Six Wisconsin high school alums were selected in the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh April 23-25, tying the mark for most Wisconsin high-school products selected in one draft since the turn of the century.
Here's a look at each of them, who drafted them and a list of past NFL drafts to see where Wisconsin high school alums have landed since 1990 – plus other first-round picks from Wisconsin throughout history:
Max Bredeson, fullback (Arrowhead), Minnesota Vikings (No. 159)
He began his college career as a walk-on at Michigan and left as a two-time captain who helped the program win a national championship in 2023. He was the first fullback selected in 2026, in the fifth round, and nearly surpassed older brother Ben (No. 143 in 2020).
Billy Schrauth, guard (St. Mary's Springs), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (No. 160)
Back-to-back Wisconsinite picks, you say? The guard who played at Notre Dame hails from Campbellsport. Schrauth started his final two seasons with the Fighting Irish, though his 2025 campaign was cut short after seven games due to a knee injury, but he did earn second-team All-American honors from one publication.
Riley Nowakowski, tight end (Milwaukee Marquette), Pittsburgh Steelers (No. 169)
Nowakowski, also taken in the fifth round, played in the Badgers program for five seasons, then transferred to Indiana where he was part of a dominant national-championship team. He started his career as an outside linebacker at UW.
Skyler Gill-Howard, defensive tackle (Greenfield), Detroit Lions (No. 205)
Gill-Howard, a sixth-round pick, started his career at Division II Upper Iowa then spent three seasons at Northern Illinois. He played his final season at Texas Tech.
Cole Wisniewski, safety (Sparta), Philadelphia Eagles (No. 244)
Wisniewski, a seventh-round pick, played three seasons at North Dakota State, then missed his fourth season with a foot injury. He transferred to Texas Tech for the 2025 season and started 14 games, making 78 tackles.
Evan Beerntsen, guard (Appleton North), Baltimore Ravens (No. 253)
If he makes the roster, he would be the first player in Appleton North's history to reach the NFL. He played college football at Northwestern and was four picks away from the coveted "Mr. Irrelevant" moniker, given to the last pick of the last round.
Chimere Dike, wide receiver (Waukesha North), Tennessee Titans (No. 103)
After four years as one of the top receivers with the University of Wisconsin, Dike played his final season of eligibility with Florida and wound up getting taken with the first pick of the fourth round, leading off Day 3 of the NFL Draft proceedings in Green Bay. Then, he made the most of it, breaking the NFL rookie record for all-purpose yards and getting named to the Pro Bowl as a special-teamer.
Marcus Mbow, offensive line (Wauwatosa East), New York Giants (No. 154)
He played 12 games at right tackle for Purdue in 2024 and left for the draft with eligibility still on the table. In his rookie year, he started three games and appeared in 12 overall for the Giants.
Jack Nelson, offensive line (Stoughton), Atlanta Falcons (No. 218)
The longtime left tackle for the Badgers started 50 games on the offensive line over the past four seasons at UW. He appeared in 10 games as a rookie.