than three to play. The Badgers would move to the Ohio State 43 before a penalty moved them back into their own territory. On the play with the penalty, Alex Hornibrook threw a pass downfield to freshman wide receiver Danny Davis, who was tackled on the play by Ohio State’s Kendall Sheffield before the ball arrived. But Ohio State always gets the benefit of the doubt on pass interference calls, just ask Miami. Instead of a 1st-and-10 do-over, it was 1st-and-20 and Wisconsin’s offense was not built to overcome that. Three plays netted them zero yards and a fourth down desperation toss was picked and it was game over. Wisconsin rebounded with a win in the Orange Bowl against Miami 34-24.

6. Packers vs. Giants, NFC playoffs, 2008

Green Bay fell behind 14-0 in the NFC Divisional round against Seattle before rebounding for a dominating 42-20 victory at Lambeau Field. I was expecting the Packers to play in Texas for another playoff game between Dallas and Green Bay. But Dallas fell to New York 21-17......which meant the Packers would host the NFC Championship at Lambeau Field. I was pumped. When the teams met early in the season, Green Bay crushed New York 35-13 at Giants Stadium. At that time, Green Bay had no running game, but would find a savior at running back during the season in third-year pro Ryan Grant. After spending the first two years on the Giants practice squad, Grant was traded to Green Bay before the first week of the season. Despite only starting seven games, he nearly rushed for 1,000 yards. Well, I now knew the Packers were going to go to the Super Bowl to meet the undefeated New England Patriots. The defense was playing well. Grant was running well, and was coming off a Packers-record 201-yard performance against Seattle. Brett Favre was Brett Favre. There was no way New York would come into Lambeau and win. Then, the game came and the high-powered Packers offense could do nothing in the first half, except for a Favre 90-yard touchdown pass to Donald Driver. But Green Bay could not stop Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs, as the duo rushed for a combined 130 yards, and Plaxico Burress dominated his matchup with Charles Woodson, catching 11 passes for 151 yards. New York outgained Green Bay in the game 377-236.....but still were tied after regulation. The Packers would get the ball to start as well. Mason Crosby had a great year. Just get him into field goal range and the game is over. But then for as amazing as Favre was for many years for the Packers, he made some just terrible decisions. This was one of them. He had a few other open receivers to pick up a first, but he tried to throw into tight coverage to Driver, and was picked off by Corey Webster. A few plays after that, Lawrence Tynes, who had missed his last two attempts in the game, nailed a 47-yard attempt to win the game. It hurt even more after seeing the Giants beat the Patriots in the Super Bowl to end their perfect season pursuit. Ugh...

5. Green Bay vs. Milwaukee, Horizon League Tournament, 2014

The top five can basically go in any order. This is by far the biggest nut punch against my alma mater. The Phoenix rolled through the regular season, going 24-5, including a win over Virginia, which would end up winning the ACC regular season and tournament title. They also lost in the closing seconds against a Wisconsin team that would go to the Final Four. This was the first conference championship since 1996 for the Phoenix. Its only two losses in conference play were at Valpariso when All-Horizon League first team big man Alec Brown did not play, and at home against Milwaukee when Jordan Aaron went off and scored 30. Fast forward to the conference tournament. Because Green Bay won the conference, the Phoenix won the prize of hosting the Horizon League Tournament. And Green Bay gets to play in its first game......none other than its rivals from two hours South, the team that had just won in the Resch Center exactly one month prior. Admittedly, I had to work that night, so I had to follow it on my phone. Had Green Bay won, I would have watched the replay when I got home.....but since it lost, I have not ever watched the replay and will never watch it. Early in the game, Brown re-aggravated his injury he had suffered a month and a half before that forced him to miss the Valpo game. A few minutes later, Horizon League Player of the Year Keifer Sykes injured his ankle, so the best two players on the team and two of the best in the conference were playing at far less than 50 percent. With its two best players playing hurt, Milwaukee jumped out to a 26-13 lead with four minutes remaining in the first half. The Phoenix battled back to cut it to 28-19 at the half, and the team tied the game with 11 and a half minutes left. Still, Green Bay could not wrestle the lead away until five minutes to play. With a minute to play, the Phoenix was ahead 62-58, and it looked like the top seed would survive. But Aaron would score the final four points and a Greg Mays shot was blocked with time running out and the game went into overtime, where the Panthers dominated the extra session and won 73-66. That was one of the toughest losses as a fan. This was arguably the best team to ever play at my alma mater, but didn’t have a chance to play in the tournament. It just sucks. I still believe that Green Bay should have made the NCAA Tournament, even despite the loss. Every year, I write a blog post about wanting top mid-major teams that may have gotten tripped up in their conference tournament over mediocre major conference teams. Green Bay had an incredible team that year, and it hurts every time I think about this game. However, the pain of this game lessened a bit two years later, as the team would make its first NCAA Tournament since 1996. But still, I really wish I could have seen what the 2013-14 team could have done in the ‘Big Dance.’

4. Wisconsin vs. TCU, 2011 Rose Bowl

Going into the year, No. 12 Wisconsin was a sleeper team to maybe make the National Championship. After cruising through the non-conference portion of the schedule, with only one game being won by fewer than 13 points. the Badgers fell to the Michigan State Spartans in the Big Ten opener in East Lansing. But then Wisconsin dominated the rest of the year. The season changed with a triumphant 31-18 victory over No. 1 Ohio State and then a big win in Iowa City by a point. In the final four games of the regular season, the Badgers won all four by an average of nearly 38 points per game, including a monster 83-20 blowout over Indiana. In those four games, Wisconsin also scored at least 70 twice and averaged nearly 59 per game. The offense was incredible. The rushing attack was so deadly that three running backs nearly had 1,000 yards rushing (Montee Ball finished with 996). There ended up being a three-way tie for the conference championship with Wisconsin, Michigan State and Ohio State sharing the crown, but the Badgers got the Rose Bowl nod since they were the top-ranked team in the BCS standings. Wisconsin’s prize for earning the Rose Bowl berth was undefeated No. 3 TCU, which made the Rose Bowl because Boise State’s Kyle Brotzman missed a pair of chip shot field goals and the Broncos fell to Nevada. It was a battle between the power of Wisconsin against the smaller conference school. On the first play from scrimmage, I thought “Wisconsin’s got this” as Ball rushed for 40 yards down to the Horned Frogs 28. But the drive would stall in the red zone and Wisconsin had a 3-0 advantage. But the next three drives would all end up in the end zone, with two being by TCU and current Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton. It would be 14-10 at the end of the first and 14-13 at the half. TCU would lead 21-13 with less than eight minutes left in the game. Then, Wisconsin’s offensive line would take over. The Badgers went on a 10-play drive with nine of them being runs. Wisconsin would score on a 4-yard run from Ball to cut it to 21-19 with a little less than two minutes remaining. But Scott Tolzien’s pass to Lance Kendricks was batted down by Tank Carder on the two-point attempt to keep it at 21-19. The onside kick was recovered by the Horned Frogs, which basically wrapped it up. Wisconsin would play in the next two Rose Bowls as well, but this one hurts the most easily. Oregon was just a bad matchup and Stanford was just a better team. Against TCU, by the time the Badgers realized they could run right at them, it was too late. It was frustrating. Wisconsin was a better team. No excuse for losing that one.

3. Wisconsin vs. Duke, NCAA Championship, 2015

This arguably could be higher, obviously. Duke was a really good team with Jahlil Okafor, Tyus Jones Justise Winslow and a freshman named Grayson Allen. But, man, this was Wisconsin’s year. To be honest, I enjoyed the previous year more than the 2014-15 team due to this team just motoring through Big Ten with ease. The only hiccups in conference play were a January loss to Rutgers without Frank Kaminsky and a late loss to a really good Maryland team. Most of the games weren’t even close. In the 16 conference wins, the Badgers won by an average of more than 14 points per game and won 12 of the games by double digits. A Big Ten Tournament championship earned them a No. 1 seed for the first time in school history. Wisconsin would survive tests from Oregon and North Carolina before knocking off Arizona once again to reach the Final Four, where it would face Kentucky, the team that knocked off the Badgers in the same round last year. Wisconsin would spoil the Wildcats undefeated season, and would face Duke in the championship game. The game was tight throughout the game and would be tied at the end of the first half. At halftime, Mike Kryzewski complained about the foul disparity to sideline reporter Tracy Wolfson during the halftime interview. And lo and behind, the officials must have heard that interview, and Duke was given the benefit of the calls. Despite the fact that Wisconsin led the country in not fouling, Pat Driscoll decided to put Duke into the bonus less than nine minutes into the second half. Whether it was Jones jumping into Bronson Koenig to try to draw “fouls” or Winslow touching the ball before going out of bounds or a Duke player having his foot clearly out of bounds, the officiating was horrible in Duke’s favor. It was a painful way to end one of the most fun teams I have ever seen.

2. Packers at Seahawks, NFC Championship, 2015

I still have no idea how the Packers lost this one. Everything that Seattle needed to happen in the final five minutes, happened. Green Bay dominated this game, picking off Russell Wilson five times, and moved the ball well against the Legion of Boom. The first drive came to an end on a Richard Sherman pick in the end zone (psssst Michael Bennett was offsides), but would pick off Wilson on the next drive. That Ha Ha Clinton-Dix interception led to a Packers touchdown, putting them up 7-0. Green Bay would lead 16-0 at halftime, and 19-7 with five minutes to play. Lucky break for Seattle No. 1: Morgan Burnett sliding down after an interception. With a little more than five minutes left, Wilson threw over the middle and was picked off by Burnett, and instead of trying to gain yardage and put in the dagger, he slides down near midfield. Looking at the full frame, Burnett had a lot of room to run. He may have been able to score, but even if he wouldn’t score, he would have put the ball in Mason Crosby’s range to make it 22-7. But, he slides, and the Packers go 3-and-out, punting it back to Seattle. The Seahawks would drive down and score with two left, being helped by a big 26-yard reception by Marshawn Lynch down to the 9-yard line. Lucky break for Seattle No. 2: Brandon Bostick muffing the onside kick. After Seattle’s touchdown to cut it to 19-14, Seattle had to do an onside kick. The play was for everyone on the front line of the onside kick recovery unit to block and let the sure-handed Jordy Nelson recover it. Well, Bostick wanted to play the role of hero, but instead played the role of goat, and I don’t mean the Greatest of All-Time. The kick bounced off Bostick and Seattle recovered, and the Seahawks stormed down the field to take the lead 20-19 on a Lynch 24-yard touchdown with 1:25 left. Lucky break for Seattle No. 3: Ha Ha Clinton-Dix failing to knock down the two-point conversion. If the Packers could just stop the two-point try, they could go down and kick a field goal to win. But instead, Clinton-Dix joined Bostick and Burnett as goats of this game. Despite recording a pair of interceptions in the game, he’ll always be remembered for this. On the conversion attempt, Wilson was under pressure immediately by Julius Peppers and ran backward to the 17-yard line before heaving up a prayer into the end zone. A few Packers were down there, including Clinton-Dix. This was the same end zone where the infamous ‘Fail Mary’ took place. Well, the Packers rookie decides not to make a play on the ball, and the ball floated down to Luke Willson for the two-point conversion for Seattle to make it 22-19. Green Bay had a chance to win the game after Crosby knocked through a 48-yard field goal to send the game into overtime. However, Wilson threw a perfect pass to Jermaine Kearse for a game-winning 35-yard touchdown. I was reading on a message board one fan who thought that was the worst loss in NFL history. Well, he must have thought that for two weeks before Seattle threw the ball at the 1 and Wilson was intercepted by Malcolm Butler, costing them their second Super Bowl championship.

1. Wisconsin vs. Kentucky, Final Four, 2014

This was an incredibly fun season to watch. It was Bo Ryan’s first Final Four appearance. Kentucky came to Texas after Aaron Harrison hit a 3-pointer to beat Michigan. Unfortunately, Harrison wasn’t finished. I thought the game was slipping away when Kentucky took a 51-43 lead with 15:33 remaining. But Wisconsin came back on the strength of eight points in the span of three minutes from junior forward Duje Dukan. The game was within one bucket the final 4:44 of the game. With the game tied at 71, Wisconsin had the ball with 20 seconds remaining. Traevon Jackson pumped on a 3-pointer and Andrew Harrison jumped to try to defend it, but there was contact. Jackson would miss the first, but make the final two to put Bucky in front 73-71 with 16 seconds remaining. Kentucky inbounded the ball and Andrew Harrison drove the baseline before passing it to Dakari Johnson before receiving the ball back with nine seconds left. As the clock hit 10 seconds, I thought to myself  “If Wisconsin gets a stop here, the Badgers are playing in the championship!” But, with eight seconds left, Aaron Harrison shot a deep 3-pointer from Houston over the outstretched arm of Josh Gasser, Wisconsin’s best defender. It went in, giving the Wildcats the 74-73 lead with 5.7 seconds to go. Jackson was given the ball with the game on the line once again. He had hit monster shots earlier in the year against Florida and Michigan State, but this one was off and the Badgers fell by a point. There was no doubt Wisconsin would have beaten Connecticut in the Championship, and this is why this was No. 1. But this game did set the stage for arguably the best season in Wisconsin basketball history.

Mock Draft v. 2.0

I have been busy, so I didn't write a bit about each pick. However, here is my final mock draft.

1. Cleveland Browns: Sam Darnold, QB, USC
2. New York Giants: Josh Rosen, QB, UCLA
3. New York Jets: Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma
4. Cleveland Browns: Bradley Chubb, EDGE, North Carolina Srare
5. Denver Broncos: Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State
6. Indianapolis Colts: Quenton Nelson, OG, Notre Dame
7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Derwin James, S, Florida State
8. Chicago Bears: Raquon Smith, ILB, Georgia
9. San Francisco 49ers: Tremaine Edmunds, LB, Virginia Tech
10. Oakland Raiders: Denzel Ward, CB, Ohio State
11. Miami Dolphins: Vita Vea, DT, Washington
12. Buffalo Bills: Josh Allen, QB, Wyoming
13. Washington Redskins: Da'Ron Payne, DT, Alabama
14. Green Bay Packers: Minkah Fitzpatrick, DB, Alabama
15. Arizona Cardinals: Lamar Jackson, QB, Louisville
16. Baltimore Ravens: Mike McGlinchey, OT, Notre Dame
17. Los Angeles Chargers: Trevan Bryan, DT, Florida
18. Seattle Seahawks: Marcus Davenport, DE, UT-San Antonio
19. Dallas Mavericks: Calvin Ridley, WR, Alabama
20. Detroit Lions: Harold Landry, EDGE, Boston College
21. Cincinnati Bengals: Will Hernandez, OG, UTEP
22. Buffalo Bills: Frank Ragnow, C, Arkansas
23. New England Patriots: Kolton Miller, OT, UCLA
24. Carolina Panthers: Jaire Alexander, CB, Louisville
25. Tennessee Titans: Rashaan Evans, LB, Alabama
26. Atlanta Falcons: Maurice Hurst, DT, Michigan
27. New Orleans Saints: Hayden Hurst, TE, South Carolina
28. Pittsburgh Steelers: Derrius Guice, RB, LSU
29. Jacksonville Jaguars: Isaiah Wynn, OG, Georgia
30. Minnesota Vikings: Connor Williams, OT, Texas
31. New England Patriots: Mason Rudolph, QB, Oklahoma State
32. Philadelphia Eagles: Mike Hughes, CB, UCF

Packers Mock Draft v. 5.0

Happy draft day everyone! Here is my final Packers mock draft of the season. Green Bay has the most picks out of anyone in the NFL with 12, including nine on day three. I don’t see the Packers drafting 12 players, so they have plenty of ammunition to move up.

1) Minkah Fitzpatrick, DB, Alabama (previous: Derwin James)

A month ago, he was talked about as possibly going as high as No. 4 to Cleveland. I don’t know what changed. I, obviously, have no inside information, but I just get the feeling Green Bay goes defensive back at 14. He had an impressive combine, running a 4.46 40. Fitzpatrick is a hybrid cornerback/safety, and would play all around the defense, much like Derwin James would if he were to be drafted by Green Bay. New defensive coordinator Mike Pettine likes these kinds of guys, and would be a nice fit with the Green & Gold. He is a ballhawk, which is what the Packers need, as the Packers only intercepted 11 passes last season, good for 20th in the league. Fitzpatrick has nine career interceptions, including six as a sophomore in 2016. And when he picks it off, he can do some damage, returning four of his nine career picks back for touchdowns. Much like James, the versatile defensive back would most likely cover the slot with the Packers, with Kevin King and Tramon Williams covering the outside receivers. This would be a home run pick for the Packers, and many mock drafts have him sliding to this spot. It is perfect that the best player available is also a major position of need.

2) Isaiah Oliver, CB, Colorado (previous: Dorance Armstrong, Jr., OLB, Kansas)

The cornerback market is so talented, I could see Green Bay taking another in the second round. Oliver makes a lot of sense for the Packers at this spot, should he be there. Pettine loves to play press coverage, and that is where Oliver excels. He has great size for a cornerback and has good speed as well. Oliver only picked off three passes in his three-year college career, but did pick off a pair of passes in 2017. The former Colorado Buffaloes corner has a chance to be a really good cornerback, but might benefit from playing behind King and Williams as a rookie, and then take over for Williams in 2019. People might wonder why I have Green Bay going defensive back in the first two rounds when pass rusher is such a big need. I think it is interesting that Green Bay has not been connected to any pass rushers in free agency and have mostly been connected to top defensive backs in the draft. I do believe the Packers will take one on the second day, but Oliver is too good to pass up at 45.

3) Lorenzo Carter, OLB, Georgia (previous: Braden Smith)

Green Bay waited until the fourth round to select a pass rusher in last year’s draft and wait until the third in this draft. The former five-star recruit had a good career for the Bulldogs, but people expected more. Even though he only registered 14 sacks in his four years, he was a playmaker for his defense, forcing six career fumbles. Of those six, half of them came last season. Carter dominated the combine, running a 4.5 40-yard dash and had a vertical leap of 36 inches. He is still a bit raw, but I think he could develop into a really nice pass rusher. Carter looked comfortable and was more aggressive in 2017. I think they are higher than many on Vince Biegel and Reggie Gilbert. The latter had a sack in two games and last year was a wash for Biegel after missing the first half of the year.

4a) Michael Gallup, WR, Colorado State (previous: Gallup)

I would love if he falls to this spot, as he could line up across from Davante Adams with Randall Cobb in the slot. However, if he is there in the back half of the third, Brian Gutekunst could make a jump and trade a fourth and one of their three fifths to move up and grab the Colorado State wideout. Green Bay released Jordy Nelson earlier in the offseason, and Randall Cobb is a free agent after the 2018 season. As of right now, Geronimo Allison is the guy who would line up across from Adams. He is okay, but didn’t progress as much as people wanted. Ted Thompson always thought ahead, knowing which players are free agents the next offseason. Gallup caught 100 passes for more than 1,400 yards for the Rams in 2017, and has a tremendous combination of size, speed and athleticism. He could even go as high as round two.

4b) Dalton Schultz, TE, Stanford (previous: Hercules Mata’afa)

There are a number of solid tight ends in the draft, and Green Bay would be wise to grab one in the mid-rounds. Wisconsin’s Troy Fumagalli would be another option here. Tight end is not much of a need as it was at the start of free agency after the Packers signed Jimmy Graham. However, Graham is not a permanent solution at the position since he is 31, so Gutekunst will need to draft someone to learn and hopefully be a contributor in a few years. Schultz is not the most gifted athlete, but he is physical and will help more blocking than he will catching the ball. He is the opposite of Graham, so he could be a nice complement to the former Seahawk. Stanford has a reputation of putting some solid tight ends into the NFL, from Zach Ertz to Coby Fleener to Austin Hooper. He has nice size, and could develop into a nice safety valve for Aaron Rodgers.

5a) Hercules Mata’afa, EDGE, Washington State (previous: Schultz)

Green Bay needs all the edge rushers it can get. Mata’afa is an interesting prospect, as he was a undersized defensive tackle. The 254-pound lineman had a great year in 2017, sacking opposing quarterbacks 10.5 times and having 22.5 tackles for loss, earning All-American honors. In his last two years combined, he had 15.5 sacks and 36 tackles for loss. He is one of the more intriguing players in the draft, and with 12 total picks, the Packers can afford to take a flier on someone like Mata’afa.

5b) Alex Cappa, OT, Humboldt State (previous: Taron Johnson)

Jason Spriggs has not panned out, and the Packers lack depth along the offensive line. Justin McCray should slide into right guard, but Bryan Bulaga will probably not be ready for the opening of the season and will likely start the season on the PUP, which will cause him to miss the first six weeks. Green Bay will need a starter the first several weeks. There were questions about whether he would be cut this offseason, and it does not look like he will be, though, Regardless, the organization will need to look for a right tackle of the future. Bulaga is a very good right tackle, but he is hurt quite a bit. The depth along the offensive line is lacking, regardless, so the Packers should take a few linemen in the draft. Spriggs has struggled and Murphy is not ready. Bulaga is hurt quite a bit, and the Packers may look to the draft for a possible replacement. In the middle rounds, Green Bay has found some offensive linemen gems, including Corey Linsley, David Bakhtiari, T.J. Lang, J.C. Tretter and Josh Sitton.

5c) Riley Ferguson, QB, Memphis (previous: Reginald McKenzie, Jr.)

Back in the Ron Wolf era, Green Bay would take a quarterback virtually every year, even with Brett Favre already on the roster. Then, they were able to trade away Mark Brunell, Aaron Brooks and Matt Hasselbeck a year or two after they were drafted and received higher picks than what it took to draft them. That is never a bad strategy, and Ferguson has the tools to be able to compete with Brett Hundley for a roster spot, and at the very worst, a spot on the Practice Squad. After taking over for first round draft pick Paxton Lynch two seasons ago, Ferguson has made his mark on the program. In his two seasons, Ferguson threw 70 touchdowns and just 19 interceptions, including 38 touchdowns and nine picks in 2017. His slight frame is something to watch, as many don’t know if he’ll be able to hold up in the pocket and take the beatings quarterbacks do. His 40-time was also nearly five seconds, so he won’t be able to make many plays outside the pocket.

6a) Leon Jacobs, ILB, Wisconsin (previous: Ferguson)

Jacobs was a monster at the combine, finishing second at the combine in 40-yard dash time among linebackers, only trailing UCF’s Shaquem Griffin. Jacobs also put up 26 reps on the bench, which was tied for fifth among linebackers. After moving around the field, he settled in at linebacker as a senior. Jacobs sacked opposing quarterbacks 3.5 times in 2017 after registering only three sacks combined in his previous three years with the Badgers. He also had 10 tackles for loss as a senior. The former Badger has experience playing both inside and outside linebacker positions, and is also a solid pass defender, as evidenced by his two interceptions this past season. He also had a pair of fumble recoveries, including returning one for a touchdown against Iowa. I believe he is best suited for inside linebacker, and could become a very good inside linebacker in the NFL.

6b) Nick Gates, OT, Nebraska (previous: Skyler Phillips)

Green Bay will likely take multiple offensive linemen in this draft, as the reserve linemen were suspect last season when called upon. He played tackle at Nebraska, but would likely move inside in the NFL. He was an honorable mention All-Big Ten in 2016 and 2017 as the starting left tackle for the Cornhuskers. Despite being a projected late round pick, Gates decided to go pro. He is a project, so it will be tough for him to earn a spot on the roster.

7a) Reginald McKenzie, Jr., DL, Tennessee (previous: Michael Joseph)

Even with talented players rotating on the defensive line like Dean Lowry and Montravius Adams, the latter has not been on the field enough. You can never enough talent on the defensive line, just look at the Eagles, which just won the Super Bowl last year by having a deep front. A Wisconsin native, McKenzie is the son of Oakland Raiders General Manager (and former Packers director of player personnel) Reggie McKenzie. He is a raw prospect, but he has the ability to become an impact player at the next level. Despite being a five-star prospect coming out of high school, he never made the impact many thought he would at Tennessee. McKenzie declared early for the draft anyway, but there are some questions about his work ethic. If he puts it together, watch out. Much like Hercules Mata’afa, Green Bay can afford to take a flier on someone like McKenzie.

7b) Natrell Jamerson, S, Wisconsin (previous: Jamerson)

The former Wisconsin Badger transitioned to safety from cornerback this past year and looked like a natural. He is a little undersized for the position, which will push him down quite a bit. The Florida native had 3.5 tackles for loss and two picks this past season, including returning one back for a score against Northwestern. Jamerson was named the Defensive Most Valuable Player of the East-West Shrine Game after recovering a fumble and returning it for a touchdown. He started all 14 games this season and missed just one tackle in 811 defensive snaps this past season. Jamerson, like all other late round picks, will have to prove himself on special teams, and he has the speed to do just that. He also has returned kicks during his Wisconsin career, including returning one back to the house in 2015 at Maryland, which may help him make a roster.

Trading down might be best option for Packers

There are nine days until the NFL Draft, and Green Bay is picking at No. 14, the highest it has been since 2009 when the Packers picked ninth. As weird as it may sound, the Packers best option might be.....to trade down.

There are some players who the Packers need to take at 14, if available. Those players include Ohio State cornerback Denzel Ward, Florida State safety Derwin James and Alabama’s Minkah Fitzpatrick. However, if all three are gone, which is a possibility, trading down might be the best way to go for the Packers.

Now, I don’t think the Packers should trade way down in the first, but if New England is enamored with a quarterback like Lamar Jackson or Mason Rudolph and knows Arizona is interested, Green Bay becomes a logical trade partner. I mention New England because I believe the Patriots know they need the heir apparent to Tom Brady. Same with New Orleans with Drew Brees and Pittsburgh with Ben Roethlisberger. I believe all three will take a quarterback in the draft, and maybe one of those could try to trade up. I will say, that New England is more likely of a trade partner since they have No. 23. If the Saints were to trade up to No. 14, I’d ask for a future first rounder.

If the Packers were to trade down to No. 23, I wonder if they could also get No. 31 if they added a fourth, especially since it is the first pick of the third day and the Patriots do not have one in that round. If not, then I would go for their first second rounder and a 2019 third or fourth or something along those lines. The Patriots have eight picks in this year’s draft, but five of those are in the top 95 and don’t have either a fourth or a fifth.

There are a number of good prospects at positions of need from 20-50, especially at cornerback. If they were to trade down for 23 and 31, they need to take a pass rusher and cornerback with those two selections. Even if they were to deal for 23 and a second rounder, those are the two that need to be addressed.

One player I think they’d look at if trading down is Colorado cornerback Isaiah Oliver. He fits new defensive coordinator Mike Pettine’s scheme perfectly. Oliver excels in man-to-man coverage, which Pettine plays. Despite only intercepting three career passes, he has 29 career pass break-ups, despite only starting one season. His 4.50 40-yard dash is not amazing, but it is solid. The former Colorado Buffaloes cornerback’s size and ball skills are impressive. Oliver had a terrific combine, which helped his cause.

Even though he is a possibility at 14, Boston College edge rusher Harold Landry could even make it to 23 (if they were to trade with New England). There is a solid chance of him being there at 19 if Dallas wanted to trade in front of Baltimore to grab Alabama wide receiver Calvin Ridley after Dez Bryant was recently released. If the Boston College pass rusher is there after the Packers trade down, he should be the pick. He had a tremendous 2016 season, sacking opposing quarterbacks 16.5 times and had 22 tackles for loss. Plagued by an ankle injury, Landry only had five sacks and 8.5 tackles for loss in 2017. If he can return to his 2016 form, he will be a steal for whichever team drafts him.

The (realistic) dream scenario is for the Packers to trade down with New England and Landry falls to 23 and Oliver at 31. Like I said, if Landry goes back to his play from 2016, he will be a steal. And Oliver is a great fit for the defense, and he and King would have the potential to be a very good duo at cornerback for years to come.

Mock Draft

I have decided to make my first mock draft of the year. I did not include trades, even though some will happen.

1. Cleveland Browns: Sam Darnold, QB, USC

I think he has the most potential out of this quarterback class. There is no way the Browns don’t take a quarterback here. Saquon Barkley is a great player, but running backs don’t win you Super Bowls without a good quarterback. In the past few years, they have passed on Deshaun Watson and Carson Wentz. They cannot make the same mistake in this draft. Dick Hammer’s grandson has everything you look for in a quarterback and he has a chance to turn around this franchise. With a good offensive line, Josh Gordon, Jarvis Landry and David Njoku, he has the talent around him to succeed.

2. New York Giants: Josh Rosen, QB, UCLA

This is a tough one to predict. I think that if the Giants don’t plan on taking a quarterback, they should trade down. Eli Manning is 37, so they should look for his replacement soon, and I don’t see them picking this high in 2019. This is a really good quarterback class, and at pick No. 2, Rosen or Baker Mayfield should be the pick. If they don’t plan on taking a quarterback, they need to trade down because teams like the Broncos and Bills would love to trade up and get their quarterback at this spot. New York would get a king’s ransom for this pick. Just look at what San Francisco received from Chicago last year to move up one spot. Rosen is a better prospect than Mitch Trubisky, and the G-Men would trade down more than a single spot.

3. New York Jets: Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma

It will be interesting to see who the Jets prefer between him and Wyoming’s Josh Allen. There is no way the Jets traded up for anything other than a quarterback, and they traded in front of Denver to do so. New York signed Teddy Bridgewater and re-signed Josh McCown, but you can’t count on either one to be “the guy.” The J-E-T-E-S (according to Tony Richardson) lack talent, but when you find your quarterback, the rest just falls into place. Mayfield is my QB2, and I think he could become a really good quarterback in the NFL. The size could be a concern for teams, but the success of players like Drew Brees and Russell Wilson could make it less of a concern. His accuracy is really good and his ability to create outside the pocket is Aaron Rodgers-like.

4. Cleveland Browns: Bradley Chubb, EDGE, North Carolina State

The top four positions on the field are quarterback, left tackle, cornerback and pass rusher. New General Manager John Dorsey had four first-round picks in his five years with the Chiefs. Not surprisingly, those four positions are the ones he drafted with those four first rounders. That is why I have Chubb going here instead of Saquon Barkley. Chubb is the top rated pass rusher in the draft. He has had 10 sacks in each of the last two seasons and had more than 20 tackles for loss in both of those seasons as well. Cleveland was one of the worst, if not the worst, pass defenses in the league last season. Opposing quarterbacks had a 102.2 passer rating against the Browns defense last season. They also finished 21st in sacks and added just seven interceptions. Cleveland generated just 142 pressures from the front seven, which was far and away the worst in the league.

5. Denver Broncos: Josh Allen, QB, Wyoming

If I were the Broncos, I’d be worried about a team like Buffalo trading in front of them with Cleveland to snag one of the quarterbacks. However, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Broncos try to move up to No. 2 to snag a quarterback. As it is, though, Allen it is for Denver. The Broncos signed Case Keenum to a deal this offseason to get the dominoes rolling, but he is not the quarterback of the future. Keenum just turned 30, and while he had a great season in 2017, it would be tough to expect that once again. The former Minnesota Viking had 22 touchdowns compared to seven interceptions, but before that, he combined for 24 touchdowns and 20 interceptions in his previous five years. He is not the long-term solution, so drafting a quarterback early would be wise, especially after Paxton Lynch has been a bust so far.

6. Indianapolis Colts: Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State

Barkley is an extremely talented running back, and not only is he really good at running the ball, but is a great receiver as well. Even before the trade down with the Jets, Barkley was in play for the Colts at No. 3. With Frank Gore gone to Miami, Marlon Mack is the top running back. Whether it was him or his offensive line, Mack didn’t show he is prepared for being a lead back. As I mentioned earlier, Barkley would help Andrew Luck as an outlet. In his three years with the Nittany Lions, he caught 102 passes and eight touchdowns, including 54 and three, respectively, in 2017. Luck has an injury history, so I could see them drafting offensive line here as well. Two players to watch here are Notre Dame guard Quenton Nelson or Notre Dame offensive tackle Mike McGlinchey.

7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Derwin James, S, Florida State

The more I think about it, the more I think James goes in the top 10. He is a queen on a chess board. James can do it all. He can play center field, rush the passer and cover the slot. It was tough to choose between James, Quenton Nelson and Minkah Fitzpatrick for this pick. All are top guys at a position of need. I decided to go James because Tampa Bay struggled defending both the run and the pass last year, and he would be able to help in both areas.

8. Chicago Bears: Quenton Nelson, OG, Notre Dame

Nelson could go anywhere from six to eight. He is one of the best guard prospects in years.....just a beast. The Bears have a major need at guard after declining Josh Sitton’s $8 million option in February. The Bears also hired Nelson’s offensive line coach from Notre Dame, Harry Hiestand, which is interesting. He has the size and skills to be a Pro Bowl guard for years to come, and is such a talented guard that he will be a top 10 pick, even though his position is not as in demand as others.

9. San Francisco 49ers: Denzel Ward, CB, Ohio State

San Francisco was able to steal a franchise quarterback away from New England, trading just a second round pick for Jimmy Garoppolo. That trade meant that the 49ers no longer needed to take a quarterback in the first round. San Francisco is able to take the consensus top cornerback in the draft. Ward had an outstanding combine, but there are questions whether he fits their scheme. His slight frame could cause him to be a slot cornerback, but with him being the top corner, the 49ers look the other way to draft the former Buckeye.

10. Oakland Raiders: Roquan Smith, ILB, Georgia

He fits both a 3-4 defense and a 4-3 defense, and is an outstanding run defender. Smith seems like a perfect pick for the Raiders. Oakland has a need at middle linebacker and Smith is the top player at that position. Former Baltimore Ravens scout and Browns general manager Phil Savage told Chris Childers of SEC Today on SiriusXM that Smith is a reincarnation of Ray Lewis. While I don’t know about that, he is a great talent and could be a steal at pick No. 10 for Jon Gruden and company.

11. Miami Dolphins: Tremaine Edmunds, LB, Virginia Tech

Miami grabs Edmunds in this draft, which would be an interesting story because his dad Ferrell was drafted by the Dolphins in 1988 and played for them from 1988-1992. The elder Edmunds also was an All-Pro with Miami in 1989. Tremaine Edmunds is extremely young, as he does not turn 20 until less than a week after the draft. He has great speed for a player his size. He could play both inside or outside linebacker. After the release of Ndamukong Suh, Washington nose tackle Vita Vea could be an option here as well.

12. Buffalo Bills: Minkah Fitzpatrick, DB, Alabama

I will say that I do not think the Bills select at this pick. I just think the Bills traded up to 12 in order to make another trade up for a quarterback. As of right now, Buffalo would go into the season with A.J. McCarron starting and Nathan “Five pick half” Peterman backing him up. But, since I did not predict trades, Fitzpatrick is too much of a talent to pass up here. The Bills secondary is solid, but Vontae Davis injury prone. Fitzpatrick can play all over the secondary.

13. Washington Redskins: Vita Vea, DT, Washington

The Redskins need a run stuffer in the worst way. Washington allowed a league-high 134 yards per game on the ground. The 4.5 yards per carry the Redskins allowed ranked 29th. Vea would go a long way toward turning around the run defense. Vea was a second-team All-American in 2017, when he recorded 44 tackles and 3.5 sacks. The former Washington Husky moves really well for a man his size. He and last year’s first round pick Jonathan Allen would give the defensive line two building blocks for the future.

14. Green Bay Packers: Harold Landry, OLB, Boston College

Green Bay has a huge need at both pass rusher and cornerback. Landry had a down 2017 after a great 2016 season. It would not shock me in this scenario to see the Packers trade down with a team like New England, which may want to move up in front of Arizona to draft Louisville’s Lamar Jackson. But, as it is, Landry is the pick. The Packers ranked 17th in total pressures from the front seven, but there were games where the pass rush went invisible. Landry battled an ankle injury in 2017, keeping him to only five sacks and 8.5 tackles for loss. However, as a junior, he sacked opposing quarterbacks 16.5 times and had 22.5 tackles for loss. If he were to have come out last season, he might have been a top 10 pick.

15. Arizona Cardinals: Lamar Jackson, QB, Louisville

Arizona is sitting here at No. 15 and is in desperate need of a quarterback. To say Sam Bradford is injury prone is a major understatement. Bradford is not the long-term answer at quarterback, so the Cardinals may have to use this pick to take Jackson. I think the former Louisville standout will go higher than many may think. Jackson wouldn’t even have to change team names. It’s perfect! Jackson does have some accuracy issues, though, He struggled against the better teams and better defenses he faced at Louisville. Jackson does have skills to be able to play well in the NFL. I could very easily see a team like New England trade up for him with Green Bay to move in front of Arizona. It will be interesting to see where the Louisville playmaker will go.

16. Baltimore Ravens: Mike McGlinchey, OT, Notre Dame

Ronnie Staley has proven to be the real deal at left tackle, and drafting his college teammate could give them two really nice, young tackles. He is a really good run blocker, and Baltimore has always been a run-first team. McGlinchey could go top 10, so getting him at 16 could be a steal. Alabama wide receiver Calvin Ridley could also be an option at this pick.

17. Los Angeles Chargers: Leighton Vander Esch, LB, Boise State

Vander Esch is a run-stopping inside linebacker, and would be a good fit for the Chargers. Los Angeles gave up 131 yards on the ground per game, which was only better than Washington. The 4.9 yards per carry allowed was dead last in the league. The Chargers need to address the run defense, and with Vea off the board, Vander Esch would be a great pick at pick No. 17.

18. Seattle Seahawks: Josh Jackson, CB, Iowa

After releasing Richard Sherman, Seattle has a major hole at cornerback. Jackson is a playmaker who led the nation with eight interceptions, and returned two of them for touchdowns (both coming against Wisconsin). Carroll likes ballhawks in the secondary, and corners with size. Jackson has good size for a cornerback and he is a ballhawk. This is just a natural fit.

19. Dallas Cowboys: Calvin Ridley, WR, Alabama

There is some uncertainty surrounding Dallas’ No. 1 wide receiver, Dez Bryant. Regardless, the Cowboys could use a wide receiver, especially a deep threat. With Bryant not being much of a deep threat, Bryant and Ridley could be a dynamic duo, and with Ezekiel Elliott running it behind a great offensive line, this offense would be deadly. The defense could use some help, so Marcus Davenport or Isaiah Oliver make sense, but Ridley is too good of a value to pass up.

20. Detroit Lions: Derrius Guice, RB, LSU

Detroit has swung and missed on many running backs. Ameer Abdullah is not bad, but not as good as the Lions have hoped. Whether it is him or Mikel Leshoure or Jahvid Best or Kevin Smith, the Lions have drafted a number of running backs in the early rounds. But none have panned out for the Motor City Kitties. Guice is a better prospect than all of them. In his three seasons with the Tigers, he ran for 3,074 yards, despite playing two years behind current Jaguars star Leonard Fournette. He also averaged 6.5 yards per carry and is the only player in SEC history with three games of at least 250 yards rushing. The Lions need a running game to complement Matthew Stafford and the passing attack. Detroit’s rush offense has not ranked above 30th in any of the past three seasons, including twice ranking dead last. They also have not had a 100-yard rusher since Reggie Bush rushed for 117 yards in a Thanksgiving Day win in 2013 (!!!!) against Green Bay.

21. Cincinnati Bengals: Will Hernandez, OG, UTEP

There are not many drafts in which two guards go this high, but both deserve it. Last offseason, the Bengals lost offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth and guard Kevin Zeitler in free agency, and the offensive line play suffered in 2017. Andy Dalton looks halfway decent when he has a running game, and well, the Bengals finished 31st in the league in rushing, finishing only ahead of Detroit. Their yards per carry was just 3.6, which was 29th, and were 28th in rushing touchdowns with just six. Hernandez is great as a run blocker, and is very good at pass protection as well. At the Senior Bowl, Cincinnati showed interest in Hernandez. That is not surprising, as he is ready to come in and contribute immediately. He helped current Green Bay Packers running back Aaron Jones rush for nearly 1800 yards and 17 touchdowns in 2016.

22. Buffalo Bills: D.J. Chark, WR, LSU

Buffalo still needs a quarterback, but I have them passing on the other quarterbacks in this one. I don’t see them passing on quarterbacks with both of their first round picks, but I also see them trading up into the top 10 for one of those top quarterbacks. But as it is, I have them taking a wide receiver here, as the Jordan Matthews acquisition last offseason did not go as planned. They drafted Zay Jones last draft, who I believe can excel as a slot receiver. Chark could be a good outside receiver to pair with Kelvin Benjamin. Chark is a tall receiver who can run like the wind. He could go higher than many think.

23. New England Patriots: Marcus Davenport, EDGE, UT-San Antonio

Davenport is one of the hardest players to pinpoint where they’re going. I could see him going anywhere from around 10 to the second round. Like I said above, I could see New England trading this pick to move up and select Lamar Jackson at 14. In total pressures from the front seven, the Patriots ranked 24th. Granted, they were hurt by injuries, but they need to add some talent and youth to that group. Isaiah Oliver or Sam Hubbard might be options at 23 as well.

24. Carolina Panthers: Isaiah Oliver, CB, Colorado

Carolina traded Daryl Worley to the Eagles this offseason, and their deal for Bashaud Breeland fell through after he failed a physical. The Panthers need a cornerback and grab the versatile Oliver. The former Colorado defensive back did not run as well as many had hoped (4.50) at the combine, but he has good size for the position. He is a good athlete, and allowed just a 75.7 passer rating when targeted. Mike Hughes could be another target at this spot.

25. Tennessee Titans: Sam Hubbard, EDGE, Ohio State

He is a tremendous run defender, and can rush the passer quite a bit as well. In 2017, he had 13.5 tackles for loss and seven sacks. Overall, in his three years with the Buckeyes, he had 17 sacks and 30 tackles for loss. He has the talent to be a terrific pass rusher as well, and if he can become a consistent pass rusher, he will be dominant. In an interesting note, the Tennessee Titans hired Kerry Coombs as their defensive backs coach. Coombs was Hubbard’s primary recruiter when Hubbard was in high school.

26. Atlanta Falcons: Maurice Hurst, DT, Michigan

Atlanta lost Dontari Poe in free agency to division rival Carolina, so the Falcons could look to the draft to fill the void left by Poe. At the scouting combine in Indianapolis, he registered an irregular electrocardiogram, so many did not where he’d go and if he’d drop into the mid-second round. If he gets cleared, he was a monster for the Michigan defensive line. Hurst is a quick defensive lineman who can dominate any time he wants. The first team All-Big Ten defensive lineman had 10.5 sacks and 24.5 tackles for loss in his final two seasons for the Wolverines.

27. New Orleans Saints: Mason Rudolph, QB, Oklahoma State

Drew Brees is not getting any younger, as he turned 39 in January. The former Boilermakers great signed a two-year deal this offseason to remain in New Orleans, but I expect the Saints to look at a possible replacement either in this draft or in 2019. Rudolph is much taller than Brees, but like No. 9, the Oklahoma State product is strictly a pocket passer. He could come in and sit behind Brees for a few years before taking control of the team.

28. Pittsburgh Steelers: Rashaan Evans, ILB, Alabama

With how much Ben Roethlisberger brings up retirement, it would not surprise me one but to see Rudolph drafted by Pittsburgh if available. Now, instead, they draft a player who can help immediately. After losing Ryan Shazier to that nasty injury last season, the Steelers seek a replacement for the former Buckeye. He is a good athlete with great speed at linebacker and can bring pressure from the middle linebacker spot.

29. Jacksonville Jaguars: Christian Kirk, WR, Texas A&M

In free agency, Jacksonville lost wide receivers Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns in free agency. The Jags brought in Donte Moncrief, who will be a good receiver on the outside. Kirk could be a dynamic receiver in the slot. They will need to draft a few playmakers in order to help Blake Bortles. Jacksonville made the AFC Championship without Robinson for virtually the entire season, so Kirk could help them get over the hump and into the Super Bowl.

30. Minnesota Vikings: Kolton Miller, OT, UCLA

Minnesota will likely take the best offensive lineman available. He is as athletic of an offensive tackle as there is in this draft class. The Vikings are looking to get younger and more athletic on the offensive line. The 6-foot-9 Miller has the ability to be a really solid tackle in the NFL. Mike Hughes could be another option at this pick.

31. New England Patriots: Mike Hughes, CB, UCF

New England lost Malcolm Butler to Tennessee in free agency, so the Patriots will need a replacement. Hughes could step in and play the slot immediately.  New England lost quite a bit in free agency, so this draft will be vital for the defending AFC Champions. Kolton Miller could be an option should he fall to 31 with Nate Solder heading to the New York Giants.

32. Philadelphia Eagles: Harrison Phillips, DT, Stanford

The reason Philadelphia won the Super Bowl was because of the depth of the defensive line. The Eagles lost Vinny Curry and Beau Allen in free agency, and traded for Michael Bennett. To replace Allen, the Eagles spend a first round pick on Phillips. In his last two years with the Cardinal, he sacked opposing quarterbacks 14.5 times and registered 27 tackles for loss. Fletcher Cox and Tim Jernigan will be with the Eagles for a long time, but Haloti Ngata is getting up there in age and was signed for one year. Philadelphia does not have many needs, so giving the defensive line even more talent is never a bad thing.