THIRD AND DATA

NFL draft

IllinoisFighting Illini

The last 5 drafts, newest on the right. A draft year runs one behind its football season — the 2026 draft is the 2025 team.

Draft
‹
›Current

2013–2017

Selections per draft

8 across 5 drafts

Counted from zero, so the height of a point is its share of this team's best draft here.

40031

Selections by position

8 across 2013–2017

Color is the side of the ball; each segment is a position group. Offense 2 · Defense 6.

Draft selections by position group across 2013–2017: Offensive line 2, Defensive line 4, Defensive backs 2

2013

2012 Tim Beckman

4 selections

  1. 3-24Hugh Thornton—No recruiting profile foundOffensive Guard
  2. 4-03Akeem Spence—No recruiting profile foundDefensive Tackle
  3. 5-17Terry Hawthorne44-star recruitCornerback
  4. 7-20Michael Buchanan—No recruiting profile foundDefensive End

2014

2013 Tim Beckman

0 selections

No selections.

2015

2014 Tim Beckman

0 selections

No selections.

2016

2015 Bill Cubit

3 selections

  1. 2-13Jihad Ward—No recruiting profile foundDefensive End
  2. 6-46Ted Karras33-star recruitOffensive Guard
  3. 7-24Clayton Fejedelem—No recruiting profile foundSafety

2017

2016 Lovie Smith

1 selection

  1. 3-04Dawaune Smoot—No recruiting profile foundDefensive End

Stars are the player's recruiting rating, matched back to his high-school profile by athlete id — not a draft grade. Only 2 of 8 picks in this range could be matched: CFBD's links between draft picks and recruiting profiles thin out before the 2013 draft and are absent before 2009, so an em dash here usually means the link is missing rather than that the player was unrated.