Pitt TE Gavin Bartholomew Picked in Sixth Round of NFL Draft

With Gavin Bartholomew hearing his name called in the 2025 NFL Draft, he became the first Pitt tight end in 15 years to get selected and the first under head coach pat Narduzzi.

Bartholomew was selected by the Minnesota Vikings with the 202nd overall pick in the sixth round of the draft.

Welcome to Minnesota, @GavinBartholom6! pic.twitter.com/s92VWN6hI9

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) April 26, 2025

The last Pitt tight ends to get drafted were Dorin Dickerson and Nate Byham both in 2010.

At the combine, Bartholomew, who measured at 6-foot-5, 246 pounds with a hand size of 9 7/8″, increased his 40-yard dash time on his second go around.

After a 4.73 unofficial time on his first attempt, Bartholomew improved his speed with an official 4.70 on his second attempt. That was fourth-best among participating tight ends, tying

Bartholomew then participated in Pitt’s pro day in March and put together a solid showing in from of NFL coaches and scouts. He benched 16 reps of 225, posted a vertical jump of 32 1/2-inches and broad jump of 10-feet 2-inches, while also running a 6.91 three-cone drill and a 4.20 shuttle.

“There were some things I was a little upset about, but I PR’d in everything, so I was really happy about that,” Bartholomew said.

Narduzzi feels Bartholomew’s proven catching ability, along with his blocking will set him up for success.

“You watch him block in the run game out here today with the o-line out there moving his feet,” Narduzzi said at the Pitt pro day. “He’s always been a guy that can run. He can always catch the ball and we know he can run after the catch. To me, what has gotten really good for him is the way he’s progressed in the run blocking. Elite tight ends have to block at the next level, too.”

In his final collegiate season, he totaled 38 catches for 322 yards and four touchdowns as he earned All-ACC Honorable Mention.

When Bartholomew joined the Panthers as a true freshman, he made an immediate impact catching 27 passes for 317 yards and four touchdowns as the Panthers went on to claim their first ACC Championship.

He closed his career at Pitt with 104 receptions for 1,248 yards and 11 touchdowns in 39 games.