The 2023 NFL Draft wrapped up on Saturday afternoon following a three day, seven round, and 259-pick event held in Kansas City. After the dust settled on Saturday, there were six former Pitt Panthers who had their named called and had their NFL dreams fulfilled.
Calijah Kancey was taken No. 19 overall by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Thursday night's first round. Pitt did not have a player selected in Friday's second and third rounds, but the final day was very kind to some former Panthers. Five Pitt draft hopefuls had their names called on Saaturday giving the program six total for this year's draft.
The number six matches Pitt's best total in a single draft since the NFL went to the current seven-round format in 1994. The Panthers also had six players taken in the 2004 and 2021 drafts as well. Pitt has now produced 14 draft picks over the past three years, the highest total for the program since it had 17 players drafted from 1990-1992.
In the current draft, Pitt was tied for fifth most among all college programs, and tied for first in the ACC. Pitt's 14 players drafted over the last three years is also the most among ACC teams. Pitt Head Coach Pat Narduzzi has now sent 25 former Panthers to the NFL during his tenure, plus an additional two former Pitt starters who finished their careers elsewhere.
The festivities got under way on Saturday in the fourth round as the New York Jets selected offensive tackle Carter Warren with the 120th overall pick. Warren, a native of New Jersey, will be returning home to play in East Rutherford. He is joining an organization that already features former Pitt star Jordan Whitehead. Pitt landed Warren as a three-star prospect in the class of 2017, making him the fifth member from that signing class to have gone on to be an NFL Draft selection.
Warren started 39 games in his career at Pitt. He took over the left tackle job in 2019, but he did have to battle through injuries at times. Warren had a chance to enter the NFL Draft last season, but opted to return for one more season, but he missed the team's final nine games. Despite his season-ending injury, Warren became the second Pitt offensive linemen to be drafted in the past three years following Jimmy Morrissey, a seventh round pick in 2021.
Pitt had two players taken in the fifth round. Once again, the Jets decided to keep a former Pitt star near his home. Israel Abanikanda, a native of Brooklyn, was taken with the 8th pick in the fifth round and 143rd overall. Abanikanda rushed for 1,431 yards and 20 touchdowns in 2022 and earned ACC Offensive Player of the Year honors. He opted to leave school early, and enters the league at only 20 years old, which could be a benefit for the taxing position he plays.
Abanikanda is now the third Pitt running back to play under Pat Narduzzi to be drafted following in the footsteps of James Conner and Qadree Ollison, but he is also the first to be recruited from this staff. The former Lincoln High standout will be joining his hometown team.
SirVocea Dennis also was taken in the fifth round, as he will join Kancey with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Dennis, a captain and Pitt's starting middle linebacker for the past two seasons became the first Panthers' linebacker to be drafted since Scott McKillop in 2009.
Dennis landed All-ACC honors for three consecutive seasons, including first team honors this year. Dennis led the Panthers with 94 tackles this season and finished his career with 36 tackles for loss and 15 sacks.
There was some uncertainty as to whether Erick Hallett would be taken in the draft, but the Jacksonville Jaguars answered the question by picking him in the sixth round with the 208th overall pick. Hallett started the final 31 games of his college career at free safety, and grabbed second team All-American honors this past year. The Texas native recorded seven interceptions in his career, including a memorable pick-six in Pitt's ACC Championship victory in 2021. He collected MVP honors for the game for that effort.
The second half of Pitt's safety tandem, Brandon Hill, followed Hallett in the seventh round. Hill was grabbed by the Houston Texans with the 248th pick. The former three-star recruit from Florida was thrust into a starting role at the tail end of the 2020 season and held the job ever since. Hill was second on the team in tackles with 67. He notched a scoop and score that proved to be vital in Pitt's win against Duke at the end of the 2022 season and was also a second-team All-ACC pick in 2021.
Following the selections of Hallett and Hill, Pitt now has had at least one defensive back drafted in four straight NFL Drafts and five out of the last six years. The Panthers have sent seven defensive backs to the NFL during that stretch.
Pitt has had several other draft eligible players sign as undrafted free agents in the aftermath. Jared Wayne, Pitt's leading receiver in 2022, is heading to the Houston Texans. Deslin Alexandre will be heading to the Jets, and offensive linemen Gabe Houy signed with the Chicago Bears.
