Inside The Panthers

Pitt Tied For Fifth-Most Picks in NFL Draft

The Pitt Panthers sent an impressive number of players to the NFL Draft this year.

Stephen Thompson

Pitt Tied For Fifth-Most Picks in NFL Draft
Pitt Tied For Fifth-Most Picks in NFL Draft /
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PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt Panthers saw six of their former players selected this weekend in the 2023 NFL Draft in Kansas City. It was an impressive showing for the Panthers, who were among the best in the country at producing NFL talent this season. 

Pitt's six draft picks this weekend tied Clemson for the most in the ACC and ranked fifth nationally, per program spokesperson E.J. Borghetti. He also reported that this marks the second time in three years that the Panthers have had six players drafted and the fourth time in program history they've done so. 

According to Jim Hammett of Panther Lair, the Panthers' six picks tie a program high for selections under the current seven-round model, which was introduced in 1994. And Pitt's 14 draft selections from 2021 to 2023 are the most over a three-year span since 1990-92, when 17 players from the program were drafted.  

Those 14 picks over a three-year span are also the most in the ACC, per Pitt Director of Player Personnel, Karlo Zovko. 

The Panthers led off with defensive tackle Calijah Kancey, who went in the first round to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at pick No. 19. Day 2 passed without another pick but the Panthers owned the final day of the draft. Offensive tackle Carter Warren was picked by the Jets in the fourth round and New York used a fifth-round pick on running back Israel Abanikanda. Linebacker SirVocea Dennis learned he'd join Kancey in Tampa when he was selected in the sixth round and the safety tandem of Erick Hallett and Brandon Hill rounded out Pitt's haul in the seventh round. 

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New York Giants Sign Pitt DE Habakkuk Baldonado

New York Jets Sign Pitt DE Deslin Alexandre

Chicago Bears Sign Pitt OT Gabe Houy

Houston Texans Sign Pitt WR Jared Wayne

Houston Texans Draft Pitt S Brandon Hill

Tampa Bay Buccaneers Draft Pitt LB SirVocea Dennis

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Stephen Thompson
STEPHEN THOMPSON

Stephen Thompson graduated with a bachelor's degree in communications and political science from Pitt in April 2022 after spending four years as a sports writer and editor at The Pitt News, the University of Pittsburgh's independent, student-run newspaper.  He primarily worked the Pitt men's basketball beat, and filled in on coverage of football, volleyball, softball, gymnastics and lacrosse, in addition to other sports as needed. His work at The Pitt News has won awards from the Pennsylvania News Media Association and Associated College Press.  During the spring and summer of 2021, Stephen interned for Pittsburgh Sports Now, covering baseball in western Pennsylvania. Hailing from Washington D.C., family ties have cultivated a love of Boston's professional teams and Pitt athletics, and a fascination with sports in general.  You can reach Stephen by email at stephenethompson00@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter. Read his latest work:

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