Speedy Wisconsin CB Rachad Wildgoose completes journey from Northwestern to NFL Draft
After a shoulder injury prematurely ended Rachad Wildgoose’s junior season for the Wisconsin Badgers, he made a decision -- considered a surprse by most outsiders -- to opt out of the 2020 college football season and declare for the 2021 NFL Draft.
The cornerback felt confident about what he did in a little more than two years in Madison and he knew how well the pre-Draft process was going to go. On Saturday, his decision was validated, as he headed to the Buffalo Bills on the third and final day of the NFL Draft.
The Bills selected Wildgoose with the 29th pick in the sixth round — No. 213 overall — after he fully recovered from a broken right shoulder blade and wowed scouts at Wisconsin’s pro day in March.
WIth NFL coaches and front-office personnel in attendance, Wildgoose showcased his South Florida speed, running the 40-yard dash in 4.41 seconds to solidify his place on the NFL radar.
Now he’s the second Miami Northwestern player to be picked in the 2021 Draft, joining Louisville Cardinals wide receiver Tutu Atwell, who went to the Los Angeles Rams in the second round Friday. Northwestern is one of three schools from the Miami metropolitan area with multiple players drafted this year.
Wildgoose and Atwell were both seniors for the Bulls in 2017, when Northwestern ended a rare 10-year state-title drought.
Wildgoose was only a three-star prospect, according to the 247Sports.com composite rankings, but he cracked the Badgers’ starting lineup as a freshman. After starting seven games in 2018, Wildgoose started eight more as a sophomore in 2019, then two as a junior in 2020 before his shoulder injury prematurely ended his career.
The defensive back logged six tackles and one tackle for loss last year, and finished his career with 57 tackles, five tackles for loss and one interception.
