Pitt Panthers Tight End Gavin Bartholomew Chosen In The Sixth Round Of NFL Draft

Story by

Bob Rose

Sun, Apr 27, 2025 ·

2 min read

Tight end Gavin Bartholomew was the second of three Pittsburgh Panthers players chosen in the NFL Draft.

The Minnesota Vikings selected Bartholomew with the 26th pick in the sixth round of the draft's final day. He was the 202nd overall choice.

Here is part of Bartholomew's draft profile from Athlon Sports:

In four years with the Panthers, Bartholomew had 105 catches for 1,257 yards and 11 touchdowns. His best season was last year, bringing in 38 passes for 322 yards and 4 scores.

Bartholomew is an in-line tight end with good blocking skills and solid short to intermediate receiving ability. He's 6'5" and 246-Lbs. with good strength at the point of attack as a blocker and works the middle of the field well as a receiver.

Pittsburgh Panthers tight end Gavin Bartholomew (86) runs after a catch against the Youngstown State Penguins. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Bartholomew finished his Panthers career near the top of the program's all-time leader list in every receiving category for a tight end. He isn't a bulked-up wideout, the current NFL prototype for the position, but certainly brings short and intermediate receiving value.

A little more of a throwback, Bartholomew should be most effective as an in-line tight end. His blocking needs a bit more refinement but he has good power and hand placement. He'll also add some versatility as an H-back, fullback, or motion tight end.

Bartholomew shows good awareness on intermediate routes, gets to top speed quickly into his pattern, and works through traffic well. He's a reliable target on contested throws and has underrated elusiveness in the open field.

Gavin Bartholomew goes to a Vikings team that traditionally uses their tight ends well. His combination of blocking and receiving skills gives him a good chance to carve out a role as Minnesota's second tight end alongside T.J. Hockenson .