Wisconsin Badgers

Dolphins draft former Badgers OL Michael Deiter in third round

Published Apr. 26, 2019 10:34 p.m. ET

Michael Deiter is the first former Wisconsin Badgers player off the board in the 2019 NFL draft.

The Miami Dolphins selected Deiter with the 15th pick of the third round – 78th overall.

Deiter was a consistent presence on the Badgers’ offensive line, starting a school-record 54 games from 2015-18. He began his collegiate career at left guard and center from 2015-16, switched to left tackle in 2017 and slid back inside to left guard last season.

All in all, Deiter started 24 games at left guard, 16 at center and 14 at left tackle. He was named to the All-Big Ten first team in 2018. Deiter contributed as a key piece to the offensive line that helped running back Jonathan Taylor rush for 4,171 yards from 2017-18.

It’s been a busy night for the Dolphins, who traded a second-round pick and a fifth-rounder Friday to bring in quarterback Josh Rosen, who was the No. 10 selection of the 2018 draft.

Deiter will be tasked with blocking for the young quarterback, as well as Miami’s 1-2 punch in the backfield of Kenyan Drake and Kalen Ballage.

Fellow former Badgers offensive linemen David Edwards and Beau Benzschawel are expected to be picked in Day 2 or Day 3 of the draft. If they are all selected, they’ll become the first trio of Badgers offensive linemen to be drafted in the same year since Gabe Carimi, John Moffitt and Bill Nagy in 2011.

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