Patriots, Browns Eye Illinois State OT Jake Pope at Pro Day

The New England Patriots and Cleveland Browns attended Illinois State's pro day and met with FCS All-American OT Jake Pope. Pope checked in at 6'6", 302-pound with 34.5-inch arms and an 83-inch wingspan and brings experience at both LT/RT and guard versatility.

Pope's length and positional flexibility stand out on the measurement sheet. NFL evaluators prize long arms and reach for tackles who project to slide to right tackle or kick inside in heavy packages, and Pope's 34.5-inch arms and 83-inch wingspan are concrete traits that generate pro interest for offensive line depth charts and swing tackle roles.

The pro day record available for Pope contains no timed or drill data; only the measurement profile and positional notes were provided. No 40-yard dash, shuttle, three-cone, vertical, broad jump, or bench-press numbers are on the supplied pro-day summary, so evaluators and draft boards will likely ask for verified drill numbers to pair with the size profile.

Illinois State's transfer pipeline and pro attention overlapped at the school this cycle. Defensive lineman Jake Anderson announced a move to Wisconsin, joining a group of incoming front-seven pieces. Anderson is listed at 6'5" in multiple reports, with a weight discrepancy across outlets - one listing him at 305 pounds and another at 295 pounds. Statistical summaries for Anderson include a 14-game season in which he recorded 59 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, a pass breakup, an interception, and a forced fumble, and a separate 16-game season with 52 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, a forced fumble, and a pass breakup. Another summary lists Anderson at 52 tackles, three sacks and two forced fumbles.

Wisconsin's staff projects Anderson as a sizable interior presence. The recruiting notes describe him as a player who "can play in the middle of their defense line on early downs and help stop the run," and his run-stop totals were highlighted - 29 stops in one reported season with one game of seven stops against Indiana State, and a 28-stop mark in another season that ranked third on the team and led all defensive linemen. Anderson joins West Virginia transfer Hammond Russell and Buffalo transfer Junior Poyser among incoming defensive linemen for the Badgers.

The transfer portal context is explicit: the portal opened this past week and Wisconsin targeted older defensive linemen to add experience to a young room. Anderson entered the portal for his final year of eligibility in one account while another outlet lists him as a junior this season on ESPN, a classification discrepancy that will need official roster confirmation. Wisconsin's incoming portal group also includes several other named transfers, signaling a roster-building strategy that mixes immediate contributors with developmental pieces.

Taken together, the Patriots and Browns showing at Illinois State and the outward movement of players like Anderson underline a wider marketplace trend: Power-Five programs and NFL clubs are mining FCS rosters for size, production, and immediate impact. The truncated line in the pro-day summary noted "This signals rising NFL scout attention on FCS offen" and, based on the specific visits and transfers documented, Illinois State appears to be part of that pipeline this cycle. If Pope's drill numbers follow the measurement profile, he will be a candidate for late-round or priority free-agent looks, while Anderson arrives in Madison to supply the Badgers with experienced interior size for early-down work.