Wisconsin tight end Jake Ferguson was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys with pick No. 129 in Round 4 of the 2022 NFL Draft.

Ferguson, 6-foot-5 and 250 pounds from Madison Memorial High School, was the third Badgers player taken in the draft, along with Leo Chenal (Kansas City Chiefs) and Logan Bruss (Las Angeles Rams).

Ferguson concluded his Wisconsin career with a catch in 47 consecutive games, establishing a new school record for what was the FBS’ second-longest active streak. A two-time first-team All-Big Ten selection, the fifth-year player led the Badgers in catches as a senior and junior.

Ferguson, who finished with 1,618 career receiving yards, is No. 3 in the school’s history at tight end behind Travis Beckham (2,149) and Troy Fumagalli (1,627).

At the NFL Scouting Combine, Ferguson ran a 4.81 40-yard dash (9th out of 12), 15 reps on the bench (10 of 10), 31.5-inch vertical (11 of 13), 9-10 on the broad jump (5 of 10), 7.03 on the 3-cone (tied second of eight) and 4.48 in the 20-yard shuttle (8 of 10). At Wisconsin’s Pro Day, Ferguson improved his 40-yard dash to 4.71 and increased his vertical jump to 34-5. His 40 time would have put him sixth at the Combine while his new jump would have tied him for third.

According to the Dallas Cowboys web site: "Keeping Dalton Schultz on the franchise tag (one year, $10.4 million) was big for the offense and the overall tight end depth. Schultz set career highs in catches (78), receiving yards (808) and touchdowns (8) last year and could see even more receiving targets in 2022 as the Cowboys reshape the passing game without Amari Cooper (Browns) and Cedrick Wilson (Dolphins). But after waiving injured veteran Blake Jarwin (hip), the club wanted another tight end to help as a receiver/blocker and contribute in two-tight end sets. Ferguson was a dependable pass catcher for the Badgers and a willing blocker in space and on the line of scrimmage, though that's usually an adjustment for tight ends at the next level. He'll compete with Jeremy Sprinkle and Sean McKeon for snaps behind Schultz."

-Benjamin Worgull helped contribute to this report.

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