2027 NFL Draft potential sleepers: Illinois tight end Christian Abney
In terms of 2027 NFL Draft sleepers to keep an eye on, Illinois senior tight end Christian Abney truly fits the bill.
It's never too early for a 2027 NFL mock draft . That said, it's obviously not too soon to look at under-the-radar prospects for next year either. In terms of 2027 draft sleepers to keep an eye on, Illinois senior tight end Christian Abney truly fits the bill.
The Ball State transfer brings ideal size at 6'6," 255, with a very high level of athleticism. He has good speed that could effectively be utilized in the vertical passing game. He transferred to Illinois from Ball State, exactly one year ago today, with two years of eligibility remaining.
Coming out of Zionsville (IN) high school, Abney drew interest from Kansas, West Virginia, Vanderbilt, Indiana and Kentucky, according to On3. And Illinois is pretty much reseting their tight end position group this season, so the opportunity is certainly there for Abney. Last year's starter, Tanner Arkin, signed an undrafted free agent deal with the New England Patriots, which ia coincidentally the same franchise where Bielema won his Super Bowl ring in 2018.
Last year's second string tight end, Cole Rusk, transferred to Arizona. Abney got a decent amount of experience, working behind both of them last season, his first year in a deep and talented Big Ten conference. He discussed the transition of moving from the mid-major MAC to the nation's top collegiate athletic conference.