The Wildcats' starting right guard is headed to the AFC North.
Evan Beerntsen's journey has taken him from the FCS to the Big Ten. Now, the graduate student is on to his next step: the NFL.
The Baltimore Ravens officially selected Northwestern's former right guard on Saturday afternoon, drafting Beerntsen with the No. 253 overall pick in the seventh round. Beerntsen is the second member of the Wildcats' offensive line to be taken in the 2026 NFL Draft, following left tackle Caleb Tiernan.
Tiernan went to the Minnesota Vikings with the No. 97 overall pick in the third round.
Beerntsen turns 26 years old on Sep. 19, but his size (6-foot-4, 301 pounds) and physicality made him worthy of an NFL Draft selection. The Athletic's Dane Brugler ranked Beerntsen the No. 15 guard in the class.
"Overall, Beerntsen needs to be more consistent with his sustain skills, but he is a mean, aggressive blocker with functional quickness and toughness," Brugler said in his annual draft guide, The Beast. "Although his lack of positional versatility works against him, he will be ready to compete for a backup role from day one."
Tiernan and Beerntsen are the first duo of Northwestern offensive linemen to be selected in the same NFL Draft since 1971. The Cleveland Browns selected guard Mike Sikich in the 11th round, then the New England Patriots picked tackle John Rodman 13 picks later in the 12th round.
Beerntsen spent six years at South Dakota State before transferring to Northwestern in January of 2025. He redshirted as a true freshman in 2019, played four games in a COVID-shortened 2020 season (FCS played in spring 2021) and missed the entire 2021 season with a shoulder injury.
South Dakota State's Evan Beerntsen yells to the crowd after the team scores another touchdown against Montana State in the FCS semifinals on Saturday, December 17, 2022, at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium in Brookings, SD. Fcs Semifinals 013The Green Bay, Wis., native finally broke out in 2022, starting 12 games at right guard as the Jackrabbits marched to their first FCS National Championship victory. South Dakota State then repeated with a perfect 15-0 season in 2023 as Beerntsen earned Honorable Mention All-Missouri Valley Conference recognition.
Beerntsen's final season at SDSU, 2024, was his best as a Jackrabbit. The sixth-year senior was named a Second-Team All-American as he started all 15 games for the second consecutive season.
The NCAA awarded a medical redshirt to Beerntsen, allowing him to come to Evanston for one last season. Beerntsen started each of Northwestern's 13 games at right guard and helped the Wildcats to a winning record and victory in the GameAbove Sports Bowl.