Six Pitt players get drafted
For the first time since 2004, a half-dozen Pitt players had their names called in the NFL Draft.
Six former Panthers were taken in the 2021 Draft, with one each in the third, fourth, fifth and seventh rounds and two in the sixth.
Defensive end Patrick Jones was the first Pitt player to be drafted, going to the Minnesota Vikings at the 27th pick in the third round (No. 90 overall). That was the highest draft selection for a former Panther since the Vikings selected offensive tackle Brian O’Neill in the second round of the 2018 Draft.
One round later, Jones’ bookend, Rashad Weaver, was selected by the Tennessee Titans with the 30th pick of the fourth round (No. 135 overall). Pitt had one more defensive lineman selected when the Vikings took tackle Jaylen Twyman with the 15th pick of the sixth round (No. 199 overall).
The last time the Panthers had two defensive linemen selected in the same Draft was 2011 (second-round pick Jabaal Sheard and seventh-round pick Greg Romeus). Pitt hasn’t had three defensive linemen taken in a Draft since 1981 (third-round pick Greg Meisner and fifth-round picks Bill Neill and Jerry Boyarsky; Hugh Green and Rickey Jackson were also selected in that year’s Draft, although both played linebacker in the NFL).
Pitt had two defensive backs drafted this weekend. The first was cornerback Jason Pinnock, who parlayed a strong senior season and an even better Pro Day into the New York Jets’ selection at No. 31 in the fifth round (No. 175 overall).
Then, in the sixth round, the Buffalo Bills selected Damar Hamlin at pick No. 28 (No. 212 overall). This marks the second Draft in a row that the Bills have taken a Pitt defensive back; last year, they selected cornerback Dane Jackson in the seventh round).
The Panthers had one more player taken in the 2021 Draft: the Las Vegas Raiders selected center Jimmy Morrissey with the second pick of the seventh round.
Once the Draft was over, several more Pitt players signed with teams as undrafted free agents:
Kicker Alex Kessman - Los Angeles Rams
Offensive lineman Bryce Hargrove - Atlanta Falcons
Safety Paris Ford - Los Angeles Rams
Wide receiver DJ Turner - Las Vegas Raiders