money What to know about UW center Joe Tippmann, taken in the second round of the NFL draft by the Jets
Former Wisconsin center Joe Tippmann didn't have to wait long Friday to learn his next destination.
Tippmann was selected by in the second round of the NFL draft, the No. 43 pick, by the New York Jets. He was the first University of Wisconsin player drafted this year.
Who is Joe Tippmann?
Tippmann, from Fort Wayne, Indiana, made 22 starts over his last two seasons at UW. He was a consensus honorable mention all-Big Ten pick in 2021 and 2022.
What was Tippmann known for at UW?
Tippmann, 6-foot-6 and 313 pounds, was a solid blocker in the running game and allowed only one sack and five pressures, over more than 300 plays last season.
He wasn't able to participate at UW’s pro day because he was recovering from a hamstring injury but he later worked out alone for NFL scouts. He bench-pressed 225 pounds 30 times. That would have been tied for the No. 5 mark at the NFL combine.
More: What to know about former Wisconsin star Keeanu Benton, drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers
Tippmann was a touted recruit when he chose UW
Tippmann was a standout offensive tackle in high school and chose UW over offers from several Big Ten schools, including Iowa and Purdue. He was Indiana's Mr. Football offensive lineman as a senior and made the Indiana Football Coaches Association All-State Top 50 as a junior and as a senior.
Should Tippmann stay at center or slide to guard?
ESPN analysts Mel Kiper Jr. and Louis Riddick briefly debated whether Tippmann should stay at center or move to guard.
“I think he’s better off at guard,” Kiper said during the network's telecast. “I think ultimately he may end up being a guard.”
Riddick disagreed.
“Quite honestly, I’d leave him at center,” he said during the telecast. “His athleticism, his awareness and smarts, you see him communicating all the time. His ability to get out on the perimeter run downfield? Beautiful.”
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: UW's Tippmann selected by Jets in the second round of the NFL draft
