Braun: If you read my column last Monday, you would know that while I am a Raiders fan, I’m not too satisfied with their draft choices.
Former Wisconsin defensive end Matt Shaughnessy is no exception. He probably would have been available for another round or two, and his 4.95 40-yard dash time wasn’t exactly too impressive, especially for an end.
But being put on a bad team like the Raiders will give Shaughnessy the ability to be an impact player from the start of his career. Also, while Oakland’s offensive has been anemic over the past several seasons, its defense has been surprisingly effective.
Shaughnessy is also one of those hard-nosed players coaches love to teach. He won’t sit out when he’s injured — he proved that last season after breaking his fibula before the season started — and while he might not have the speed to match up to some of the best defensive ends in the NFL, he does have the football knowledge to be effective on the line and make smart decisions.
He won’t be Lawrence Taylor or Reggie White, but what you can expect from Shaughnessy is the same you expected from him when he started his last 33 games at UW. He’ll come out and play as hard as he can every day of the week.
Besides, it’s not like he has that much competition. You really think P.J. Hill or Jonathan Casillas will be as good as him? Shaughnessy has the size, strength and passion to be an effective NFL player. That’s something few other NFL-bound UW players can boast about.
Solochek: Sure, Matt Shaughnessy has the skills to have a chance to excel as a defensive lineman on almost any team in the NFL. Sadly, however, he was picked by Oakland.
Long gone are the days of frightening Raider defenses and, sadly, the ability to turn players into high-caliber athletes on that side of the bay is gone, too.
With Shaughnessy’s future in doubt, the Badger with the best chance to succeed in the NFL is offensive lineman Kraig Urbik. As a member of one of the offensive lines that is perennially rated best the nation, Urbik is no stranger to the fast and physical play need to do well as a professional football player. He has been part of lines that have blocked for some of the most successful college running backs in recent years.
The ability to play physically and recognize the need to dominate in the trenches makes him a perfect fit for the Pittsburgh Steelers, who pride themselves on hard-hitting, physical play. As a Steeler he will get the chance to block for some of the best running backs in the game like “Fast” Willy Parker and former Big Ten rival Rashard Mendenhall, who played under Ron Zook at Illinois. He will also be under the direction of one of the toughest quarterbacks in the league, Ben Roethlisberger.
While so many Badgers were picked in the third round of this year’s NFL Draft and as undrafted free agents, Kraig Urbik’s name will probably be called longer than any other Wisconsin football alum.
