Illinois Football: Philadelphia Eagles select Sydney Brown in the 2023 NFL Draft

It is day two of the 2023 NFL Draft, and the Illinois football program has sent another player to the next level.

On day one, Devon Witherspoon stole the show, as the former Illini cornerback surprised some people by being the No. 5 pick in the draft. The Seattle Seahawks saw a lot of talent in Witherspoon, and now they will be looking to build their secondary into a powerhouse.

Witherspoon isn’t the only member of the Illinois secondary heading to the NFL, though. On day two, with pick No. 66, the Philadelphia Eagles have selected safety, Sydney Brown. This franchise is getting a hard-hitting workaholic who has all of the potential in the world.

Look for former Illinois football defensive back Sydney Brown to have an early impact on the Philadelphia Eagles

Brown was always projected by numerous mock drafts to go in the first three rounds. He had a grade of 6.14 by the NFL, so this put him right there with some of the best players in the country.

The Eagles are getting a safety in Brown who isn’t afraid of action. Coming out of St. Stephen’s Episcopal School in Florida, Brown wasn’t a highly-rated recruit. He was only a three-star safety who was the No. 1598 player in the class of 2018.

Illinois was one of Brown’s few offers in the college ranks. Brown would pick the Orange and Blue, and from day one, he was a huge part of this program.

For his career, Brown would start 50 games for the Illini, which included 10 games in his freshman campaign. During his final season, Brown would finish the year with 59 tackles, seven pass deflections, six interceptions, one sack, and one forced fumble.

I fully expect Brown to be an impact player early on in the NFL. He has the work ethic and drive to be great. This kid was a sub-1000 recruit, and now he is a top-three-round NFL Draft pick. The sky is the limit for Brown.