Leo Chenal was expected to be the first Wisconsin player to hear his name called in the 2022 NFL Draft.

That indeed happened on Friday evening when the Kansas City Chiefs selected the former Badgers inside linebacker with pick No. 103 in the third round. Chenal, an in-state prospect from Grantsburg High School, was the first commit in Wisconsin's 2019 recruiting class.

The Big Ten’s Linebacker of the Year, Chenal left school a year early to pursue the NFL Draft. The junior, who had 115 tackles - 18.5 tackles for loss - and eight sacks in 2021, was a first-team All-Big Ten and second-team All-American last fall.

The 6-foot-2, 261-pound inside linebacker had a Pro Football Focus grade of 90.7 in 2021, which was also tops on UW's defense. He is the first linebacker drafted from Wisconsin since 2019, when the New Orleans Saints selected Zach Baun with the 74th pick.

"I’m surprised the Chiefs took a linebacker this early in the draft. I didn’t think linebacker was much of a need for a team that mostly plays nickel and dime defensive looks and already has two very good linebackers. The lack of need at the position brings the grade for this pick down a bit for me.

The good thing is that Chenal measures up well athletically, with a 4.53-second 40-yard dash and a 40.5-inch vertical. He’s good against the run and can rush the passer with success, so it seems like he’ll provide some good depth and will be a contributor when the Chiefs run their base 4-3 defense. He’ll also be a day-one special teams ace."

Charles Goldman's grade: B+ - Yahoo! Sports

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