Senior Bowl Profile: Wide Receiver Pat Bryant

Mobile, Ala - After two straight defensive player profiles, it's high time to return to the offense. One of the players that I got to speak with here at the Senior Bowl was University of Illinois receiver Pat Bryant. The former All-Big-10 second-team member has had a strong three days here in Mobile, and it's hard not to see why he is moving his way up draft boards after plays like this.

"Honestly, I'm just a ballplayer, great route (runner), great hands and I really think I excel in making contested catches. I really think that's a strength of my game" Bryant said. "I feel like I can bring that to any team and also those big plays that change games."

Pat Bryant

Position: Wide Reciever

School: Illinois

Year: Senior

Height: 6'3"

Weight: 200 lbs

40 Yard Dash Time: 4.56 (via NFL Draft Buzz)

2024 Season Stats: 54 receptions, 984 yards, 10 touchdowns, 18.2 yards per catch

Current Draft Projection: Day 2 Pick (via The Draft Network)

Career Overview

Bryant grew up in Jacksonville, Florida, where he would go on to play at Atlantic Coast High School. Coming out, he was listed as a three-star recruit, ranking as the 100th-best player in the state of Florida and the 142nd wide receiver in the country. After offers from 13 other schools, Bryant landed on the Fighting Illini, where he stayed for all four years of his college career. It was a slow steady climb for Bryant at Illinois, with him steadily improving before breaking out in 2024 with 984 yards and 10 touchdowns on the year.

Player Comparison: Rashod Bateman or Rome Odunze

While I would love to make Bryant's day and compare him to the guys he gains inspiration from in Jamarr Chase, he just doesn't have the top-line speed that Chase has. The two guys he comps very well with can go deep, but it isn't the main part of their game in Rashod Bateman and Rome Odunze. Neither one of them has blazing speed, but both of these games can get open down the field and are strong route runners who can make contested catches. While I don't know if Bryant will reach the same production as those two, he can certainly be a productive receiver in the NFL based on how well he matches up in play style with those two.

The Fit

The three teams I had in mind for Bryant all came with their different reasons as to who Bryant could find playing time relatively quickly. The first is the Dallas Cowboys, where they are in major need of some receiving talent outside of All-Pro receiver CeeDee Lamb. Brandin Cooks is going to be an unrestricted free agent, and the group as a whole is weak in depth with KaVonte Turpin, Jalen Tolbert, and Johnathan Mingo. Allowing Bryant to compete for a starting spot will only make the other young receivers better in that room. The other two teams are the Cincinnati Bengals and the Chicago Bears. It's unknown whether Tee Higgins will be back as wide receiver two and the rest of the depth is very thin, even with 6th-round pick Andrei Iosivas putting in some solid stats in his second year in the league. Lastly, would be the Chicago Bears, a team which Bryant has already met with. With Keenan Allen leaving in free agency, the Bears need a new wide receiver three in his place. Outside of signing any new veterans in free agency, Bryant would instantly become the third of a three-headed monster in the receiver room with DJ Moore and Odunze to become another weapon for Caleb Williams.