Every year, it seems as if it's an inevitability that a Pitt football product will have his name called during the NFL Draft. 

Pitt ranks in the top 20 among programs in college football history in producing 300 all-time selections, including the likes of Dan Marino, Tony Dorsett, Darrelle Revis, Aaron Donald and Larry Fitzgerald. The Panthers have had at least one player drafted every year since 2014 and a total of 19 players have been drafted since 2019, the second-highest among ACC teams.

So, given the overall success the program has had in producing NFL-caliber talent, who's next? 

After being represented by three players -- Matt Goncalves (third round), Bub Means (fifth round) and MJ Devonshire (seventh round) -- taken in last year's draft, there are a few former Pitt players with a chance of being selected within the seven rounds of this year's draft, which begins 8 p.m. Thursday in Green Bay, Wis. 

Konata Mumpfield, Gavin Bartholomew, Branson Taylor and Ben Sauls all received invitations to the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis and got in some type of work during Pitt's Pro Day last month. All four have been in contact with NFL teams, while two others in Donovan McMillan and Brandon George seemed to open some eyes with impressive Pro Day performances. 

Mumpfield's name has appeared in plenty of mock drafts over the past few weeks. According to a seven-round mock produced by NFL.com Draft Analyst Chad Reuter last week, Mumpfield was projected to land with the Raiders with the 213th overall pick in the sixth round. Another mock draft had Mumpfield landing with the Rams at pick No. 202 -- again, in the sixth round -- and Pro Football Focus recently projected Mumpfield to be drafted by the Chiefs as this year's "Mr. Irrelevant."

Mumpfield, a 5-11, 186-pound wide receiver, ran a 4.59 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine and projects as an average backup or special teams player in the NFL. He could provide some late-round value to a team like the Raiders or Chiefs, who could benefit from his versatility and athleticism. Mumpfield could field punts if necessary, something he did for scouts during Pro Day, and is coming off a season in which he totaled 813 yards on 52 receptions with five touchdowns. He averaged 15.6 yards per catch and led Pitt in receptions (tied), receiving yards and that aforementioned yards per catch category. 

Taylor's name was mentioned just before Mumpfield's in Reuter's draft projections. The 6-6, 321-pound offensive lineman was projected to be selected by the Cowboys with the sixth round's 211th pick. Taylor could be an option in the later rounds as his 6.00 prospect grade projects him to have the "traits or talent" to be an above-average backup in the NFL. 

NFL Analyst Lance Zierlein describes Taylor as a physical two-year starter with the "girth and power for consideration as both a tackle and guard." 

His analysis continued: "Taylor generates an impressive jolt as a run blocker, frequently winning the battle for space and pushing people against their will. He has average foot quickness and struggles to redirect defenders who get on his edges. He has shorter arms, with pass sets that are vulnerable to speed outside and counters inside. A move to guard could clear up those issues and give him a chance to fight for playing time in a power-based running scheme." 

Taylor started all 11 games as a junior in 2023 -- three starts at right tackle, eight at left tackle -- and was limited to five starts as a senior this past season due to a knee injury and surgery that cost him the second half of the year. He was invited to the NFL Combine and did partake in interviews with teams, but couldn't participate in on-field drills. Instead, he used Pro Day as a platform to showcase his abilities for scouts. 

He said he was feeling "good as new" and 100% healthy last month, describing the showcase as an "important day" for him. 

"I felt pretty good and I felt pretty confident," Taylor said following Pro Day. "I think I turned some heads today." 

Bartholomew, according to ESPN, is ranked as the 16th-best tight end prospect in a class that could feature more than one tight end selected in the first round, including Penn State's Tyler Warren, a projected top-10 pick. 

Bartholomew finished last season with 38 catches for 322 yards, averaging 8.5 yards per catch, and four touchdowns. Zierlein describes him as a tight end prospect with a broad upper body, muscular arms and adequate demeanor to block. 

"Bartholomew will primarily function as an in-line tight end but can be set in action as a move blocker when needed. He’s unspectacular as an athlete with soft hands and an average catch radius. His block aggression is admirable, but Bartholomew will need to get stronger and improve his block sustain to make a roster."

Bartholomew is viewed as a potential seventh round pick or priority free agent, the same status that Sauls has heading into the draft. 

It's not often that teams look to draft a kicker, but Sauls may be worth consideration in the later rounds or as an undrafted free agent. He's coming off his best season in a Panthers uniform, as he tied for ninth in the FBS with 21 field goals made on 24 attempts. A third-team All-ACC selection, Sauls was a perfect 44 for 44 on extra points, 6 for 7 on kicks from 50-plus yards and set a school single-season record with his six field goals from that distance. He hit kicks of 57-plus yards on three occasions, including a 58-yard field goal that tied a school record against California in October. 

At Pro Day, Sauls impressed with a 51-yard field goal and another from 58 yards out, as he made all but two kicks in front of NFL scouts. 

"I know I've gotten a lot of compliments and most people were very nice to me and were very interested in who I was as a person and a kicker," Sauls said last month. "It's out of my hands. It's not up to me. At the end of the day, I just love to kick footballs, so whatever happens, happens." 

McMillon and George aren't featured in any mock drafts, but they certainly did what they had to do in order to impress scouts at Pro Day. 

McMillon admitted that he's been overlooked throughout his playing career, so he took it upon himself to prove his value by putting together 21 reps at 225 pounds in the bench press, leaping 35 inches in the vertical jump and leading all participating players with a sub-4.5-second time in the 40-yard dash. 

The Peters Township graduate started in 12 of Pitt's 13 games this past season and was a second-team All-ACC selection as a defensive back. He led the Panthers in tackles (115) for the second straight year, becoming the first Pitt player to record consecutive 100-tackle seasons since linebacker Scott McKillop did it in 2007 and 2008. 

George, a sixth-year linebacker who served as a team captain, followed up a strong season in which he totaled 80 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, three forced fumbles, one interception and one fumble recovery in 13 games, with a strong showing at Pro Day. 

He completed 28 reps at 225 pounds in the bench press and impressed in the vertical jump with a leap of 42 1/2 inches. The marks he set in those specific drills led all participating Pitt players and would have ranked him among the top linebackers who participated in the NFL Combine. 

"This is what we do, try to develop our players," Pat Narduzzi said following Pro Day. "You want to win football games, but eventually this is the goal. Each one of these kids that comes into our program, this is what they want to do. ... We don't have all the stars the other guys do, but we develop our guys, get the right people character-wise and they're tough. When they go to the NFL, they're reliable, and that's the important thing. It's something you look forward to and you want to see these guys do great things when they leave here."