Former Pitt defensive end Patrick Jones II was the first Panther to come off the board in the 2021 NFL draft, as the Minnesota Vikings selected him with the 90th overall pick in the third round of the draft. In Minneapolis, Jones will join former Pitt offensive tackle Brian O’Neill, who was taken by the same team in the second round of the 2018 NFL draft.
During his time at Pitt, Jones became a first-team All-ACC defensive end as well as a consensus All-America selection after starting his career as a two-star recruit out of Grassfield High School in Chesapeake, Virginia.