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Former Illinois Linebacker Ryan Meed Receives Invite to Eagles Minicamp

Former Illinois walk-on Ryan Meed looks to defy the odds again after being invited to the Eagles' rookie minicamp
Pranav Hegde|
Nov 30, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini linebacker Ryan Meed (34) holds the “Land of Lincoln” trophy after a game against the Northwestern Wildcats at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images
Nov 30, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini linebacker Ryan Meed (34) holds the “Land of Lincoln” trophy after a game against the Northwestern Wildcats at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images | Matt Marton-Imagn Images

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After going undrafted in the 2025 NFL Draft, former Illinois walk-on linebacker Ryan Meed has earned an opportunity to continue his career after Sunday's announcement that he had been invited to the Philadelphia Eagles’ rookie minicamp.

For Meed, this is familiar territory. The 6-foot-1, 230-pound linebacker has spent much of his career overcoming doubts – first as an unheralded preferred walk-on at Illinois, then as a developmental prospect fighting for reps.

Meed earned the trust of his coaches over time, mostly excelling on special teams before enjoying a breakout senior season (50 tackles). He came up huge in his last college appearance, breaking up a critical fourth-down pass in the Citrus Bowl. Now, Meed will have to prove himself all over again in Philly's minicamp, in which undrafted rookies compete for training camp invites.

Cracking the defending champion Eagles' roster won't be easy, but Meed brings the kind of explosive athleticism that could make him difficult to ignore. At Illinois' pro day, Meed opened eyes with his 4.51-second 40-yard dash and whopping 25 reps on the bench press, which would have placed him third among all linebackers at the NFL Combine. He also showcased a 37.5-inch vertical jump and 9-foot-9 broad jump.

Although the Eagles are loaded at inside linebacker with Zach Baun, Nakobe Dean and Jihaad Cambell, they have been willing to give unheralded prospects a chance in recent years. In fact, Reed Blankenship, who went undrafted out of Middle Tennessee State, has made the most of his opportunity and now starts at safety for Philadelphia.

Given Meed's knack for defying the odds, as well as his athleticism and special teams acumen, a foot in the door may be all Meed needs to hitch on in the NFL. He will report to Philadelphia in May for minicamp and the next step in his journey.

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Pranav Hegde
PRANAV HEGDE

Primarily covers Illinois football, basketball and golf, with an emphasis on news, analysis and features. Hegde, an electrical engineering student at Illinois with an affinity for sports writing, has been writing for On SI since April 2025. He can be followed and reached on Instagram @pranavhegde__.

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