Spring practices have come and gone for Wisconsin, and some positions popped out during the handful of practices open to reporters in April.

BadgerBlitz.com presents a couple groups that stood out in our eyes during those sessions last month -- one for each side of the ball, along with a couple "runner-ups."

Writer's note/disclaimer: Reporters saw five of the 15 practices, so this may not paint the entire picture of what transpired during the spring.

The 2020 offense -- and its passing game -- stumbled last season with injuries to Danny Davis and Kendric Pryor. Chimere Dike earned significant reps as a true freshman, while Jack Dunn emerged as a reliable hand, willing to do whatever he can to help the team. That said, who else could begin to show consistency and shore up depth heading into this year?

This group stood out in the spring because of the aforementioned four having solid outings in those open sessions to reporters -- including Dike's handful of red-zone touchdowns on April 17 -- but also two others who showcased their talents.

A.J. Abbott appeared to become more consistent, and on April 13 reeled in some deep receptions. Wide receivers coach Alvis Whited complimented his fourth-year wide out last month, saying he is "physically gifted and he's taking a different approach to just everything that the position requires -- the study, the time after practice, and just coming up to see me."

Then there's Devin Chandler, who briefly displayed some of his flashy skills last year in a couple of plays. His work during the spring appeared promising in those open practices -- two long receptions on different days immediately stand out -- and a potential three-deep of intriguing, potent receivers heading into fall camp would be a promising sign for an offense that will need its aerial attack.

A common theme with these may be depth within these particular groups. Bob Bostad's room has All-Big Ten caliber 'backers in Jack Sanborn and Leo Chenal with the first-team -- and both looked increasingly solid in April. However, outside of Mike Maskalunas, who else could develop into a rotational-type player for 2021?

Two class of 2019 players could change that. Maema Njongmeta often showed an ability to weave through the offensive line to make plays in the backfield. Sanborn told reporters on April 14 that his younger teammate was picking up the playbook and displayed "an ability to kind of just slip his way through traffic, which is kinda sometimes insane."

Njongmeta and his roommate, walk-on Tatum Grass, worked as a solid tandem in team periods during the open practices, especially with Maskalunas not practicing for any of them. Bostad mentioned in mid-April that the in-state product is "playing more physical" and "more confident."

Even true freshman Jake Chaney flashed during the handful of practices reporters received access to in displaying an ability to find his way into the backfield. Along with Jordan Turner, Ross Gengler, and the incoming 2021 recruits, this should be a fun group to watch in the fall.

This is a double-edged sword.

The bad news: We did not see much from the tailbacks in these open spring sessions. Jalen Berger left the April 10 practice with a leg injury and did not return for the other four practices available to reporters. Julius Davis (also leg) did not dress at all in that time. Isaac Guerendo suited up and went through positional work, but we did not see him much beyond that. Heck, even Brady Schipper went down with a leg injury and the team needed to call walk-on Jacob Heyroth into duty last month.

That said, we were able to see more of the fullbacks. They performed well in the diverse portfolio of tasks set for them, at least through my eyes. John Chenal and Quan Easterling both ran the ball, caught the ball and blocked -- essentially the holy trinity of responsibilities for those who play this position at Wisconsin.

Chenal appears primed to be the next fullback up with Mason Stokke moving on to the NFL's Carolina Panthers, and his extensive game time experience already (29 games played in last three years) will serve him well.

As mentioned in previous BadgerBlitz.com articles, Easterling looks physically ready for the part. Now it's just the mental aspect of the game in continuing to learn the playbook and having the game slow down further, according to Chenal.

Seeing how these two continue to grow in fall camp, when maybe they are not thrust into running the ball more, will be a development point to watch.

*Outside linebacker: Assistant Bobby April III has some intriguing players at his disposal heading into fall camp. Spencer Lytle looked good on the outside in the handful of open practices and could be primed for a significant 2021 if injuries or other unforeseen circumstances do not creep up. I think C.J. Goetz and Aaron Witt will also add to the group that also boasts presumed first-teamers Noah Burks and Nick Herbig, though we did not see Witt after the April 10 practice. Will keep an eye on Kaden Johnson and T.J. Bollers as well for fall camp.

*Quarterbacks: The defense stepped up more in the last two open sessions, but I felt both Graham Mertz and Chase Wolf threw the ball well overall during the five practices. Both can make the throws needed to guide this offense, especially Mertz and his ability to spray the field with accurate passes.

*Safety: Interceptions were made by Scott Nelson, Preston Zachman and John Torchio during the practices open to reporters. Nelson and Collin Wilder appear to be the first-team tandem once again for 2021 and should be leaders not just for this unit, but overall for the defense. Torchio, meanwhile, looks like a more-than-capable backup. We did not see Titus Toler dress at all, and Travian Blaylock missed some time due to a left leg injury. However, defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard said Blaylock was "able to take huge strides forward."

*Tight end -- Jake Ferguson leads the group, but I like the developing depth and the complementary nature of this room. Jack Eschenbach could be another pass catcher who's grown to block better, while Hayden Rucci is that in-line, mauling tight end who could grow in the receiving game. Throw in Clay Cundiff and Jaylan Franklin, and Mickey Turner's players could affect games in major ways this season.