Patriots Draft Karon Prunty: Reach or Steal In Fifth Round?

When the New England Patriots selected Wake Forest cornerback Karon Prunty in the fifth round, it's safe to assume most people in Massachusetts didn't know who that was. After all, some draft boards online didn't even have a headshot of the draft prospect.

That didn't matter for the Patriots, who drafted Prunty with the 171st overall pick in this year's draft. The 24-year-old Prunty is a bit of a college journeyman, starting his career at Kansas before transferring briefly to South Carolina. He later went to North Carolina A&T, where he played fantastic football, before finishing his career at Wake Forest.

The boundary defender took a "Top 30" visit with the team, which gave the Patriots' front office confidence in the pick -- even if some online didn't view him as highly.

Patriots Liked The Wake Forest CB More Than Most

"Some guys that we've maybe been interested in in the past haven't always been like popular names or draft mix kind of picks in," Patriots vice president of player personnel Ryan Cowden told local media on a video conference during the third day of drafting. "And with Karon, from the workout day through the spring process, our visit with him, he was a good player when he got to Kansas. Like I said, I believe he was a Freshman All-American, and then at A&T he was a good player. And he had an interesting path. And look, he's kind of put himself back on the map at Wake Forest."

The Patriots didn't have to trade up for him, like they did for Utah offensive tackle Caleb Lomu in the first round, or Illinois edge rusher Gabe Jacas in the second. Instead, they waited nearly two and a half hours to let the board fall to them.

"He's a player that was really intriguing to us because of his length, his speed," Cowden said. "He's an aggressive player."

Nov 29, 2025; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils running back Nate Sheppard (20) runs the ball against Wake Forest Demon Deacons defensive back Karon Prunty (3) during the fourth quarter at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images | Zachary Taft-Imagn Images

But could the Patriots have waited a bit to grab the cornerback? After all, they had plenty of sixth round picks at their disposal.

Could New England Have Waited For Prunty?

By the sound of it, while Prunty might not have flown off the board, the Patriots really appreciated what the prospect brought to the table. At his pre-draft meeting, he represented himself in a "professional" manner, Cowden said, and that he offers versatility in how the team can use him.

Sometimes slotting in as a gunner for the Deamon Deacons, Prunty comes to New England as a reserve cornerback ... for now. Ideally, you'd want him to be the Alex Austin replacement, who joined the division rival Miami Dolphins this past season.

There are some concerns though, especially the age. He's older the Patriots blue-chip cornerback Christian Gonzalez, a player Prunty said he looks up to and watches. The Athletic's Dane Brugler rated him as a "priority free agent," not a top-200 pick, and there were other corners still on the board that appeared to be better on paper than Prunty.

It's OK to say that the Patriots reached for the Wake Forest defender, at least when it comes to the media's rankings and big boards. That sentiment could easily change if he impresses a a rookie in 2026, but for now, it will be seen as a tad of an overpay.

That didn't matter to New England, and it definitely doesn't matter for Prunty, who'll return to Foxboro as a member of the Patriots' secondary.

"This is a place I wanted to be drafted to," he said. "As far as me after my visit and everything, I feel like the visit went good. I felt like if they had the opportunity to get me, I felt like they would've. I feel like when I was there, I feel like I impressed them a lot just with my football knowledge, and my IQ, and just seeing if I can retain information and everything like that.

"I feel like I did a good job at everything as well. I feel like the meetings and everything went good. I was confident after I left New England and everything, and now we’re here."

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