Inside The Panthers

Undrafted Pitt Panthers Earn Opportunities With NFL Teams

Five former Pittsburgh Panthers have earned opportunities with NFL teams.

Stephen Thompson

Undrafted Pitt Panthers Earn Opportunities With NFL Teams
Undrafted Pitt Panthers Earn Opportunities With NFL Teams /
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Even after the 2022 NFL Draft, former Pittsburgh Panthers are still finding different ways to get their professional careers started. So far, five Panthers have either signed rookie contracts as undrafted free agents or received invitations to rookie minicamps, which will begin in the coming weeks.

After a seven-year career in college football, wide receiver Tre Tipton accepted an invitation to rookie minicamp with the Pittsburgh Steelers, according to his agent Sammy Spina. Their rookie minicamp will run from May 13-15. 

Tipton battled injuries for the length of his tenure with Pitt but played in 12 games this past season, mostly on special teams. He totaled five receptions for 37 yards in 2021 and started in the ACC Championship game vs. Wake Forest.

A former Panther special teamer, punter Kirk Christodoulou accepted an invitation to attend New York Giants rookie minicamp, according to a report from Matt Lombardo of FanSided. 

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Over four seasons for the Panthers, he made 244 kicks and accumulated more than 10,300 punting yards. During the 2021 campaign, he tied a career-low in yards per kick at 41.4 yards per attempt.

In addition to those two non-roster invitees, three former Panthers signed undrafted free agent contracts with NFL squads.

Long snapper Cal Adomitis, a five-year player for the Panthers and captain during last year’s run to the ACC title, was the first Pitt non-draftee to sign with an NFL team. He agreed to a deal with the Cincinnati Bengals following the draft. 

He earned first-team All-American honors from the American Football Coaches Association and won the Patrick Mannelly Award, given to the top long-snapper in the FBS for his performance this past season.

Wide receiver Taysir Mack, who hauled in 27 catches for 461 yards in eight games during the 2021 season, signed with the San Francisco 49ers. Mack, known for his ability to make contested catches and stretch the field vertically, was second on the team in yards per catch and accounted for three receiving touchdowns last season.

Tight end Lucas Krull rounds out the list of former Pitt players now signed with professional teams. The 6-foot-6 pass-catcher signed with the New Orleans Saints this past weekend. 

Injuries limited the former four-star recruit, Krull, to just one game in 2020 after he transferred from Florida, but he returned with a vengeance in 2021. Last season, he caught 38 passes for 451 yards and six touchdowns, the most by a Pitt TE since Dorien Dickerson scored 10 times in 2009, on the way to All-ACC second-team honors. 

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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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