What the Wisconsin Badgers Defense Will Look Like in 2012

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The Wisconsin defense faced a lot of criticism during the 2011 season. Despite having playmakers such as Mike Taylor and Chris Borland at linebacker, there was one single perception of the defense: "Slow."

Did that perception hold true?

The country found out when Wisconsin faced Oregon in the Rose Bowl. The game blessed fans with one of the most exciting games of bowl season, but Oregon exposed Wisconsin's defense by literally running by them.

The Wisconsin defense was hit by graduation in some spots, but each player that will fill those holes have starting experience.

With that being said, here is what we think the Wisconsin defense will look like in 2012.

Defensive Line

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The Wisconsin defensive line received some criticism in 2011 for not getting much penetration into the backfield. They struggled getting to the quarterback at times and showed some inconsistency disrupting running lanes against the run.

Bret Bielema and Chris Ash will be more than delighted to get David Gilbert back at defensive end in 2012. Gilbert started off his junior season tremendously until a season-ending injury sidelined him. The 6'4" 255 pound Gilbert will look to use his size and speed to make plays in 2012.

Gilbert's replacement in 2011 was Brendan Kelly, who will look to play another big role in 2012. Kelly, who has had somewhat of a frustrating career at Wisconsin, was given his chance when Gilbert went down. Kelly responded well and made eight starts.

The defensive tackle position will be anchored by Brendan Kelly, a walk-on up until this January.

As a Freshman (RS) in 2010, Kelly made six starts and was a full-time starter in 2011 next to Patrick Butrym. The massive Hemer stands at 6'6" 300 pounds and provides even more experience for the Badgers.

There are several other candidates for the other defensive tackle position, which includes players like Bryce Gilbert (Brookfield, Wis.) and Jordan Kohout (Waupun, Wis.)

Linebackers

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The linebackers will likely be the strongest part of Wisconsin's defense in 2012.

Two of these linebackers, Mike Taylor and Chris Borland are thought of as two of the better players in the country at their respected positions. Combined, the two Badger stars averaged 10.4 tackles per game and totaled 293 tackles (124 solo).

Borland and Taylor provide a ton of experience and plays for Wisconsin. Since being a Freshman (RS) in 2009, Taylor has been a starter and has been an all-conference player the past two seasons.

His teammate, Chris Borland, is one of the biggest playmakers at his position in the country. As a freshman in 2009, Chris Borland won Big Ten Freshman of the Year as he did a little bit of everything. He recorded 54 tackles, 10.5 TFL, five sacks, five forced fumbles and 3 fumble recoveries.

Even more impressive for a linebacker, Borland even kicked three extra points and returned six kickoffs for 106 yards.

After missing 2010 with injury, Borland returned in 2011 to earn consensus first-team All-Big Ten honors.

There a few viable candidates to join Taylor and Borland.

Cornerbacks

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The two cornerbacks on the outside will be Marcus Cromartie and Devin Smith, which will prove to be a very formidable duo.

Marcus Cromartie, whose cousin is Antonio Cromartie (New York Jets), will begin his second season a starter. In 2011, Cromartie started 12 games following a season-ending injury to Devin Smith.

Like many first-year products, Cromartie showed signs of brilliance and signs of inconsistency. He struggled in the Rose Bowl, but one can only expect that he will learn from those experiences.

The other cornerback position will be Devin Smith. During Wisconsin's win over Oregon State in the second game of the season, Smith suffered a season-ending leg injury. He, however, expects to play a big role in 2012.

As a sophomore in 2009, Smith started all 13 games for the Badgers.

Safeties

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The two safeties that figure to start in 2012 will be Dez Southward and Shelton Johnson, two physically-gifted players.

Dez Southward will be replacing Aaron Henry. While Southward may not be able to provide the leadership that Henry possessed, he can certainly make some big plays with his physical skills at 6'2" 200 pounds.

There is no shortage of experience with Southward, either. As a Freshman (RS) in 2010, he played in 13 games. In 2011, Southward made two starts in place of Shelton Johnson.

Southward's first start came against Nebraska in a highly anticipated matchup. He responded beautifully with seven tackles, a pass break-up and a forced fumble.

The other safety will be Shelton Johnson, a very fast and cerebral player, evidenced by his selection to the Academic All-Big Ten team twice.

As a sophomore in 2010, Johnson played in all 13 games and made one start against Minnesota. He also made a game-saving tackle on special teams in a win over Arizona State.

Johnson had his first full year of starting in the defensive backfield in 2011. His best game came in the Big Ten Championship game against Michigan State when he recorded eight tackles, a pass break-up and an interception.