Who will be the next Fighting Illini to be taken in the First Round of the NFL Draft? If all goes according to plan this Fall, that player may already be on the roster. Illinois defensive end Dawuane Smoot is shaping up to be the best pass rusher in the Big Ten Conference. The 6-foot-3, 283-pound senior racked up 8.0 sacks and 15.0 tackles for loss during the 2015 campaign; he's already been mentioned in early 2017 mock drafts by Rotoworld and Pro Football Focus as a result.
High praise, expectations on #Illini DE Dawuane Smoot (@BigSmoot_91).