:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/63638858/usa_today_11905571.0.jpg)
Despite only playing two seasons in Madison, Andrew Van Ginkel definitely made his presence felt for the Wisconsin Badgers’ defense. He recovered a fumble and returned an interception for a touchdown against Ohio State in the 2017 Big Ten Championship game. He then followed up that performance with an interception against Miami in an Orange Bowl victory.
One of the very rare junior college products that end up at Wisconsin, Van Ginkel began his collegiate career at South Dakota before transferring to Iowa Western Community College. When T.J. Watt declared early for the NFL Draft, Van Ginkel was given the opportunity to make an immediate impact for the Badgers. The outside linebacker, who looks and sounds more like the lead singer of a Alice in Chains cover band than he does coming off of the edge to attack quarterbacks, took full advantage.
Andrew Van Ginkel
Height: 6’3
Weight: 241 pounds
40-yard dash: 4.56 seconds
Vertical jump: 38”
Broad jump: 10’3”
Short shuttle: 4.14 seconds
Three-cone drill: 6.89 seconds
Bench press: 17 reps
*Listed height and weight, all statistics except 40-yard dash taken from Van Ginkel’s performance at NFL Combine via NFL.com Draft profile; ran 40-yard dash at Wisconsin’s pro day in March.
Strengths: Nice sized frame with long arms. Lengthy athlete. Plays the run with an urgent mentality. Has shown the ability to set the edge and able to string plays out to the sideline. Has some bend as a pass rusher. Motor doesn’t stop when his first move doesn’t land. Has experience in coverage and has made plays on the ball.
Weaknesses: Has a nice frame but could stand to put on some bulk. Is he an EDGE or an off-ball linebacker? Can get washed out in the run game from time to time. Needs to continue to develop his pass rush arsenal. Has had injury issues, only about a half of a season as a full-time starter.
Summary: Van Ginkel is one of the more peculiar players in this draft class. Seemingly a bit of a man without a home—probably best suited as a 3-4 outside linebacker but lacks the bulk to do it full time. Best fit could end up as a big off-ball linebacker. Think Anthony Barr as a long, lanky, heavier than normal linebacker in an even-front with the ability to pass rush. Should excel on special teams.
Round Projection: Round 6-Undrafted Free Agent