Pat Bryant creeping up best available list for the 2025 NFL Draft

Day one of the NFL Draft has come and gone, and Illinois football still waits for the first player to go off the board.

Not a ton of programs got the privilege of having a player selected in the first round. Only 32 players get picked, and the Illini didn’t have one of them. But, like last year, rounds two and three could start heating up the potential for a member of the Orange and Blue to get picked.

After the first round, the top Illini option to go in the NFL Draft is wide receiver Pat Bryant. He has started to move up the best available list on ESPN. Right now, he is the No. 15 wide receiver on the board, and the No. 131 player overall.

So, where does that put Bryant among projected picks in the 2025 NFL Draft? Well, simple math, 131 players divided by 32 players in each round, has him landing at the end of the fourth round or beginning of the fifth round.

That wouldn’t be a bad spot for the talented pass catcher. He is a good wide receiver who amassed 54 receptions for 984 yards and 10 touchdowns last season. Bryant has good hands, but I am sure teams are worried about his speed. Here is my take on that. The fact that Bryant could put up those impressive numbers and he is “slow” shows you the talent the kid has on the football field.

Don’t be alarmed if Illinois football doesn’t have numerous players selected in the NFL Draft

Bryant’s name is going to get called. It is a matter if when and not if. But he might end up being the only Illinois player selected.

I believe, when it is all said and done, Illinois has one player selected. We will then have multiple players sign as priority free agents. Dennis Briggs Jr., Seth Coleman, and Zakhari Franklin will all land with a franchise.

With that being said, the lack of NFL bodies doesn’t mean anything negative toward the program. There just weren’t a lot of departing players from this past season. Illinois only had 14 seniors on the roster, and most of those players didn’t actually play in games.

Buckle up, Illinois fans, Bryant is going off the board in the coming days. It will be on Saturday, but this should be a fun weekend for the program.