MADISON, Wis. - The Wisconsin Badgers will have another open spot to fill on their offensive line next year after junior right tackle David Edwards declared for the 2019 NFL Draft on Tuesday.

"After careful consideration, I've decided to forgo my final year of eligibility and declare for the NFL Draft," Edwards said in a statement on his personal Twitter feed on Tuesday afternoon. "I've had the chance of a lifetime to call myself a Badger and it's hard to leave behind something that means so much to me, but it's always been my dream to play pro football. I couldn't be more excited to pursue the opportunity."

A 6-foot-7 former high school quarterback, Edwards played in 37 games for the Badgers over the last three years with 31 starts, taking over at right tackle during the middle of the 2015 season. Edwards considered declaring for the draft at the end of last season, but elected to return for his junior season. He played through a nagging shoulder injury during the 2018 season and missed Wisconsin's final three games, but he should still earn a long look from NFL teams that want to bolster their offensive line in this year's draft.

The Badgers are also waiting on a decision from sophomore center Tyler Biadasz, who was also mulling a jump to the NFL after a second strong campaign for UW. If Biadasz decides to leave the program early as well the Badgers will need to replace four of this year's five regular starters, with guards Michael Deiter and Beau Benzschawel moving on after graduation.

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John Veldhuis covers Wisconsin football, basketball and recruiting for BadgerBlitz.com on the Rivals.com network. Follow him on Twitter at @JohnVeldhuis.