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His human interest story aside, D’Cota Dixon has been a big part of a Wisconsin defense that has experienced a ton of success during his time on campus. While hampered quite a bit by injury during the 2018 season, huiscontributions in the run game and as a leader of an incredibly young secondary unit did not go unnoticed.
Dixon’s special teams ability will attract NFL teams, as often rookies will need to prove their worth on multiple special teams units to prove their worth to keeping them on either the active roster or practice squad. His penchant for coming up with interceptions in big situations will be overlooked, either.
Height: 5’10
Weight: 204 pounds
40-yard dash: 4.81, 4.62 seconds**
Vertical jump: 33.5”
Broad jump: 9’11”
Short shuttle: 4.00 seconds*
Three-cone drill: 6.70 seconds*
Bench press: 20 reps
*Measurables taken from NFL.com’s Draft profile of Dixon after he participated in the Combine
**Ran during Wisconsin’s pro day in March
Strengths: Incredible from a culture standpoint. Leadership was well documented at Wisconsin. Work ethic and character will endear himself to NFL teams. Muscled up build, weight room warrior for the Badgers. Active and willing in the run game, was used at the line of scrimmage often in 2017 in three-safety packages. Shown ball skills when presented the opportunity.
Weaknesses: Has suffered from injuries often at Wisconsin, missed six games over the past two seasons. Speed is a concern, ran a 4.81 at the combine (4.62 at the NFL Combine). Not a liability in coverage but much more effective as a box safety. Has shown the tendency to get lost in zones, in particular in two deep schemes. A bit undersized.
Summary: D’Cota Dixon is the type of player you cheer for—someone who has suffered a good deal of adversity throughout his life. He is likely limited to a career as a rotiational/depth safety and special teams demon, which certainly has its value. Dixon simply isn’t a high enough profile athlete to project as a full-time starter at the next level.
Round projection: Round 7—Undrafted Free Agent (UDFA)