Having NFL potential on a roster as we do with the Fighting Illini is nice. I don’t think there is a player who has a sure chance to get drafted. But, since Lovie Smith has taken over, I feel as if the NFL potential on this team has gone up.
Illinois failed to have a player drafted in the 2020 NFL draft. The most recent Illini player to get drafted was Nick Allegretti by the Kansas City Chiefs in 2019. He was drafted with the 216th overall pick in the seventh round. Before Allegretti, you would have to go back to the Duwane Smoot who was taken in 2017 by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the third round.