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Illinois Football: Illini prospects for the 2022 NFL Draft

By Rees Woodcock

Apr 26, 2012; New York, NY, USA; A general view of the NFL shield logo before the 2012 NFL Draft at Radio City Music Hall. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 26, 2012; New York, NY, USA; A general view of the NFL shield logo before the 2012 NFL Draft at Radio City Music Hall. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports /
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Oct 23, 2021; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini defensive back Tony Adams (6) gestures to the crowd while celebrating his teams victory in the ninth overtime against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 23, 2021; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini defensive back Tony Adams (6) gestures to the crowd while celebrating his teams victory in the ninth overtime against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports /

Tony Adams

The career path for Tony Adams has been extremely up and down, but he was probably one of the most underappreciated Illinois players in recent memory. He could play multiple positions without missing a beat.

Adams would be a glue guy for the Illinois defense. He had 37 starts for his career and played both the cornerback and safety roles on the team. He was whatever the coaching staff needed him to be. In Adams’ final season, he would finish with 63 tackles, five pass deflections, one interception, and one sack.

NFL.com doesn’t have Adams graded but their mock draft has him going in the seventh round with pick No. 257 to the Arizona Cardinals. The CBS mock draft does not have Adams getting selected, though.

The Cardinals didn’t have a bad defense last season, ranking No. 11 in the NFL in points against. This would be a good landing spot for Adams because he could learn and develop without being thrown to the wolves.

I think Adams landing with the Seattle Seahawks would be interesting. They are rebuilding, and this would give Adams more chances to play. The Jacksonville Jaguars are looking to compete, and they allowed the worst completion percentage to quarterbacks last season. I also think the Las Vegas Raiders would be good. He could team up with former Illini defensive back, Nate Hobbs.

Teams to watch

  • Seattle Seahawks
  • Jacksonville Jaguars
  • Las Vegas Raiders
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