Pitt's Bub Means, Matt Goncalves carry high hopes into NFL Draft weekend

Turning back the pages of time to the first NFL Draft on Feb. 8, 1936, you will see no one who wore Pitt colors was chosen from a team that shut out six of its 10 opponents during the preceding autumn.

That draft held inside Philadelphia’s Ritz-Carlton Hotel 24 years before Mel Kiper was born — how did that happen? — is one of only 10 devoid of Pitt players.

With the 89th NFL Draft set to begin Thursday, the Pitt streak sits at 10 in a row, dating to 2014 when Aaron Donald, Tom Savage and Devin Street were chosen. Pitt leads the ACC over the past three drafts with 14 selections, including first-rounders Kenny Pickett (2022) and Calijah Kancey (2023).

Will the streak reach 11?

Chances are good, but trying to read the front-office minds of 32 NFL teams, publishing the results on the world-wide web and attaching your name to it is a fool’s mission. But dozens of analysts do it, anyway.

The Pitt players most likely to be drafted first from the 2023 team that finished 3-9 are wide receiver Bub Means and offensive lineman Matt Goncalves.

Means, who measured 6-1 1/4, 227 pounds at Pitt’s Pro Day, brings a desirable combination of speed and size, running a 4.43 40-yard dash that was the third-fastest among NFL Combine participants 210 or more pounds. He was listed at 215 last season and put up 19 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press, tied for second-best among wide receivers at the combine. After Pickett was forced to overcome “historically small hands (8 1/2 inches)” two years ago, Means’ hands measured 10 1/4 inches at Pitt’s Pro Day.

Means was Pitt’s best big-play pass catcher the past two seasons, totaling 68 receptions for 1,122 yards and 10 touchdowns — modest numbers held down by uneven play from five different quarterbacks. He averaged 19.5 yards per reception at Louisiana Tech in 2021 and 17.2 at Pitt. He also led the ACC last season with 18 contested catches.

“Everyone knew he would test well,” Means’ agent Andy Simms said. “When you see a guy around 220 who runs 4.4 and has high-end speed, it make you go back and say, `OK, production maybe wasn’t exactly what meshes with an early round pick, but, man, there are some really good traits here.’ “

Means was exposed as much as any player during the four-month run-up to the draft, playing in the East-West Shrine Game and working out and meeting with NFL representatives at the combine and Pitt’s Pro Day. He also visited the San Francisco 49ers and Atlanta Falcons.

Simms believes Means’ engaging personality worked in his favor at those venues.

“I don’t know if there’s a team he hasn’t spoken with,” Simms said. “In this process, January through April is a four-month interview. When you look at it that way, anytime you come across positively and you have charisma and you have a good vibe and people like interacting with you, I think that always helps.

“The film doesn’t change, but if you like the kid and you believe in the kid more, that always matters.”

ESPN’s Kiper projects Means going in the third round to the Detroit Lions (73rd overall) while The Athletic says either the sixth or seventh round.

“Do I think people see that stuff? Sure,” Simms said. “Do I think Mel Kiper has information from somebody or talked to somebody, which affected his opinion? Sure. I don’t think it changes anything for (Means).

“Could he be a third-round pick? For sure. Could he be a fourth-round pick, fifth round? Absolutely. I think there are a million mock drafts and cherry-picking the one or two you like doesn’t always matter. We see it, but there are 32 opinions that matter and those are the teams. Nobody really knows.”

It will be interesting to see if the New England Patriots use one of their picks on Means, now that his wide receivers coach at Pitt, Tiquan Underwood, is on their staff.

”That’s my dog,” Means said. “It was blessing to be coached by him.”

Simms and the 1 of 1 Agency also represents Goncalves (6-6 1/4, 317), who missed all but the first three games last season with a foot injury. It prevented him from working out at the combine, and he had only three weeks to prepare for Pitt’s Pro Day on March 27 where he ran a 5.20 40 and admitted he was only 85-90% recovered.

”He’s a lot closer to 100% (now),” Simms said. “He had been cleared medically but didn’t have enough time (to train).”

Goncalves’ versatility — he can play guard or tackle — may serve him well at the next level. The Athletic ranks Goncalves as the No. 13 guard while Kiper has him the No. 13 tackle.

Three other Pitt players — cornerbacks A.J.Woods, M.J. Devonshire and Marquis Williams — are hoping to live up to Pitt’s reputation for developing defensive backs. Eight players at that position have been chosen in the past six drafts.