Anonymous NFL Executive Evaluates Broncos' Pick of Former Illini Pat Bryant

Although few expected Illinois receiver Pat Bryant to be selected so early in the 2025 NFL Draft (third round), it wasn't exactly the shock of the draft. (That honor goes to Colorado's Shedeur Sanders, who slipped to the fifth round after being pegged as a consensus first-round projection.)

Still, throughout the pre-draft process, Bryant had been projected to come off the board in the fifth or sixth round. Bryant's selection with the No. 74 overall pick by the Denver Broncos raised a few eyebrows.

But for the right team, Bryant may have been the right player at the right time. Consider that Broncos coach Sean Payton compared Bryant favorably to former Saints All-Pro wideout Michael Thomas.

And Payton isn't alone in his praise. According to an article in The Athletic, in which anonymous league insiders offered candid analysis, one NFL executive called Bryant “a really good route runner, a savvy natural mover with good hands and instincts.”