Wake Forest Athletics
Prunty Selected in Fifth Round by the New England Patriots
4/25/2026 3:52:00 PM | Football
Since the 2017 NFL Draft, the Demon Deacons have had 56 players selected or signed NFL contracts.
Prunty is just the third Wake Forest player to ever be chosen by the Patriots and the first since offensive lineman Justin Herron was taken in 2020 in the sixth round.
This is the second Wake Forest cornerback to be drafted in the last three years after Caelen Carson was taken by the Cowboys in the fifth round in 2024.
Wake Forest has now had at least one pick in every NFL Draft since 2017, the second-longest streak in the common NFL Draft era (since 1967). Additionally during this streak, the Demon Deacons have had 56 players sign NFL contracts.
In 2024, the Deacs had three draftees in the NFL Draft when San Francisco chose fourth-round pick Malik Mustapha, Dallas Cowboys selected fifth-round pick Caelen Carson and Minnesota Vikings drafted seventh-round pick Michael Jurgens. The three selections were the most since four Deacs were taken in the 2012 NFL Draft.
From head coach Jake Dickert
"Karon is a terrific corner with long speed and great length at the position. The Patriots are getting an experienced corner who has excelled in every stop of his college career. He was a reliable part of our defense the entire year and was a major difference in why our defense was so good this season. He is also a strong tackler for the position and will help in run support on the edges."
From Matt Miller, ESPN
"A long cornerback from Wake. 6-2, 192 pounds. Why do you take a player like this at this portion of the draft at 171? Because you run a 4.24 40-yd dash at Pro Day. That is absolutely moving. That is an impressive number from the Wake Forest corner. And we've tracked things like Pro Day visits, private workouts, 30 visits when teams have these touch points with guys, the Patriots are one of four teams who brought in Karon Prunty in the pre-draft process. So those physics matters are why we track these things."
More on Karon Prunty
In his lone season as a Demon Deacon, Prunty made a tremendous impact at cornerback. He earned Third Team All-ACC honors, playing in all 13 games. He was graded by PFF as the No. 12 coverage corner in the country and No. 2 in the ACC. He finished the season with a 44.4% catch rate allowed, second-best in the ACC while also allowing just 18.3 yards per game in coverage and just two touchdowns in the regular season. Overall in the season, he recorded 40 total tackles, an interception, eight pass breakups, a sack, a forced fumble and recovered a fumble. He made a crucial interception in the low-scoring victory over SMU (10/25). Prunty helped lead a defense that allowed just 29 touchdowns in the regular season (No. 4 in the ACC) and he did not allow a single catch in three different games while ranking second on the team with eight passes broken up. Additionally, he graded as the second-best pass rusher amongst corners in the ACC.
What's Out There?
Check out all the social media buzz around Karon Prunty being selected by the Patriots.
EMBEDDED TWEETS/SOCIAL POSTS
WAKE UP 💥
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) April 25, 2026
Welcome to NE, @karonprunty9! pic.twitter.com/3Kb1HWJ7d2
So 🔥 up for @karonprunty9. Talk about Built in the Dark. What a story!!! https://t.co/mDVyEaoJGu
— Jake Dickert (@CoachDickert) April 25, 2026
#Patriots rookie CB Karon Prunty, who stands at 6'1 192-pounds, is primarily a boundary corner.
— Carlos A. Lopez (@LosTalksPats) April 25, 2026
The 24-year-old is a very experienced special teamer and will most likely step into a role on New England's unit.
🔹40-Yard: 4.45s
🔹10-Yard: 1.54s
🔹Vertical: 33"
🔹Broad: 10'3" pic.twitter.com/Ud1QkdPIwd
Like Craig Woodson last season, CB Karon Prunty brings experience, ball skills, and blitzing ability at a spot with an aging veteran and depth concerns
— Taylor Kyles (@tkyles39) April 25, 2026
Per PFF, Prunty has 7 INT, 24 PBUs, 3 sacks, and 2 forced fumbles since 2020, and he allowed a 79.8 passer rating last season
Karon Prunty on what Patriots fans should know about his game: "I'm a consistent player. A guy that has great awareness, great instincts. A guy that gives you everything he's got...each year I've gotten better, and I don't see that stopping when I get to the next level."
— Alex Barth (@RealAlexBarth) April 25, 2026
Karon Prunty was drafted in round 5 with pick 171 in the 2026 draft class. He scored a 8.65 RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 415 out of 3075 CB from 1987 to 2026.https://t.co/Fgezmjn4Xr pic.twitter.com/fIjF2fox5d
— RAS.football (@MathBomb) April 25, 2026
The Patriots are selecting Wake Forest CB Karon Prunty at 171st overall.
— Jack Aylmer (@Jack_Aylmer) April 25, 2026
NE met with Prunty at his pro day and hosted him for a Top-30 visit. He earned a 8.65 Relative Athletic Score, which ranked 415 out of 3,075 CBs from '87 to '26. pic.twitter.com/2eM4x7Ri1D
