Illinois football will continue having representation in the NFL Draft, as we should have at least one player selected.
The 2025 NFL Draft starts on April 24, with the first round kicking off at 7:00 p.m. CT/8:00 p.m. ET. Will the Illini have a player selected in round one? The answer is no.
But that doesn’t mean Illinois won’t have a player selected in the draft. In fact, we have had at least one player selected in the last four NFL Drafts. That streak should grow to five years in a row when wide receiver Pat Bryant gets picked.
Bryant finished his final season at Illinois with 54 receptions for 984 yards and 10 touchdowns. This was by far his best season in Champaign, and he helped the program to the first 10-win season since 2001.
Since the season concluded, Bryant participated in the Senior Bowl in early February. After that exhibition game, Bryant remained as the No. 15 wide receiver in the NFL Draft, according to ESPN.
The NFL Combine then took place in late February, and everything changed. He didn’t perform well at the combine, running a 4.61 40-yard dash. NFL.com ranks him with a production score of 18th, athleticism score of 36th, and total score of 26th among all wide receivers at the NFL Combine.
With these numbers, Bryant has plummeted on ESPN’s Best Available. He is now the No. 199 player among the players left on the board, and when it comes to the wide receiver position, ESPN has dropped Bryant from No. 15 down to No. 24.
Some NFL team is going to get a sleeper with Pat Bryant deep in the 2025 NFL Draft
With the drop in Bryant’s ranking on ESPN, it seems that he is likely to go in the early sixth round or maybe late in the fifth round. If that is the case, some NFL team is about to get a sleeper of a pick.
Bryant has solid measurables at 6-foot-2, 204 pounds. He didn’t run the fastest 40-yard dash, but he isn’t and never was a burner. Bryant has great hands and a leadership quality that is unmatched.
Every opposing team knew that Bryant was Illinois’ best wide receiver. He was still able to catch 69.2% of his targets on the season. In the win over Kansas, Bryant caught all three targets. In the win over Michigan, he caught all four targets. He also had eight 70-yard+ receiving games in 2024. He didn’t just have a couple of big games.
Bryant is a good wide receiver. NFL.com rates him as an “average backup or special-teamer.” People are doubting this kid, and I can’t wait until he proves them all wrong.
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