2026 NFL Draft Thread

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#301      
Second place is 1st loser
jamarvelous31 said:
Spent his senior season running for his life due to poor oline play.

Feels like had the staff managed the line better he would've had a better opportunity to avoid the game manager tag that landed him as a UDFA.
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The Offensive Line has two players on NFL rosters from last year's roster.

If there's a difference, his Junior year he was throwing to a fairly highly drafted NFL receiver and I'm not sure where Franklin ended up. Our skilled people last year were.....ok? His window to fit balls into was much smaller and in some cases, his indecisiveness and indecision led to late balls that would be put in harms way. He also doesn't have prototypical NFL size and arm strength. That's not the be all, end all, but if you're a scout, you need to see a QB that can process things extremely quickly and understand that an open receiver in the NFL is WAY different than an open receiver in college. That difference is probably two full yards with corners that close insanely quickly.

Every NFL team has the same set of eyes, extremely talented scouts and they see everything....including deficiencies in the team around him and every team came to the same conclusion. They're trained to take that into consideration.

We love him because he led a renaissance of our football program. Scouts don't care about our record and our past failures.
 
#303      
ChiefGritty
Fly Illini Fly! said:
https://twitter.com/x/status/2048396834633113829
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Bert has done an excellent job and deserves his flowers, but that list looks very different if it's by who recruited those players.

Lovie brought a ton of NFL talent into the program and Beckman/Cubit brought next to none. (Among draftees it's only Jihad Ward, Nick Allegretti, Dawuane Smoot, Clayton Fejedelem who was a walk-on and Ke'Shawn Vaughn who we underused and forced out, right?)
 
#304      
lstewart53x3
jamarvelous31 said:
He lost an opportunity to showcase those skills on game tape and given his lack of elite physical skills/measurables you saw what happened...teams are going to take a flyer on worse performing but better looking in shorts dudes like Allar or Green.
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So you think NFL scouts chose not to draft Luke because of the o-line he played behind, something Luke had no control over, and not Luke’s size, arm strength, and processing time (he unfortunately ranked in the bottom of the B1G in time to throw and pressure to sack percentage)? And you blame that on the coaching staff who took Luke from benched twice at Ole Miss to 7,600 passing yards and 57 touchdowns in the B1G?
 
#305      
jamarvelous31
lstewart53x3 said:
So you think NFL scouts chose not to draft Luke because of the o-line he played behind, something Luke had no control over, and not Luke’s size, arm strength, and processing time (he unfortunately ranked in the bottom of the B1G in time to throw and pressure to sack percentage)? And you blame that on the coaching staff who took Luke from benched twice at Ole Miss to 7,600 passing yards and 57 touchdowns in the B1G?
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The NFL.com scout opens with "Three-year starter with solid passing production relative to the lack of protection he saw in 2025" so yes, it impacted the perception of the player.

He was the #10 transfer QB when he came and a top 200 player out of HS. Would've been a top 2 QB this offseson...not like he was a diamond in the rough. Those 7,600 yards and 57 TDs in the B1G instead got him labeled as the 16th most productive QB and a game manager.

It's wild that saying "a better line and a D that put him in favorable spots would help the perception of the player" is controversial.
 
#306      
OrangeBlue98
jamarvelous31 said:
He lost an opportunity to showcase those skills on game tape and given his lack of elite physical skills/measurables you saw what happened...teams are going to take a flyer on worse performing but better looking in shorts dudes like Allar or Green.
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Again, if anything, being under pressure allowed scouts to see his work under difficult circumstances. The game tape would show more than what someone who had all day to sit in the pocket and throw would show.

No need to split hairs on this anymore. Luke didn't get drafted and ended up in what seems to be a good landing spot with Detroit. And it will always be the case in the NFL that teams will fall back to measurables if there are questions. Even if a guy like Green flames out, scouts can fall back on "Well, he looked the part, so we took a flyer hoping he would develop because his combine numbers were great."
 
#309      
Red77sng
I feel that's unfair. Being a "game manager" is a QB who basically just doesn't get in the way.

Altmyer went and won more games than any QB in the clutch in the past two years.

I feel teams made a mistake not drafting him, and it's a bummer. We'll see how it turns out. I have a feeling it will be good.
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Offense line was average at best and I don’t see it any different this season
 
#310      
jamarvelous31
IlliniFaninHoosierLand said:
Allar also played in an offense that didn't really showcase his skills either. He basically had nothing to work with from his receiving corps (Altmayer at least had Beatty). The thinking is that if Allar gets a chance to show himself in an NFL offense, he will be better as a pro than he was in college.
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It's easy to be underwhelmed by Franklin's coaching, but talentwise he still threw to a top TE in 24 & 25, a 5th round WR, was behind a bunch of NFL linemen and had some great RBs.

He definitely had more talent around him, if only on paper, than what Altmyer had.
 
#311      
lstewart53x3
jamarvelous31 said:
The NFL.com scout opens with "Three-year starter with solid passing production relative to the lack of protection he saw in 2025" so yes, it impacted the perception of the player.

He was the #10 transfer QB when he came and a top 200 player out of HS. Would've been a top 2 QB this offseson...not like he was a diamond in the rough. Those 7,600 yards and 57 TDs in the B1G instead got him labeled as the 16th most productive QB and a game manager.

It's wild that saying "a better line and a D that put him in favorable spots would help the perception of the player" is controversial.
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Well, that’s not what you said originally, your exact quote was:

“Still feel like the staff let Altmyer down this year.”

Could the o-line have been better? Absolutely.

Was Altmyer responsible for a large percentage of his sacks because he held the ball too long? Unfortunately, yes.

Luke wasn’t drafted because of his size and arm strength. Not because of the o-line he played behind.

He was more productive than Drew Allar, yet Allar was drafted because of his measurables.

The staff, imo, didn’t let Altmyer down and if anything, was a huge part of his growth and development, which is why Luke stuck around his final year instead of securing more NIL elsewhere.
 
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#312      
jamie13197
I feel that's unfair. Being a "game manager" is a QB who basically just doesn't get in the way.

Altmyer went and won more games than any QB in the clutch in the past two years.

I feel teams made a mistake not drafting him, and it's a bummer. We'll see how it turns out. I have a feeling it will be good.
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💯 this post. Luke is big GameJames. That's why I say this year we are a 4-8 or 5-7 team. Luke added 2 or 3 wins each year by himself!!!!!
Some team got a steal and maybe a 15 year pro winner. He Shouldn't be so Confident with holding ball and scrambling. NFL defenders will end his career Quickly.
 
#313      
IlliniFaninHoosierLand
jamarvelous31 said:
It's easy to be underwhelmed by Franklin's coaching, but talentwise he still threw to a top TE in 24 & 25, a 5th round WR, was behind a bunch of NFL linemen and had some great RBs.

He definitely had more talent around him, if only on paper, than what Altmyer had.
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Right but my point was more that the system that Allar played in wasn't really a pass first NFL style offense. Yes, he had quite a bit of 4 and 5 star talent around him but the offense he was playing in was more focused on running the ball first.
 
#314      
IlliniFaninHoosierLand
And since so many people have been bringing it up, this is the NFL.com draft analysis on Altmyer:

Draft Projection
Round 7/PFA

Overview​

Three-year starter with solid passing production relative to the lack of protection he saw in 2025. Altmyer has experience in pro passing concepts and shows decent eye discipline/patience to give the play a chance. He throws with adequate anticipation into zone windows but a slower operation time and lack of arm talent hurt his chances of beating tight man coverage. Edge pressure sneaks up on him and he hasn’t learned to avoid sacks often enough. Altmyer could have a tough time beating out pro backups for a roster spot.

Strengths​

  • Three-year starter and team captain.
  • Has plenty of experience in pro passing concepts.
  • Patient to wait out the route development.
  • Throws with adequate timing into intermediate windows.
  • Good eye manipulation to move zone defenders away from his target.
  • Keeps eyes alive and searching for a completion when scrambling.

Weaknesses​

  • Below-average size, arm talent and drive velocity.
  • Low arm slot makes him susceptible to batted passes.
  • Exaggerated pre-throw ball pat slows his operation time.
  • Can be a step slow to hit open receivers in stride.
  • Accuracy issues appear tied to a lack of discipline with footwork.
  • Inconsistent poise in the face of real or simulated pressure looks.
 
#316      
BretMyBeachHouse
Second place is 1st loser said:
Actually, once the frustration of not being drafted comes and goes, he'll realize that it's a MUCH better situation to pick a team where there's a path to playing time vs a team you because you were available and hey, why not take a QB.

The only bummer, if there is one, is that I'm not sure what they pay difference is between being drafted in the 7th round vs signing as a free agent.
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Actually, with no contract guarantees i doubt it matters.
 
#317      
EyeoftheIllini
My day was made a little sunnier upon reading that the Bears have the Hefty Lefty and the Vanilla Gorilla coming in for rookie camp.
 
#318      
OrangeBlue98
IlliniFaninHoosierLand said:
And since so many people have been bringing it up, this is the NFL.com draft analysis on Altmyer:

Draft Projection
Round 7/PFA

Overview​

Three-year starter with solid passing production relative to the lack of protection he saw in 2025. Altmyer has experience in pro passing concepts and shows decent eye discipline/patience to give the play a chance. He throws with adequate anticipation into zone windows but a slower operation time and lack of arm talent hurt his chances of beating tight man coverage. Edge pressure sneaks up on him and he hasn’t learned to avoid sacks often enough. Altmyer could have a tough time beating out pro backups for a roster spot.

Strengths​

  • Three-year starter and team captain.
  • Has plenty of experience in pro passing concepts.
  • Patient to wait out the route development.
  • Throws with adequate timing into intermediate windows.
  • Good eye manipulation to move zone defenders away from his target.
  • Keeps eyes alive and searching for a completion when scrambling.

Weaknesses​

  • Below-average size, arm talent and drive velocity.
  • Low arm slot makes him susceptible to batted passes.
  • Exaggerated pre-throw ball pat slows his operation time.
  • Can be a step slow to hit open receivers in stride.
  • Accuracy issues appear tied to a lack of discipline with footwork.
  • Inconsistent poise in the face of real or simulated pressure looks.
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I’d imagine the issues with footwork, arm slot, and ball patting can be corrected with good coaching. The first point is just reality. The last point will probably be the determining factor for Luke’s NFL career.
 
#320      
TheChief4Life
ChiefGritty said:
Bert has done an excellent job and deserves his flowers, but that list looks very different if it's by who recruited those players.

Lovie brought a ton of NFL talent into the program and Beckman/Cubit brought next to none. (Among draftees it's only Jihad Ward, Nick Allegretti, Dawuane Smoot, Clayton Fejedelem who was a walk-on and Ke'Shawn Vaughn who we underused and forced out, right?)
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I'm too lazy to, so make that list for us, please.
 
#321      
jamarvelous31
lstewart53x3 said:
Well, that’s not what you said originally, your exact quote was:

“Still feel like the staff let Altmyer down this year.”

Could the o-line have been better? Absolutely.

Was Altmyer responsible for a large percentage of his sacks because he held the ball too long? Unfortunately, yes.

Luke wasn’t drafted because of his size and arm strength. Not because of the o-line he played behind.

He was more productive than Drew Allar, yet Allar was drafted because of his measurables.

The staff, imo, didn’t let Altmyer down and if anything, was a huge part of his growth and development, which is why Luke stuck around his final year instead of securing more NIL elsewhere.
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I'm sorry, what?

"The staff let Altmyer down" and "a better line and a D that put him in favorable spots would help the perception of the player" are inconsistent? How did you think I was saying the staff let him down? ...was obviously saying they didn't pick him up from the airport, right?

Of course Altmyer has agency in not getting drafted.

But the idea that the staff had no ownership with that scouting report: getting sacked 32 times a year (2 seasons in a row), his mechanics (spooked by pressure, ball pat and footwork should be coachable) and that it's completely unrelated to the coaching staff's talent acquisition and scheme... that improving on any of that couldn't have tipped the scale to him getting drafted is just homerism.
 
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#323      
therealmiket86
ChiefGritty said:
Bert has done an excellent job and deserves his flowers, but that list looks very different if it's by who recruited those players.

Lovie brought a ton of NFL talent into the program and Beckman/Cubit brought next to none. (Among draftees it's only Jihad Ward, Nick Allegretti, Dawuane Smoot, Clayton Fejedelem who was a walk-on and Ke'Shawn Vaughn who we underused and forced out, right?)
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Those players also weren’t being developed by lovie and that’s why he was fired. He had Kerby Joseph playing wr. BB has done a great job developing talent.
 
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