It has been a long time since the Illinois football program has had a wide receiver, or really anyone who catches the ball, making an impact in the NFL.
Pat Bryant is the next big Illini wide receiver who should make a splash in the professional ranks. The Denver Broncos selected him in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft, and on Thursday, the Broncos made it official by signing the talented wide receiver to his rookie contract.
OFFICIAL: WR Pat Bryant has signed his rookie contract.
Let's get to work, @duvalpat3!
📰 » https://t.co/G0XJOJJe3R pic.twitter.com/x9uhC6Jg3S
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) May 9, 2025
The contract measures four years, $6.581 million. This will be a nice prove-it contract, and with what Bryant did at Illinois, he will have no problem impressing the masses with his pass-catching abilities.
Denver is set up nicely for Bryant, too. They aren’t a struggling franchise without a compass. The Broncos’ compass is pointing directly north, as quarterback Bo Nix proved that he had the ability to perform at the highest levels as a rookie. Now, the only thing he needs to do is show that the sophomore slump is a thing of the past.
Bryant has a good quarterback throwing him the football in 2025. That is reassuring, and it also helps the situation that Denver doesn’t have a ton of depth at wide receiver either.
Courtland Sutton is by far the No. 1 option in Denver. They also have Marvin Mims, a former second-round pick, but he hasn’t proved to be an elite pass-catcher just yet. His sophomore season showed promise with 39 receptions for 503 yards and six touchdowns, but nothing is set in stone with that situation.
Right now, Ourlads.com has Bryant a the primary backup to Sutton. They also have Sutton, Mims, and Devaughn Vele as the three starters at wide receiver. It wouldn’t shock me to see Bryant not only get a lot of snaps in 2025 but also look for him to get some starts as well.
Pat Bryant has a chance to shoot up the all-time Illinois NFL receiving yardage chart early in his career
I think Bryant is in a great situation in Denver. That is a young team that is starting to throw the ball more and more. Bryant is going to have some opportunities to show off his great skill early on in his career.
With the way the NFL is today, I fully expect Bryant to quickly climb the all-time Illinois leaders in receiving in the NFL, too. The leader in the clubhouse right now is Bobby Mitchell. The Hall of Famer spent 11 seasons in the NFL and amassed 7,954 yards and 65 touchdowns. It is going to be a minute before Bryant reaches those numbers, but they are by no means out of the question.
I think there is a legitimate chance Bryant can notch a spot in the top 20 after his rookie year. No. 20 on the list is running back Keith Jones, who had 651 yards receiving in his NFL career. If Bryant proves himself early on, he will continue to get looks, and 651 yards in a season is very achievable.
Could Bryant be top 10 all-time in Illinois NFL receiving yards after year two? Sure, that is a possibility, too. No. 10 on the list is Rich Kreitling, who finished his career with 1,775 yards. If Bryant doesn’t hit that number by year two, it will be in year three.
Honestly, by the end of his rookie contract, it wouldn’t shock me to see Bryant in the top five all-time in Illinois NFL receiving yards. He would have to get to 3,183 yards, which would be an average of 796 yards in each of his first four seasons. With the offense Denver runs and the ability of Bryant, that can be done. This kid has a chance to have a special NFL career.