Pitt cornerback Avonte Maddox taken in Round 4 of NFL Draft by Philadelphia Eagles

Pitt cornerback Avonte Maddox joined safety Jordan Whitehead as a fourth round pick in the NFL Draft on Saturday. Whitehead went to the Buccaneers first and, only a few picks later, Maddox was scooped up by the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles.

Maddox becomes the third Pitt player taken in the draft as offensive lineman Brian O’Neill went in the second round to the Minnesota Vikings.

Maddox was often heralded as a great cornerback by Pat Narduzzi and the coaching staff but also a target of fans for some questionable play. To me, Maddox was more good than bad and I was glad to see him go so high. I didn’t particularly expect to see him go in the top four rounds and figured he might be taken a bit later.

Maddox was Pitt’s best cover guy so he’s going to be missed. The loss of Whitehead, too, is going to mean the secondary is regrouping a little and will turn to some younger guys. Maddox had a really solid year last season and his impact plays might be more numerous than some fans remember. In 2017, he had a pair of interceptions, four sacks, three forced fumbles, and 11 pass breakups.

Not only will Maddox be joining a great team, according to NJ.com, he’ll have a chance to contribute right away despite some depth at cornerback in Philadelphia.

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