Pitt Panthers NFL Draft Preview

Multiple Pitt Panthers are in the mix with the 2025 NFL Draft about to kick off.

On Thursday, Day One of the draft will begin with the first-round picks set to be underway. Day Two follows on Friday, rounds two and three, followed by round four through round seven wrapping up the annual event on Day Three, taking place on Saturday, April 26.

Which Pitt Panthers are front and center in the draft conversation?

Initially, it was the pair of offensive players who were invited to the NFL Combine in tight end Gavin Bartholomew and receiver Konata Mumpfield.

Bartholomew competed in 50 games as a four-year contributor in Pittsburgh, tallying 105 catches for 1,257 yards and 11 touchdowns. As a freshman at Akron, Mumpfield put together 63 receptions for 751 yards and eight touchdowns before transferring to the Panthers. Through his three seasons on the perimeter of the Pitt offense, Mumpfield recorded 153 catches for 1,940 yards and 11 touchdowns.

In a recent mock draft, the Draft Network projected Bartholomew to the Dallas Cowboys through the second of three seventh-round selections. In another recent seven-round mock draft from Dane Brugler at The Athletic, the Buffalo Bills were slated to pick the Pitt tight end with No. 206 overall selection in the sixth round.

As for Mumpfield in recent mock drafts, he was projected to the Cleveland Browns in the seventh round by 247Sports this week. Additionally, the Pittsburgh Post Gazette had the Pitt receiver selected by the Steelers in the sixth round.

I'm not a huge plant my flag for day 3 prospects guy but I really really like Konata Mumpfield from Pitt

I think he's a really good route runner and has a really high football IQ that's shown through tempted routes and sitting down in zones on 3rd and medium +

This is a… pic.twitter.com/lKsrtA1qVl
— Football Analysis (@FBallAnalysisYT) April 15, 2025

After the NFL Combine, a few additional Panthers emerged as potential draft picks when Pro Day was held in Pittsburgh.

Most notably, safety Donovan McMillon and linebacker Brandon George put together outstanding scores, ascending into the conversation as draft prospects who could potentially become Day Three selections.

Both McMillon and George have met with NFL teams since their strong performances, including the former logging a 4.47 in the 40-yard dash at 6-foot-1, 206 pounds, 20 reps on the 225-pound bench press, and a 35-inch vertical jump.

As for the mike linebacker, George racked up staggering numbers that combined for the seventh highest Relative Athletic Score among 3,182 linebackers who have attended draft combines since 1987.

At 6-foot-3, 246 pounds, George clocked a 4.65 40-yard dash, 28 reps on the 225-pound bench press, a 42.5-inch vertical, and a broad jump of more than 10 feet.

It'll be very interesting to see if Bartholomew, Mumpfield, McMillon, and/or George are picked among the seven rounds, and if so, where they are selected.

It's also worth noting that despite suffering a season-ending injury last season, tackle Branson Taylor was projected to the Buffalo Bills in the sixth round of the draft, per Dane Brugler's recent seven-round mock draft on The Athletic.

Few predict the additional Panthers to be drafted, a group that includes safety PJ O'Brien, kicker Ben Sauls, edge rusher Nate Matlack, and others. But those athletes will be considered as undrafted free agents, no doubt.

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