Ex-Badgers OT David Edwards drafted in fifth round by Rams

The Los Angeles Rams used the 31st pick of the fifth round (No. 169 overall) to select former Wisconsin Badgers tackle David Edwards.

Edwards played 37 games for the Badgers from 2016-18, starting 31 contests at right tackle. He was a key piece of the offensive line that helped running back Jonathan Taylor lead the nation in rushing with 2,194 yards in 2018 and set a FBS freshman rushing record with 1,977 yards in 2017.

At 6-foot-7 and 315 pounds, Edwards entered his junior season as one of the top offensive linemen prospects in the nation. But he played with an injured shoulder for much of the 2018 season and was forced to miss Wisconsin’s final three games, hurting his draft stock.

The Rams already feature a former Badgers offensive lineman in Rob Havenstein, who starred at Wisconsin from 2010-14. Havenstein has started 59 games for Los Angeles since the Rams selected him in the second round of the 2015 draft.

Badgers versatile offensive lineman Michael Deiter, who started a school-record 54 games from 2015-18, was selected in the third round (78th overall) by Miami on Friday night. Edwards was the third Badgers player to be drafted in the fifth round, joining linebackers Ryan Connelly (New York Giants, No. 143) and Andrew Van Ginkel (Miami Dolphins, No. 151).

With Deiter and Edwards off the draft board, Beau Benzschawel could become the third Badgers offensive lineman to be drafted in 2019. If he’s selected, the former teammates will become the first trio of Badgers offensive linemen to be drafted in the same year since Gabe Carimi, John Moffitt and Bill Nagy in 2011.