Published Feb 29, 2016
Wisconsin Badgers at the NFL Combine
circle avatar
John Veldhuis  •  BadgerBlitz
Senior Writer
Twitter
@JohnVeldhuis

BadgerBlitz.com takes a look at how Tyler Marz, Joe Schobert and Joel Stave performed at the NFL Scouting Combine.

Advertisement

Three former Wisconsin Badgers participated in the NFL's Scouting Combine over the last week: offensive tackle Tyler Marz, linebacker Joe Schobert, and quarterback Joel Stave. It's an important event for prospects who are looking to move on to the next level, so let's take a look at how those three former Badgers performed.


Tyler Marz

Official Measurements

Height: 6-foot-7

Weight: 316 pounds

Arm Length: 33.5 inches

Hand Size: 10 inches

40-yard dash: 5.54 seconds

Bench Press: 19 reps at 225 pounds

Quick Thoughts

Marz's bench press number stands out the most. 19 reps at 225 pounds is not a great number for an offensive lineman, to say the least. That's well short of the top performers at his position at the combine, where Arizona State's Christian Westerman led the pack with 34 reps at 225 pounds. Marz's 19 reps is tied for the fifth-lowest score out of the offensive linemen who participated.

A prospect's bench press number isn't everything, and it's possible Marz will out-perform that mark at his pro day in March. And don't forget- Rob Havenstein did just 16 reps at 225 at the combine last year, and still went on to be a second round pick in the draft and had a strong first season for the (now) Los Angeles Rams.

That's not to say that Marz is going to be a second-round pick, but more to say that a prospects combine stats are just one part of the puzzle. NFL teams will have to put them together with Marz's college tape and see if he's worth picking in late April.

info icon
Embed content not availableManage privacy settings

Joe Schobert

Official Measurements

Height: 6-foot-1

Weight: 244 pounds

Arm Length: 31.5 inches

Hand Size: 9.75 inches

40-yard dash: 4.76 seconds

Bench Press: 22 reps at 225 pounds

Quick Thoughts

Schobert's measurements were pretty comparable to the rest of his draft class. His unofficial 4.76-second 40-yard dash time was tied for the 17th-best mark among linebackers at the combine, and 22 reps on the bench ranked 5th at his position as well. All in all, that's a decent showing for Schobert, who can point to a very productive senior season when teams look at his resume.

Of the three former Badgers who were invited to the combine, Schobert seems to me to have the best chance of being drafted. He's an athletic player who has the production to match in college, and there's space for guys like that in the league. He might need to shift to inside linebacker at the next level though if a 3-4 team drafts him, but I don't think that would be a significant obstacle for him.

info icon
Embed content not availableManage privacy settings

Joel Stave

Official Measurements

Height: 6-foot-5

Weight: 236 pounds

Arm Length: 33.25 inches

Hand Size: 10.75 inches

40-yard dash: 4.80 seconds

Quick Thoughts

By all accounts it sounds like Joel Stave helped himself during his combine workouts. There's plenty for teams to review on tape after a four-year career with the Badgers, but he had a few workouts that could boost his draft stock, and showed that he might be a little more athletic than people gave him credit for in college.

Stave certainly won't be mistaken for a dual-threat quarterback, but he was a top performer at his position in the vertical jump (his 33.5 inch attempt was the third-best mark, behind Paxton Lynch and Cardale Jones). Stave's best 40-yard dash time (4.80 seconds) was also tied for 8th among quarterbacks. Stave also reportedly scored a 28 on the Wonderlic.

In the end it seems like Stave's draft fate will come down to whether or not an NFL team thinks they can develop him in to a serviceable player. He's got a lot of raw tools, but a deeper draft class at quarterback might leave him looking for a team to sign with as an undrafted free agent if his inconsistent college tape knocks him down a few pegs.

info icon
Embed content not availableManage privacy settings

--

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