Pat Bryant poised to impress at the 2025 NFL Combine

The NFL Combine is taking place, and the Illinois football team has a participant.

Over the years, numerous Illini players have shown their abilities in shorts and a t-shirt in front of NFL scouts from around the country. In 2025, while we don’t have a ton of players at the NFL Combine, there is one Illinois player who has a chance to skyrocket up NFL Draft boards.

The lone member of the Orange and Blue who got an invite to the NFL Combine was wide receiver, Pat Bryant. He will get to show his talent on the weekend.

Thursday kicked off the NFL Combine with the defensive linemen and linebackers on display. On Friday, defensive backs and tight ends get to show off their skills.

Bryant will get his chance to shine on the biggest day of the NFL Combine. Saturday will put quarterbacks, running backs, and wide receivers in the national spotlight.

You will get a chance to see Bryant perform in the drills starting at 12:00 p.m. CT/1:00 p.m. ET. Switch over to the NFL Network to see these great athletes try to woo the right people to get drafted in April.

Pat Bryant is currently flying under the radar when it comes to the NFL Draft

As an Illinois fan, you know how good Bryant was for this program. He was the best weapon the Illini had in 2024, and he was a huge reason we got to 10 wins for the first time since 2001.

Bryant is a quick wide receiver who can high point the football. He isn’t going to back down from a defensive back. He was the best route runner on the team, and that will show at the next level. I think Bryant measures up to all of his competition as well.

On the ESPN Best Available for the 2025 NFL Draft, Bryant currently registers as the No. 15 wide receiver on the board. He is pancaked between Miami’s all-time leading wide receiver Xavier Restrepo and Texas star pass catcher, Isaiah Bond.

The projected No. 1 wide receiver is Arizona’s Tetairoa McMillan. He is a 6-foot-5, 210-pound monster. When looking at the top 15 pass catchers, Bryant’s size is intriguing.

McMillan is the biggest wide receiver out of the top 15. Bryant isn’t too far behind at 6-foot-3, 200 pounds. Besides McMillan, there are only two wide receivers in the top 15 who are bigger than Bryant.

Iowa State’s Jayden Higgins is the projected No. 6 wide receiver. He checks in at 6-foot-4, 210 pounds. Savion Williams out of TCU is the No. 11 wide receiver, and he is 6-foot-5, 225 pounds.

While Illinois fans have a special place in our hearts for Bryant and what he did in Champaign, his ability and measurables are what NFL scouts will be looking for on Saturday. That is the stage that could set him up for a great NFL Draft.