The 2025 NFL Draft has completed round one, and there are familiar names to Illinois football fans.
No, the Illini haven’t had a player selected yet. But there are numerous names that most of us are familiar with, as Illinois has played some of the players over the past four or five years.
Let’s just say, the record doesn’t bode well for the Orange and Blue. As a team, we were a combined 4-10 against players who were selected in the first round.
How Illinois football fared against 2025 NFL Draft first round talent
- Abdul Carter – New York Giants - #3 overall
The three seasons that Abdul Carter played for Penn State were wildly impressive, which is why he is the No. 3 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Carter did play in two games against Illinois during his time in Happy Valley. In the first game back in 2023, he only had three tackles, but he also had an interception. The 2024 game was the ugly one.
In the 2024 contest, Carter had his best game of the season, amassing a season-high seven tackles to go along with two sacks, a forced fumble, and a pass deflection.
Carter was 2-0 against Illinois, and the Nittany Lions won those two games by a combined score of 51-20.
- Mason Graham – Cleveland Browns - #5 overall
Illinois did see some success against the No. 5 overall pick, Mason Graham. The 6-foot-3, 320-pound defensive tackle was a menace with the Michigan Wolverines, though.
Graham played Illinois during the 2022 and 2024 campaigns. In 2022, the Wolverines barely snuck past the Illini, and Graham had an average game of four tackles. He was held without much fanfare in the 2024 competition, too. He only had six tackles in that game.
In the two contests against Illinois, Graham was only 1-1, and the Illini outscored Michigan 38-26 in the two contests.
- Colston Loveland – Chicago Bears - #10 overall
Two Michigan players were selected in the top 10 of the 2025 NFL Draft. Colston Loveland had a good career with the Wolverines, and his 582 yards and five touchdowns got him some looks from NFL franchises.
Loveland suited up against Illinois during the 2022 and 2024 seasons. The 2022 game was solid for the tight end, as he had three receptions and a season-high 50 yards. The 2024 game was even more impressive, though. Loveland finished with seven receptions for 83 yards in the 21-7 loss against the Illini.
- Kenneth Grant – Miami Dolphins - #13 overall
It was a crazy first round of the 2025 NFL Draft for Michigan. At No. 13, the Miami Dolphins selected Kenneth Grant.
Much like the first two Michigan players, Grant played two games against Illinois, one in 2022 and the other in 2024. He was still pretty young in the 2022 contest, so Grant finished with one tackle in that game.
Illinois was able to hold Grant in check again in 2024. The Illini won the game 21-7, and Grant only had four tackles in the contest.
- Tyler Warren – Indianapolis Colts – #14 overall
It is kind of crazy how many players Illinois football went up against who were selected in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Following Grant was Penn State tight end, Tyler Warren.
Warren went to the Indianapolis Colts with pick No. 14. The utility tight end can do it all, and he did against Illinois in there games in his career.
The first contest came in 2021, but Warren wasn’t fully integrated into the Penn State offense. He only had one carry for two yards. In 2023, Warren had a bigger game, catching three passes for 35 yards and a touchdown.
This past season, Warren’s versatility shone bright, as he had four receptions for 34 yards and two carries for 13 yards and a touchdown against Illinois. He was only 2-1 against Illinois, with the only loss being the nine-overtime defeat in 2021.
- Derrick Harmon – Pittsburgh Steelers - #21 overall
The new Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle played four seasons in college, three with Michigan State and the final one with Oregon.
Harmon’s first game against the Illini came in 2022. He got the best of the Orange and Blue by having three tackles and 0.5 sacks in the win. The next time Harmon played against Illinois came last season with the Ducks. This was an ugly game, and Harmon had four tackles in the 38-9 blowout win.
- Josh Conerly Jr. – Washington Commanders - #29 overall
Jayden Daniels is a special quarterback, and the Washington Commanders are getting him some blocking by picking Josh Conerly Jr. out of Oregon.
Conerly is a great offensive lineman who only played one game against Illinois. It was the 38-9 thrashing of the Illini, and the Oregon offensive couldn’t be stopped. It was ugly, and it had a lot to do with the blocking ability of the front lines.