Devonshire goes in the 7th round to the Las Vegas Raiders
MJ Devonshire became the third Pitt player to be taken in the 2024 NFL Draft as the Las Vegas Raiders made him the 229th overall pick in the seventh round on Saturday afternoon.
Devonshire, a 5-foot-11 and 186-pound cornerback, recently wrapped up a successful three-year career at Pitt. In the 2023 season, Devonshire totaled 32 tackles, four picks, and 10 PBUs and was named second team all-ACC.
He followed up his successful career with a solid showing at the NFL Combine. He recorded a 4.45 in the 40-yard dash and also posted a 38.5-inch vertical. Devonshire was known for making big plays during his time at Pitt and that is an aspect of his game he is hoping will translate to the next level. In his three years with the Panthers, Devonshire recorded eight interceptions and scored a total of four touchdowns, including his iconic go-ahead touchdown in the Panthers’ win over West Virginia in 2022.
As a four-star recruit out of nearby Aliquippa High School, Devonshire initially chose to play for Kentucky. After two seasons in Lexington, he transferred back to his hometown program and became a reliable member of the Panthers’ secondary. Devonshire appeared in every single game over the past three seasons and recorded 18 starts during that stretch.
In the 2022 season, Devonshire became the first Pitt player to record a pick-six and a punt return in the same season since Darrelle Revis did the same back in 2007. Revis, a recent NFL Hall of Fame inductee, is also an Aliquippa native and now Devonshire joins an impressive legacy from the legendary high school.
He is now the sixth player to go from Aliquippa to Pitt to the NFL joining a distinguished list consisting of Mike Ditka, Sean Gilbert, Josh Lay, Revis and Jon Baldwin. Devonshire is now the 16th Aliquippa alum to be drafted all-time.
The selection of Devonshire also extends an impressive streak for the Pitt football program. The Panthers have now had a defensive back drafted for five consecutive years. Devonshire is now the ninth Pitt DB to be taken in the draft since 2018.
“I think the one thing that separates all of us is our mentality,” Devonshire said after his pro day performance about Pitt’s success at getting defensive backs drafted.
Devonshire joins a Raiders team coming off of a 8-9 season in 2023. He was the second cornerback drafted by Las Vegas this weekend, following Decamerion Richardson, a fourth round pick out of Mississippi State.
Following Devonshire’s selection, Pitt now had 17 players drafted over the past four years. The Panthers’ 2021 ACC Championship now has seen 11 of its members go on to be drafted.