Illinois football is no stranger to having athletes drafted into the NFL, with 13 players picked over the last four years.
But with the return of so many Fighting Illini players for coach Bret Bielema in 2025, only one player appears to be a likely draft pick in 2025.
Here’s what you need to know about NFL Draft prospect Pat Bryant:
Who is Illinois WR Pat Bryant?
Bryant is a 6-foot-3, 200-pound senior wide receiver for the Illini, according to the Illinois website.
When is the 2025 NFL Draft?
The 2025 NFL Draft is scheduled for April 24-26, 2025. It starts on Thursday with the first round and goes through Saturday.
Illinois WR Pat Bryant stats
Bryant is among the top-10 all-time in receiving yardage at Illinois. His 10 touchdowns as a senior in 2024 tied for the most in a single-season in program history. His 984 yards were second-most in the Big Ten Conference.
Throughout his career, Bryant had 137 catches for 2,095 receiving yards and 19 touchdowns. He finishes his career No. 9 on the school’s all-time receiving yardage list.
- 2024: 54 receptions for 984 yards and 10 touchdowns; played in 12 games.
- 2023: 43 receptions for 560 yards and 7 touchdowns; played in 12 games.
- 2022: 34 receptions for 453 yards and 2 touchdowns; played in 12 games.
- 2021: 6 receptions for 98 yards and 0 touchdowns; played in 10 games.
Did Illinois WR Pat Bryant win any awards?
Yes. Bryant received recognition for his efforts during his senior season, according to the Illinois website.
- Played in the 2025 Senior Bowl, where he had two catches for 47 yards in a 22-19 loss.
- Team captain
- Second-team selection as Phil Steele All-American.
- All-Big Ten first team from The Associated Press and second-team by the coaches and media.
- Big Ten offensive player of the week and runner-up for AP National Player of the Week with 197 yards and the game-winning TD against Rutgers.
- Senior Bowl Player of the Week after 135 yards and a TD vs Michigan State on Senior Day.
- Preseason all-Big Ten by Phil Steele and Athlon.
Did Pat Bryant play in the Citrus Bowl?
No. The receiver sat out the game after announcing he was entering and turning his focus on the NFL Draft. The Illini defeated South Carolina, 21-7.
NFL Draft 2025 predictions for Illinois WR Pat Bryant
Most predictions don’t have Bryant getting selected on Day 1. He is a consensus 5th round pick, ranked No. 156 overall and No. 18 among receivers, according to nflmockdraftdatabase.com.
Most of the more recently updated mock drafts have Bryant landing between the fourth and sixth rounds, with more picking him on the higher end of that range. The teams predicted by more than one publication to draft Bryant are the Lions, Browns, Titans and Buccaneers.
Getting to know Illinois WR Pat Bryant
According to the Illinois website, Bryant is the son of Patrick Bryant Sr., who is athletic director at Police Athletic League of Jacksonville, Florida. He was born on Dec. 10, 2002. He has two brothers and one sister. Brother Brandon Harris played linebacker at South Florida.
Bryant was a three-star recruit from Atlantic Coast High School in Jacksonville, Florida. Much like in college, he had consistent production for his career, ending with 2,261 receiving yards and 23 touchdowns on 128 receptions. He committed to Illinois on June 14, 2020, after weighing offers from Iowa, Indiana, Nebraska, Miami, Minnesota, Penn State, Florida State, Virginia and Virginia Tech, among others.
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: NFL Draft prospect 2025: What to know about Illinois WR Pat Bryant
Illinois football is no stranger to having athletes drafted into the NFL, with 13 players picked over the last four years.
But with the return of so many Fighting Illini players for coach Bret Bielema in 2025, only one player appears to be a likely draft pick in 2025.
Here’s what you need to know about NFL Draft prospect Pat Bryant:
Who is Illinois WR Pat Bryant?
Bryant is a 6-foot-3, 200-pound senior wide receiver for the Illini, according to the Illinois website.
When is the 2025 NFL Draft?
The 2025 NFL Draft is scheduled for April 24-26, 2025. It starts on Thursday with the first round and goes through Saturday.
Illinois WR Pat Bryant stats
Bryant is among the top-10 all-time in receiving yardage at Illinois. His 10 touchdowns as a senior in 2024 tied for the most in a single-season in program history. His 984 yards were second-most in the Big Ten Conference.
Throughout his career, Bryant had 137 catches for 2,095 receiving yards and 19 touchdowns. He finishes his career No. 9 on the school’s all-time receiving yardage list.
- 2024: 54 receptions for 984 yards and 10 touchdowns; played in 12 games.
- 2023: 43 receptions for 560 yards and 7 touchdowns; played in 12 games.
- 2022: 34 receptions for 453 yards and 2 touchdowns; played in 12 games.
- 2021: 6 receptions for 98 yards and 0 touchdowns; played in 10 games.
Did Illinois WR Pat Bryant win any awards?
Yes. Bryant received recognition for his efforts during his senior season, according to the Illinois website.
- Played in the 2025 Senior Bowl, where he had two catches for 47 yards in a 22-19 loss.
- Team captain
- Second-team selection as Phil Steele All-American.
- All-Big Ten first team from The Associated Press and second-team by the coaches and media.
- Big Ten offensive player of the week and runner-up for AP National Player of the Week with 197 yards and the game-winning TD against Rutgers.
- Senior Bowl Player of the Week after 135 yards and a TD vs Michigan State on Senior Day.
- Preseason all-Big Ten by Phil Steele and Athlon.
Did Pat Bryant play in the Citrus Bowl?
No. The receiver sat out the game after announcing he was entering and turning his focus on the NFL Draft. The Illini defeated South Carolina, 21-7.
NFL Draft 2025 predictions for Illinois WR Pat Bryant
Most predictions don’t have Bryant getting selected on Day 1. He is a consensus 5th round pick, ranked No. 156 overall and No. 18 among receivers, according to nflmockdraftdatabase.com.
Most of the more recently updated mock drafts have Bryant landing between the fourth and sixth rounds, with more picking him on the higher end of that range. The teams predicted by more than one publication to draft Bryant are the Lions, Browns, Titans and Buccaneers.
Getting to know Illinois WR Pat Bryant
According to the Illinois website, Bryant is the son of Patrick Bryant Sr., who is athletic director at Police Athletic League of Jacksonville, Florida. He was born on Dec. 10, 2002. He has two brothers and one sister. Brother Brandon Harris played linebacker at South Florida.
Bryant was a three-star recruit from Atlantic Coast High School in Jacksonville, Florida. Much like in college, he had consistent production for his career, ending with 2,261 receiving yards and 23 touchdowns on 128 receptions. He committed to Illinois on June 14, 2020, after weighing offers from Iowa, Indiana, Nebraska, Miami, Minnesota, Penn State, Florida State, Virginia and Virginia Tech, among others.
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: NFL Draft prospect 2025: What to know about Illinois WR Pat Bryant
