MADISON, Wis. – Feeling he had proven he was worthy of an NFL opportunity, cornerback Rachad Wildgoose decided to roll the dice after a shoulder injury limited to only two games last season.
Turns out, he was right. Wildgoose was selected with the 29th pick in the sixth round (No.213 overall) by the Buffalo Bills. The 5-10 junior was the second former Wisconsin player selected in the 2021 draft and only the fourth Wisconsin defensive back selected since 2009.
“I feel like to an NFL defense, I’m going to bring confidence, energy and I feel like I am versatile,” Wildgoose said. “I can play, corner, nickel, safety, they can move me around and get big plays all around the field from me.”
The only player Wisconsin signed during the February signing period in the 2018 class, Wildgoose didn’t enroll early but was talented enough to work his way into the starting lineup as the season progressed. He ended up playing in 25 games with 17 starts over three seasons, earning honorable mention all-conference honors in 2019 after finishing with 22 tackles, three tackles for loss, an interception, and seven pass breakups.
He chose to opt out of the 2020 season after starting two contests (six tackles, two for loss, one pass breakup) and suffering a broken scapula at Northwestern. Speaking to reporters at UW’s Pro Day, Wildgoose said he would have declared for the draft after last season no matter what.
“I was talking with (defensive coordinator Jim) Leonhard throughout my three years here and I told him when I first got here don’t let me settle,” said Wildgoose, who needed roughly 10 weeks to return to regular running. “Push me to be my greatest. After camp, he was telling me if I could keep this up, the whole world is going to know what I know.
“I talked with my parents about it and just me also believing in my skills and watching me develop, feeling ready enough physically and mentally. When I got Coach Leonhard’s support, (I) was all in.”
Wildgoose turned heads at Wisconsin’s Pro Day last month, running the 40-yard dash in 4.41 seconds, 7.00 seconds in the 3-cone, having a 36-inch vertical, and 10 feet in the broad jump. He also added 11 reps on the bench press, an accomplishment he was pleased with after only training for the drill for two weeks due to his shoulder.
“I knew I was going to do position work well; I knew I was going to kill that,” Wildgoose said. “The other stuff is just repetition, but I feel like the 40 can change based on how you are feeling. That’s the one I am proud of."
