Over the past few years, the Illinois football team has started to really put players into the NFL.
Since Bret Bielema took over the Illini, we have had at least one player selected in the NFL Draft every year. That is an impressive feat considering where the program was just a half-decade ago.
One position that is seeing somewhat of a resurgence is wide receiver. From 2013 through 2023, Illinois failed to have a single wide receiver selected in the NFL Draft. That is 11 straight years without a wide receiver getting picked.
That trend has changed, though. Illinois has now had back-to-back NFL Drafts with a wide receiver selected. In 2024, the Atlanta Falcons selected Casey Washington in the sixth round. This past week, the Denver Broncos picked Pat Bryant in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
Not only did the last couple of NFL Drafts break a decade-plus drought of an Illinois wide receiver getting picked, but the Illini have entered themselves into a rare statistic.
There are only eight FBS programs that have had a wide receiver drafted in at least the last two NFL Drafts. Ohio State has had a wide receiver selected in the last four NFL Drafts, Florida has had one in the last three drafts, and then you have six teams with a wide receiver picked in the last two drafts.
Active Draft Streaks — Wide Receivers pic.twitter.com/UqGnWTckit
— Deeg (@DeegSports) April 29, 2025
Will Illinois extend the streak to three straight NFL Drafts with a wide receiver selected
That is the big question at this point. Who will be the Illini wide receiver that gets picked in the 2026 NFL Draft?
Well, with Luke Altmyer entering his final season at Illinois, I think there are multiple wide receivers who could have a big year. Honestly, I could see Hank Beatty stepping up and being that go-to guy for the Illini.
Beatty only had 20 receptions in 2024, but he only had 29 targets as well. He still tallied 294 yards and a touchdown. The biggest eye-opener for me is that Beatty only had one drop on the season. Those are some reliable hands.
I love Beatty’s speed and hands. The NFL is always looking for reliable pass catchers. If Beatty can rack up something like 55+ catches for 800+ yards in 2025, then I fully expect him to get looks from NFL teams.
A couple of other potential NFL Draft picks in 2026 include Malik Elzy and Hudson Clement. I could see Elzy falling into the Bryant role and Clement in the Zakhari Franklin role for the Illini next season. If that ends up being the case, both players could have big years.
It might be an uphill battle for an Illinois wide receiver to get selected in the 2026 NFL Draft, but we do have some options. Let’s see how well the offense plays because that will determine everything.