Sebastian Cheeks is forcing his way into the center of the 2027 NFL Draft conversation.
The Wisconsin edge rusher has been a problem off the edge all season, living in opposing backfields and piling up the kind of production that gets scouts leaning forward. He already had a spot on plenty of NFL big boards before the year even began, but now the talk is getting louder: some evaluators are calling him the top edge rusher in the class.
The numbers help explain why. Cheeks has 34 tackles, 7 sacks, and 2 forced fumbles this season, with a couple of games still left to play. He’s also been one of the most disruptive pass rushers in college football, and the sacks are finally matching the pressure.
Newt Westen put together a list of potential edge defenders for the 2027 draft and had Cheeks sitting at the top of the board because of his production. In Westen’s chart, Cheeks shows up green in every major category except one, a run-stop percentage of 5.6%. Even so, his pressure rate is over 20%, meaning one out of every four pass-rush attempts ends with Cheeks in the quarterback’s face.
That kind of disruption has caught the eye of other draft analysts too. Ian Cummings of PFSN has also pushed Cheeks up the board, pointing to both the production and the traits that make him so hard to block.
“Big fan of Wisconsin's Sebastian Cheeks: 85.3 PFN EDGE Impact. Among EDGEs w/ 400+ snaps, his 20.6% prsr rate ranks 3rd.
Explosive, fluid, fleet-footed mover w/ lean mass & lower body load to generate speed-to-power. Vast rush arsenal, gap & LEO pursuit discipline. He's legit.”
Not every evaluator has caught up yet. Mel Kiper does not have Cheeks on his early big board, which only includes 10 edge rushers, and he also does not appear in the PFF first-round mock draft.
But CBS Sports’ Mike Renner has him going 26th overall to the Pittsburgh Steelers, with only four edge rushers taken ahead of him. In that mock, Dylan Stewart of South Carolina goes second overall.
Renner sees a fit with Pittsburgh and even ties Cheeks to a familiar name in Wisconsin history. “Cheeks is an edge-bending speed rusher who already has the refined rush plans of an NFL veteran,” Renner writes. “With TJ Watt slowing down, it couldn't hurt to have another infusion of talent off the edge.”
Cheeks still has two games left to keep building his case, but he’s already done enough to land firmly on the radar. At this point, the only real question is how high he can climb before draft season gets serious.
In Other News...
Wisconsin Just Sent Another Big Message On In-State Recruiting
Wisconsins in-state recruiting push picked up another important win with the official signing of Jalen Brown, a 6-5 guard from Milwaukee who is now part of the Badgers 2027 basketball class. Brown had already committed in June 2025, but putting pen to paper gives Wisconsin another highly regarded local talent after he chose the Badgers over several power-conference offers.
Greg Gard has made no secret of how much he values Browns fit in the program, pointing to his scoring ability and work ethic as key reasons Wisconsin pursued him so aggressively. For a staff that wants to keep top Wisconsin prospects close to home, landing a consensus four-star guard from Milwaukee is the kind of move that resonates well beyond one recruiting cycle. [Read more 🡒]
Wisconsin Finally Has Hope Up Front With Three Games Left
Freshman quarterback Ryan Hopkins gave Wisconsin a much-needed jolt in his first career start, and the timing could hardly have been better. The Badgers 31-10 win over Rutgers pushed them to 6-3, made them bowl eligible and offered a glimpse of what the offense can look like when the line holds together long enough to let a young passer settle in.
For much of the season, Wisconsin has been piecing together an offensive front because of injuries, and that instability has made every snap feel like a test. Against Rutgers, the protection looked noticeably cleaner, which matters now with Maryland, Purdue and Minnesota still ahead on the regular-season schedule and the chance to turn one encouraging afternoon into something more lasting. [Read more 🡒]
Wisconsin Faces A Road Test That Could Define Luke Fickells Best Start
Wisconsin heads to Maryland at 6-3 with a chance to keep building momentum in what has already become one of Luke Fickells steadier seasons in Madison. The matchup brings a familiar Big Ten road challenge, and the Badgers path is pretty clear: keep the rushing attack balanced, stay on top of the game plan defensively, and get another dependable showing from freshman running back Ryan Hopkins.
Maryland adds a wrinkle with quarterback Malik Washington, whose presence gives the Terrapins a different kind of stress test for Wisconsins defense. For the Badgers, this is the sort of November game that can sharpen the picture of where the program stands under Fickell, and whether a solid start can turn into something more meaningful down the stretch. [Read more 🡒]