First Pitt Players Selected in Last Five NFL Drafts

With Day One of the NFL Draft kicking off soon, On SI breaks down the first Pitt Panthers players selected each of the last five years.

Oct 1, 2022; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers offensive lineman Matt Goncalves (76) blocks at the line of scrimmage against Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets defensive lineman Kyle Kennard (9) during the second quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

The NFL Draft kicks off on Thursday and will wrap up on Saturday while several Pitt Panthers will be anxiously watching their phones.

With that, let's take a look at the first Pitt players selected in each of the past five drafts.

2024: OT Matt Goncalves in Round 3, Pick 79 (Indianapolis Colts)

A native of New York, Matt Goncalves was named a Freshman All-American in 2020 after redshirting in 2019. At 6-foot-6 and 317 pounds, he was known to be a road-grading run blocker with the skills to play tackle at the next level. Unfortunately, he played just three games in his senior year of 2023, but he was still selected on Day Two of last year's NFL Draft by the Indianapolis Colts.

Goncalves spent last year as the team's No. 2 right tackle and appeared in all 17 contests while making eight starts.

2023: DE Calijah Kancey in Round 1, Pick 19 (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

A two-time First Team All-ACC selection (2021-2022), and a Unanimous All-American (2022), Calijah Kancey recorded 93 combined tackles, including 52 solo takedowns, 35 tackles for loss and 16 sacks for the Pitt Panthers.

Over 16 starts in the NFL, Kancey has logged 54 combined tackles, 29 quarterback hits and 11-and-a-half sacks after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected him in the first round of the 2023 draft.

2022: QB Kenny Pickett in Round 1, Pick 20 (Pittsburgh Steelers)

The ACC Player of the Year, Offensive Player of the Year and First Team All-American in 2021, Kenny Pickett was a bona fide star for the Panthers. Over 49 starts, he recorded 12,303 passing yards with 81 touchdowns to 31 interceptions.

Although he earned the starting job for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Pickett is now onto his third team in as many years with the Cleveland Browns ahead of the 2025 season.

2021: DE Patrick Jones II in Round 3, Pick 90 (Minnesota Vikings)

A relatively low-three-star recruit coming out of high school, Patrick Jones II far outplayed his recruiting projection in Pittsburgh. He recorded 116 total tackles, 33 tackles for loss, and 21.5 sacks.

So far at the pro level, Jones II has tallied 105 total tackles and 12 sacks. He signed a two-year, $20-million contract with the Carolina Panthers back in March.

2020: DB Dane Jackson in Round 7, Pick 239 (Buffalo Bills)

Dane Jackson proved to be an excellent seventh-round pickup by the Buffalo Bills.

After logging 148 total tackles, including an impressive 113 solo tackles, along with nine tackles for loss, one-and-a-half sacks, four interceptions (including a pick-six), 39 pass breakups, two fumble recoveries (returning one for a score) and four forced fumbles at Pitt, the former Panther rose the ranks in Buffalo and spent the 2024 campaign with Carolina before returning to the Bills this offseason.

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