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Jack Cichy’s career in Madison was seemingly over just as it really began to take off. When he was at his best, which was the first six games he played in 2016, Jack Cichy was among the best linebackers in the country. Then at the end of the first half against Iowa, he tore his pectoral muscle, and though he nearly finished the game with basically one arm, that would be the last time he would play in a Wisconsin Badgers’ uniform on game day.
It will be interesting to see how much teams trust their evaluations of a player’s junior season tape from 2016. Cichy will certianly scare away from teams due to his injury history (pectoral injury in 2016, torn ACL in 2017), but his ability to play multiple linebacker spots will be a plus for the Somerset, Wis., native.
Jack Cichy Measurables
| Height | Weight | Arm Length | Hand Size | 40-Yard Dash | Bench Press | Vertical Jump | Broad Jump | 20-Yard Shuttle | 3-Cone Drill |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Height | Weight | Arm Length | Hand Size | 40-Yard Dash | Bench Press | Vertical Jump | Broad Jump | 20-Yard Shuttle | 3-Cone Drill |
| 6'2 | 238 | 32 1/8" | 9.5" | N/A | 18 reps | 33.5" | N/A | 4.19 seconds | 6.88 seconds |
Height, weight, arm length, hand size and bench press from NFL Combine; vertical jump, broad jump, 20-yard shuttle and 3-cone drill from Wisconsin pro day on March 14.
Strengths: Heady player at the position. Possesses sideline-to-sideline range. Has experience playing both outside and inside linebacker positions in a 3-4 defense. Has good to very good athleticism for the position. Is able to knife around blockers at the second level to sift through traffic to get to the ball carrier. Solid wrap-up, drag down tackler. Shows impressive spacial awareness in zone coverage, is always around the ball. Plays the option very well.
Weaknesses: A bit slight in stature. Has shown struggles to disengage from blockers at the second level. Will try to avoid blockers, which at times puts him out of position. Wasn’t asked to cover backs out of the backfield often.
Summary: Jack Cichy’s peak in Madison came and went so quickly, it was almost like a phenomenon. His Ohio State and Iowa games in 2016 are highlight tapes, but it will be interesting to see how much value teams see in Cichy, who hasn’t played a football game in nearly 18 months. Cichy can play either the “Mike” (middle) or “Will” (weak-side) linebacker in a 4-3 scheme, or the “Will” in a 3-4 defense [Editor note: Cichy told B5Q last week that teams are looking at him as a “Will” in both a 4-3 and 3-4]. He’ll likely be a special teamer early, with the chance to move into a starting lineup in year two or three, if he is able to remain healthy.
Projection: 3rd-4th Round
Listen to Cichy on Bucky’s 5th Podcast!