There are three guarantees in life: death, taxes, and Wisconsin Badgers running the football. Wisconsin's run game has always been their offensive identity and it's why Jake Ferguson's stats won't jump off the page like some of the other tight ends in this class. We can explain away his muted production. In 2018 and 2019, his running back was Jonathan Taylor. In 2020, the Badgers had a down year, but Ferguson still managed to lead the team in receptions (30) and receiving yards (305). In Jake Ferguson's final season, he had a team high 46 receptions in spite of the Badgers finding their next workhorse back in Braelon Allen and a decrease in pass attempts per game.
Overall, Ferguson will be a solid number two tight end in the NFL. His 4th round NFL draft projection is indicative of the utility he'll be able to provide. You could do worse taking a swing on a guy who broke out as a freshman and averaged a 16.45% target share on a run first team. His unimpressive workout metrics and lack of collegiate production forewarn how he’ll be used in the NFL.
Jake Ferguson was selected in the 4th round of the 2022 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys. His rookie season was remarkably quiet, he had only 22 targets the entire season. But his sophomore season was a full blown breakout. he was the second most targeted receiver on the cowboys behind only CeeDee Lamb. The Cowboys added no target competition during the 2024 offseason, so its safe to assume another season with 80 plus targets is easily obtainable for Jake Ferguson.
